DIANE'S STUFFED ITALIAN PORK CHOPS
FIRST PRIZE - 1996 National Sausage Month Award-Winning Recipes
Diane Abate, Staten Island, NY

Ingredients:
4 thick pork chops
1 1/2 lbs. hot Italian sausage
10 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 small can stewed tomatoes
1 small can chicken broth
8 basil leaves
1/2 Tbsp. red pepper
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup porcine mushrooms (any mushroom can be used)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Remove sausage meat from casing. Fry meat, garlic, chopped onion and pine nuts in olive oil until meat is cooked and garlic and onion are brown. Lower heat on frying pan and add the stewed tomatoes. Slowly cook mixture for about 15 minutes, stirring so contents do not stick to pan. Empty contents into a separate dish and add bread crumbs, basil and red pepper. Stir until mixture is moldable. Cut thick pork chops down the side to make a pocket. Stuff each pork chop with stuffing mixture until full. Use toothpicks to hold chops together.In frying pan, add chicken broth, mushrooms and some chopped garlic. Cook until garlic is brown. Add pork chops. Cook pork chops on low heat until meat is white (about one hour). Baste chops with juices from pan. Serve with mushrooms on top of each pork chop. Serves four.