Stuffed Pork Chops With Apricot Glaze

Thick pork chops are stuffed with a mixture of acini de pepe, dried apricots and celery and grilled. The pork chops are basted with a glaze made up of honey, dijon mustard and apricot preserves giving it a delectable sweet flavor. Leftover stuffing is also cooked on the grill as a side dish. I diced up a small piece of crystalized ginger instead of the ground ginger.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons honey
• 1  tablespoon dijon-style mustard
• 2  tablespoons  apricot preserves
• 2  tablespoons vinegar
• 1  cup chicken broth
• 1⁄2 cup acini di pepe pasta
• 4  green onions, thinly sliced
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄3 cup  dried apricot, diced
• 1⁄2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 4  pork chops, 1-1/4 inches thick

Directions

1. For glaze, combine honey and Dijon mustard in a small saucepan.
2. Stir in apricot preserves and vinegar.
3. Heat and stir mixture until preserves is melted.
4. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. For stuffing, In a saucepan, add chicken broth, green onions and ginger.
6. Bring to a boil and add the acini de pepe.
7. Cook, uncovered for about 8 minutes or until pasta is tender.
8. (you may need to add a little more broth).
9. Remove from heat.
10. Fold in apricots, 2 TB of the honey glaze and the celery.
11. Cut a pocket in each pork chop
12. Spoon about 3 TB stuffing into each chop.
13. Fasten pockets with toothpicks.
14. Spoon remaining stuffing onto a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
15. Fold securely, leaving space for steam to build.
16. Set aside.
17. In a covered grill, place chops on a hot grill off to the side, NOT directly over the coals.
18. Cover and grill for approximately 25 minutes, basting often with honey glaze, turning chops after about 10 minutes.
19. Place foil packets of stuffing on grill next to the chops but not over the coals and grill along with the chops. Pork chops should have an internal temperature of the 145 degrees.