Prosciutto & Fontina Topped Italian Pork Chops
Prosciutto & Fontina Topped Italian Pork Chops - OMG! Better than any restaurant! These might be the BEST pork chops we've ever eaten! Pork chops marinated in Italian dressing and Worcestershire sauce then grilled and topped with prosciutto and Fontina cheese. Pork on pork with cheese! YUM! SO simple and they taste AMAZING! #porkchop #grilling
Today's recipe is for these INCREDIBLE Prosciutto & Fontina Topped Italian Pork Chops. They are some of the best pork chops we've ever made. BUT before I get to the recipe, I want to tell you all about my recent trip to Iowa!
Have you ever wondered where pigs come from? How they are raised? I know a lot of people are getting more familiar with where their food comes from and what goes in the food they eat. I know I am. That is why I jumped at the opportunity to go to Iowa to learn about how pork is raised in the US and how farmers are working to fight hunger in America.
This was my first time in Iowa. The weather the weekend I was there was AMAZING! It was in the 70s with low humidity. I never wanted to leave!!
We learned all about pig farming from The Brenneman's at Brenneman Pork in Washington, Iowa. They were incredibly open and transparent about the whole process. They told how they started the business and how it has grown. The efficiencies they have developed. There were no questions that were off limits. It was very interesting to see how the business changed over the years.
After hearing about the business, we stopped by the Feed Mill. We got to see a giant truck get loaded with feed. The Brenneman's use several scientist to help them develop the right mix for the pigs feed. They put so much time and care into making sure the pigs are given all the right nutrients.
After lunch, we spent the day touring the "maternity ward" where the pigs are bred and the baby pigs are born. To keep the outside contaminants to a minimum inside the barn, we had to shower before going inside. Y'ALL! I got naked in a pig barn! LOL! The shower wasn't near as scary as I had envisioned. It was just like taking a shower at camp. (I did that once and hated it.) Once we were showered and in our scrubs, we got to see the pigs!!!
We learned how they breed the pigs. The gestational period for a pig is 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. They said they are pretty much on time. The pigs are kept in individual pens or a group pen until they are ready to give birth. When it is time to give birth, each pig is in an individual birthing pen. This is for the safety of the mama pig and the babies (so they don't get crushed under the mama pig). We even got to help a pig give birth on our tour. And by "WE", I mean other people put their arms inside the mama pig and pulled out baby pigs. I just watched.😳
I was amazed at the care and precautions they took in the barn. They get their supply shipments in bulk. They don't like to leave the doors open too long because they filter the air in the barns. They also have someone clean every item with a Lysol wipe before storing it in the barn. Their goal is to keep the animals as safe and free from harm. This barn might be cleaner than my house! LOL!!
On the last day of the trip, The Brenneman's hosted the Inaugural Home Runs Fighting Hunger Softball Tournament to raise money for the local food bank. The tournament was held at Pig Pen Park on the Brenneman farm. The Brenneman's basically built a Field of Dreams behind their houses. It was incredible!
The softball tournament felt like a family reunion, and I was thrilled to be part of the family for the day! The Brenneman's were so welcoming and their hospitality was second to none. I got so caught up in the pork fun that I almost decided to change my blog name to Plain Bacon! LOL!
There were so many great people from the pork community at the tournament. The tournament also had the best food I ate in Iowa courtesy of Flaming Lips BBQ. Flaming Lips served up the most delicious pork loin sandwiches. The pork was from the Brenneman Pork Farm. Talk about Farm To Table! WOW! We also had the BEST ice cream bar EVER! I wish I had
Overall, the tournament raised enough money to provide over 5,700 meals for those in need in the community. Hunger is a real issue in our country and Farming To Fight Hunger is working to bring awareness to this issue and work with modern agriculture to tackle the problem.
After the tournament, Flaming Lips BBQ served up pork chops for everyone. I had an early afternoon flight home, so I missed the grilled pork chops. Not to worry! Chicken Legs and I fired up the grill for our very own pork chops when I got home. We made these delicious Prosciutto & Fontina Topped Italian Pork Chops. Pork topped with more pork and cheese. How can these be bad?!?!? They were honestly better than any restaurant!
We marinated the pork chops in Italian dressing and Worcestershire sauce for a couple of hours and then tossed them on the grill. Once the chops were almost to 145ºF, we threw the prosciutto and fontina cheese on top. When the pork chops reached an internal temp of 145ºF, we pulled them off the grill and dug in! OMG! Y'all, these pork chops are CRAZY good!!! SO much amazing flavor. I can't wait to have a dinner party and make these Prosciutto & Fontina Topped Italian Pork Chops for everyone. These are definitely a new favorite here at Plain Bacon!😉
I wonder if I met the pork chops on my tour at Brenneman Pork?
grill, quick, easy, simple, best, low-carb, gluten-free, keto, pork, pork chops, prosciutto, fontina, italian
Entree
Italian
Yield: serves 4
Prosciutto & Fontina Topped Italian Pork Chops
prep time: 5 minscook time: 12 minstotal time: 17 mins
Prosciutto & Fontina Topped Italian Pork Chops - OMG! Better than any restaurant! These might be the BEST pork chops we've ever eaten! Pork chops marinated in Italian dressing and Worcestershire sauce then grilled and topped with prosciutto and Fontina cheese. Pork on pork with cheese! YUM! SO simple and they taste AMAZING! #porkchop #grilling
ingredients:
- 1 cup Italian dressing
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 4 bone-in center cut pork chops
- 1/4 lb thinly sliced prosciutto
- 8 thin slices Fontina cheese
instructions:
- Whisk together Italian dressing and Worcestershire sauce.
- Place pork chops in a plastic resealable bag. Pour marinade over pork chops. Seal bag and refrigerate at least one hour or up to overnight.
- Remove pork chops from marinade place on grill.
- During the last 2 or 3 minutes of cooking, top each pork chops with prosciutto and 2 slices of Fontina cheese. Close grill and let cook until cheese has melted.
- Grill until pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145ºF.
NOTES:
Use a low-carb Italian dressing such as Primal Kitchen.
All images and text ©Plain Chicken, Inc.
Here are just a few facts about food insecurity:
- Around the world, someone dies of hunger every 3.6 seconds.
- 41 million people struggle with hunger in the United States, including 13 million children.
- In 2016, 3 million households were unable at times during the year to provide adequate, nutritious food for their children.
- Children struggling with hunger are 31% more likely to be hospitalized at some point during their childhood.
- By third grade, children who had been food insecure in kindergarten saw a 13% drop in their reading & math test scores compared to food-secure peers.
- 62% of teachers say children in their classrooms are coming to school hungry.
- Children facing hunger are twice as likely to repeat a grade in elementary school.
To learn more about food insecurity facts: http://www.farmingtofighthunger.com/food-insecurity/
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Farming To Fight Hunger. All opinions are my own.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Farming To Fight Hunger. All opinions are my own.
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