Stuffed Pork Chop with Three-Onion Cherry Jam and Buttered Green Beans

Ingredients

• 1  bay leaf dry
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar divided
• 1 cup tart cherry juice 
• 1 tablespoon chives fresh sliced
• 2 cloves garlic sliced thin
• 2 small granny smith apples diced peeled
• 1 pound green beans salted boiling ends trimmed
• 2 tablespoons honey 
• 2 small jalapeño peppers diced peeled seeded
• 4 servings kosher salt and pepper black freshly ground
• 4 servings kosher salt and pepper black freshly ground to taste
• 4  pork loin chops bone-in
• 1 large onion diced red
• 1 cup red wine 
• 0.5 cup red wine vinegar 
• 1 cup roquefort cheese blue crumbled
• 2  stems rosemary 
• 1  shallots sliced thin
• 4 large shallots sliced thin
• 4  stems thyme 
• 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1 large onion sweet yellow sliced thin

Equipment

• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• knife
• mixing bowl
• toothpicks
• grill
• aluminum foil
• grill pan
• cutting board

Directions

1. Special equipment: Toothpicks
2. Preheat a grill pan or a cast iron pan over high heat. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Rub the pork chops with vegetable oil and then season liberally with salt and pepper. In the hot pan, sear the pork on both sides until there is a golden brown crust or good sear marks from the grill.
4. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. In a small mixing bowl, combine the apples, Roquefort blue cheese, jalapeno peppers, and chives. Taste the mixture and season with salt, and pepper, to taste.
6. Lay the pork chops on a cutting board with the meaty side facing you. Using a paring knife cut a pocket into the pork, about 3/4 of the way through and work it open gently with your finger to make a pocket. Dividing the stuffing evenly among the chops, stuff the pocket with the stuffing and put a toothpick through the opening to help keep the stuffing inside the pork.
7. Bake the pork in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the internal temperature is 125 degrees F.
8. Remove from the oven and hold covered loosely with foil to let carry over to 135 degrees F internal temperature.
9. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, combine the butter, shallots, and garlic. Turn on the heat to medium-high. Cook until the butter starts to turn brown.
10. Add the blanched beans and toss until heated all the way through. Season the beans with salt, and pepper, to taste.
11. On each plate, make a pile of beans, put the pork chop on top of the beans and top the chop with a good spoonful of the onion jam.
12. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, heat the oil.
13. Add the yellow onion, red onion, and shallots to the pan and stir well. Season the onions with salt, and pepper, to taste.
14. When the onions have cooked down and they are deepening in color, deglaze the pan with the red wine.
15. Let the wine cook until reduced and absorbed by the onions. Cook the onions for about 5 minutes more, then add the cherry juice and red wine vinegar. Reduce the heat to medium-low heat, and let cook at a slow simmer.
16. Add the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf.
17. Let the onions cook down until they start taking on a soft texture and the liquid is reduced and absorbed by the onions. Stir in 2 tablespoons brown sugar and honey. Cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid has reduced and the onions have absorbed most of the liquid, about 8 to 10 minutes. Taste the mixture and add more sugar if it is too tart. Test the consistency of the jam by drizzling a spoonful of it onto a plate and letting it cool. It should be thick and not runny. If it is too runny, simmer the mixture longer until more liquid is cooked out.