cdkitchen > cooking experts > amy powell
Ah, the end of summer. At this point the barbecue has been in rotation (perhaps as the sole cooking instrument) for a full three months now. Not a terrible thing, considering that when the snow starts to fall in certain parts of the country in just a few months, we will all be reminiscing longingly on these carefree days of cookouts.
That being said, the barbecue thing can get a little routine. Read: grilled steak/chicken/fish/pork, plus vegetable, plus side salad smothered in mayonnaise. Delicious, but redundant. And as much as we crave such basic meals during the cold, hard days of winter, a summer of the same-old, same-old will put even the most low-maintenance eater to sleep.
So how to spice up the barbecue routine without tainting the grill? No, this is not really the time to be studying Top Chef for tips on grilled steak with saffron foam. Rather, this is the time to take your same familiar meat on a trip through Extreme Makeover, retaining the basic outer shell while concealing a surprise from the inside.
How? Stuff it! There is nothing like cutting into what appears to be a standard grilled chicken breast to find it dripping with melted cheese and a pink interior of ham. Or there is your once standard pork chop, which finds new life and avoids the curse of becoming overly dry with a rich and fatty stuffing of its own.
Stuffed chicken is far more than that artery clogging banquet wonder known as Chicken Cordon Bleu. Working on the grill, or grill pan, stuffed chicken has many applications. You'll have many opportunities to work with fresh flavors for creative interiors to an otherwise standard dish.
To start, breasts should be boneless and skinless with the tenderloin removed and saved for another use. Aside from cheese that may melt, any potential stuffing that might release excess moisture while cooking--such as mushrooms, spinach, or tomatoes--should probably be chopped small and sautéed in advance of the stuffing. Jarred sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers packed in oil are an excellent way to avoid cooking the stuffing ingredients as long as they are well drained and chopped fine before using. A stuffing of feta, herbs, pine nuts and chopped sun-dried tomatoes makes for a delightfully Mediterranean taste as well as colorful interior to cut into.
With pork, a good fatty stuffing is a way to incorporate some flavor back into meat that has been bred to be almost tastelessly lean these days. Although a cheese filling will always do the trick, to be honest, there is nothing like more pork to bring the flavor back. A take on bacon, like pancetta or proscuitto, along with fresh basil leaves would make for an elegant interior. Personally, I like a nice and spicy fresh chorizo filling mixed with a little smoky chipotle pepper for the ultimate pork on pork chop.
With chicken breasts or pork chops that will be stuffed, make sure they are thick to begin with. Using a sharp knife, make about a three-inch incision down one side. Then working the knife into the piece of meat, create a pocket that stretches about three-fourths of the way through without widening the 3-inch incision and being careful not to cut all the way through to the other side.
Then after stuffing the meat with your concoction of choice, proceed to grill as normal allowing a little more cooking time to let the interior heat through. Note that if the filling looks like it wants to burst out before cooking, a toothpick soaked in water can be used to secure it through the cooking process.
A few months from now we might look back in disbelief that boredom ever came from the grill. But the best way to avoid the doldrums in these dog days of summer is to keep it fresh, stuff it good, and then delight in the big reveal as your once humble meat shows you it has so much more to offer… on the inside.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/555-stuffed-barbecue-meats/
Extreme Makeover My Barbecue
Ah, the end of summer. At this point the barbecue has been in rotation (perhaps as the sole cooking instrument) for a full three months now. Not a terrible thing, considering that when the snow starts to fall in certain parts of the country in just a few months, we will all be reminiscing longingly on these carefree days of cookouts.
That being said, the barbecue thing can get a little routine. Read: grilled steak/chicken/fish/pork, plus vegetable, plus side salad smothered in mayonnaise. Delicious, but redundant. And as much as we crave such basic meals during the cold, hard days of winter, a summer of the same-old, same-old will put even the most low-maintenance eater to sleep.
