Almost Perfect Fontina Chops

A few years ago, in search of child-friendly dining option, we found ourselves in a Bonefish Grill. Prior to this visit, my only knowledge of Bonefish Grill was through one of our family members, who spoke with great passion about the Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola Butter he’d eaten there. At the time, he’d claimed it was the best meal he’d ever eaten. Based on his description of the meal, I made the silly mistake of trying to cook this idolized meal for him. We went over to our local Whole Foods to buy the finest, freshest ingredients. I meticulously crafted the meal as described. Then we all sat down to enjoy the meal together.

Well, my Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola dinner came out fantastic, truly fantastic. Everyone was fully pleased, except perhaps, the family member I’d cooked it for. His critique was that it was almost perfect. I’d accepted the praise and thanked him. I’ll take an almost perfect review. But, my husband wasn’t about to let his comment go. What do you mean almost?? He pressed. What should have been improved? Our family member then tried to argue that it couldn’t possibly be as perfect as in a restaurant because I didn’t have access to restaurant stuff. We giggled and let it go, but we still joke with him today about his almost perfect comment. All in good fun and with love.

So, when I found myself sitting in front of the Bonefish Grill menu, there was part of me that was very strongly leaning towards ordering the Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola Butter, so that I could dissect the dish and discover the errors of my almost perfect recreation. And then I spotted the Fontina Chop; a pork chop with Marsala sauce, prosciutto, garlic, and fontina cheese. Just reading the description had me salivating. I almost always order steak or seafood in restaurants, so a pork dish was a departure for me. But it sounded so irresistible. And it was. It was probably the best rendition of a pork chops and gravy dish I’ve ever eaten. If you ever find yourself in a Bonefish Grill, I highly recommend this dish.

Notice the absence of Fontina cheese; the result of cooking and photographing with two little people and a dog at my heels. My cheese was added post-pictures.

It was years ago, but the flavor combination in that dish stuck with me. So, I decided to have a go at recreating another Bonefish Grill dish. My advantage, this time, is that I’ve actually seen and eaten the sought after dish. My disadvantage is that it was so long ago that my memory will be fairly worthless in terms of comparing the actual taste match between the dishes. Regardless of differences between Bonefish’s dish and mine, I have to admit that this recipe is delicious…almost perfect.

Fontina Chops

Inspired by Bonefish Grill

Ingredients

For the Pork Chops

• 2 Boneless Pork Chops
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup Bread Crumbs
• 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/2 cup Fontina Cheese, shredded

For the Sauce

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 3-4 slices Prosciutto, chopped
• 2 cups Baby Bella Mushrooms, Sliced
• 1/2 tsp Garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup Marsala Wine
• 1 can (15 ounces) Chicken Broth
• 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

For the pork chops:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim any excess fat from the chops. Season with salt and pepper. Dip the chops into the beaten egg, then press all sides in the bread crumbs until thoroughly coated. Heat the olive oil in an oven-proof pan. Place the breaded chops in the pan and cook for a minute or two on each side until golden brown. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the pork chops are fully cooked. Time will vary depending on the thickness of the chops. My 1″ pork chops took about 15 minutes in the oven. A instant read thermometer inserted into the center should read 165 degrees.

(**Edited to Add: The USDA has recently reduced its recommended safe temperature for pork to 145 degrees. Based on this new recommendation, you can probably cut the cooking time to about 12 minutes in the oven, but cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your chops. An instant-read meat thermometer is your best friend in determining doneness!**)

For the sauce:

Prepare the sauce while the chops are cooking. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add the mushrooms and prosciutto. Cook for 8-9 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned. Add the garlic. Cook for another minute or two. Then removed the cooked mushrooms, prosciutto, and garlic and set aside. Add the marsala to the hot pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced to about 1/4 cup. Add the chicken broth. Return to a simmer and cook until a little more than 1 cup of liquid remains. Place the cornstarch in a small bowl. Spoon a few tablespoons of the hot liquid into the cornstarch and stir until combined. (Dissolving the cornstarch in a small amount of liquid before adding to the sauce will help to prevent lumps from forming.) Then, add the cornstarch mixture to the pan and simmer for another minute or two to thicken. Return the mushroom mixture to the pan and simmer for a minute to reheat.

To serve:

As soon as the pork chops come out of the oven, sprinkle the fontina cheese on top. Allow the pork chops to rest and the cheese to melt for a couple minutes. Then spoon the sauce over the chops and serve. Smashed Red Potatoes and Steamed Asparagus make wonderful side dishes!

Serves 2

Hubby's dish, cheese properly applied.

Since writing this recipe, it has come to my attention that the Bonefish fontina chops are not breaded. I stand by my breaded chops in this recipe, as it is hands-down my favorite way to prepare pork chops. But, if you’re looking for a more similar recreation to Bonefish’s dish, you may wish to skip the breading steps and simply season your chops with salt and peppers and sear in a pan before finishing in the oven. Enjoy!