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1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
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2
Slice bottoms (the root end) off onions in order to stabilize them.
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3
(Be careful not to cut a hole through the base.)
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4
Slice off top third of onions and discard.
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5
Peel onions.
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6
Use a teaspoon to hollow out the onions, removing about 3/4 of the inside and leaving 2 to 3 outer layers intact.
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7
Scrape the inside of the onions as you would when making a jack-o-lantern, so that the onion shells are an even thickness throughout.
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8
(Reserve the center of the onions for another use.)
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9
Place onion shells in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, dot with butter, and season well with freshly ground black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper.
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10
Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and place in the oven to braise, basting occasionally by spooning the liquid over the onions, until completely tender, about 40 minutes.
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11
(If making ahead, remove the onions from the baking dish, drain off liquid, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.)
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12
Set onions aside.
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13
Meanwhile, make the stuffing: Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat, add salt pork, blanch for 2 minutes, drain well, and set aside.
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14
Heat a large Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid over medium heat until hot.
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15
Add blanched pork and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
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16
Stir in garlic and jalapeno and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
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17
Add pecans and toast until browned; stir in cornbread and cook another 5 minutes or until completely warmed.
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18
Season with freshly ground black pepper and add remaining chicken broth.
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19
Remove the pan from heat and mix well.
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20
Divide stuffing among braised onions (fill them completely) and bake until heated through, about 10 minutes.
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21
(Place remaining stuffing in a buttered loaf pan and bake alongside onions until thoroughly heated.)