So how to spice up the barbecue routine without tainting the grill? No, this is not really the time to be studying Top Chef for tips on grilled steak with saffron foam. Rather, this is the time to take your same familiar meat on a trip through Extreme Makeover, retaining the basic outer shell while concealing a surprise from the inside.
How? Stuff it! There is nothing like cutting into what appears to be a standard grilled chicken breast to find it dripping with melted cheese and a pink interior of ham. Or there is your once standard pork chop, which finds new life and avoids the curse of becoming overly dry with a rich and fatty stuffing of its own.
Stuffed chicken is far more than that artery clogging banquet wonder known as Chicken Cordon Bleu. Working on the grill, or grill pan, stuffed chicken has many applications. You'll have many opportunities to work with fresh flavors for creative interiors to an otherwise standard dish.
To start, breasts should be boneless and skinless with the tenderloin removed and saved for another use. Aside from cheese that may melt, any potential stuffing that might release excess moisture while cooking--such as mushrooms, spinach, or tomatoes--should probably be chopped small and sautéed in advance of the stuffing. Jarred sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers packed in oil are an excellent way to avoid cooking the stuffing ingredients as long as they are well drained and chopped fine before using. A stuffing of feta, herbs, pine nuts and chopped sun-dried tomatoes makes for a delightfully Mediterranean taste as well as colorful interior to cut into.
With pork, a good fatty stuffing is a way to incorporate some flavor back into meat that has been bred to be almost tastelessly lean these days. Although a cheese filling will always do the trick, to be honest, there is nothing like more pork to bring the flavor back. A take on bacon, like pancetta or proscuitto, along with fresh basil leaves would make for an elegant interior. Personally, I like a nice and spicy fresh chorizo filling mixed with a little smoky chipotle pepper for the ultimate pork on pork chop.
With chicken breasts or pork chops that will be stuffed, make sure they are thick to begin with. Using a sharp knife, make about a three-inch incision down one side. Then working the knife into the piece of meat, create a pocket that stretches about three-fourths of the way through without widening the 3-inch incision and being careful not to cut all the way through to the other side.
Then after stuffing the meat with your concoction of choice, proceed to grill as normal allowing a little more cooking time to let the interior heat through. Note that if the filling looks like it wants to burst out before cooking, a toothpick soaked in water can be used to secure it through the cooking process.
A few months from now we might look back in disbelief that boredom ever came from the grill. But the best way to avoid the doldrums in these dog days of summer is to keep it fresh, stuff it good, and then delight in the big reveal as your once humble meat shows you it has so much more to offer… on the inside.
Pork on Pork Chops (Chorizo and Chipotle Stuffed Pork Chops)
Made with fruit salsa, salt and pepper, pork chops, chorizo, chipotle pepper in adobo, cilantro
Made with fruit salsa, salt and pepper, pork chops, chorizo, chipotle pepper in adobo, cilantro
Serves/Makes: 6
- 6 thick cut, bone in pork chops
- 6 ounces fresh chorizo (not smoked)
- 2 canned chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
- salt and pepper
- fruit salsa (optional)
Preheat grill to medium high.
Pat pork chops dry. On the side with out the bone, make an incision three inches long. Working a very sharp knife into the incision, create a pocket that stretches 3/4 of the way through being careful not to break through the meat on either side. Repeat with other chops.
In a small bowl mix together chorizo, chipotle peppers, and cilantro along with a couple pinches of salt. The hand is the best way to work these ingredients together until blended. Take a couple of tablespoons of the mixture and stuff into the pocket of each chop. Season exterior of chops with salt and pepper.
Lightly oil grill and place chops over the medium high heat. Grill for 1 minute per side to get grill marks then move to medium heat coals or reduce the heat on the gas grill to medium. Cover loosely with a foil tent and cook for 4-5 minutes more per side. Let rest for five minutes before eating and serve with your favorite fruit salsa (optional).
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/555-stuffed-barbecue-meats/