Cotija Stuffed Pork Chops

Now that I’ve tried some of the Real California Cheeses, I’m loving them! In fact, I used a Cotija cheese to make pork chops for the family last week. I tried to make these pork chips different and the infusion of the Cotija and basil together gave the pork a burst of flavor that elevated this meal. You can try a variety of fresh herbs with different Hispanic cheeses to freshen up an old stand by recipe – use it in burgers, rolled in chicken, and many more ways.

Ingredients:

4 pork loin boneless chops
Pork dry rub (see below for ingredients)
4 slices Real California Cheese, Cacique Cotija
Bunch fresh basil, cut in strips
Canola oil

Dry Rub Ingredients:

2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp ground coriander seeds
1 Tbsp smoked paprika

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix together dry rub ingredients and mix until combined.

Using a sharp knife, cut a slit in the pork chop in the thickest part of the chop (starting and ending about 1 inch from the end). Do not cut clear through to the other side – just enough to stick the cheese in and close up the pork chop again.

Stuff basil strips and the cheese into the slit in the pork chop. Close with a couple of toothpicks.

Drizzle canola oil on both sides of the pork chop and rub it in. Sprinkle dry rub mix over the pork chop and massage into both sides.

You can cook this using a BBQ grill or a grill pan on the stove. With the bad weather we’ve been experiencing in Texas I had to make mine on the grill pan.

Heat the pan on medium high heat and let it get good and hot. Add the pork chops to the pan and cover to let the heat work it’s magic. Flip over and cook until done. The cheese may start to ooze out but it’s ok – I like my cheese nice and gooey.

Voila. I paired this dish with my Mama’s Spanish Rice and it was beyond tasty.