Apple-Cranberry Stuffed Pork Chops

I don't know exactly where, when or how I obtained the recipe on which I based tonight's dinner, but the magazine page I worked from indicates that it's a Redbook from April 2008.  I wouldn't be surprised if I've really had it sitting around that long -- as we had recently cleaned out the recipe book; getting rid of stuff we'd probably never make, and singling out those that we needed to actually, finally try soon.  Anyways, this is the dinner I cooked, modified to our tastes, what we had on hand, and (we think, some better) ingredient choices:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup finely chopped celery
• 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
• Dried sage, about 2 teaspoons
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 3/4 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 6 one-inch thick boneless center-cut pork chops
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 and 1/2 cups apple cider
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard with honey (Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?")
• Salt and Pepper

PROCESS:

Using a sharp knife held parallel to the board, cut a pocket in each pork chop, leaving three edges in tact.  Set them aside.

Melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet.  Then add the onions, celery, cranberries, garlic, sage, and a little salt.

Cook it down for a few minutes until it starts to soften and become translucent.

Then add the apples.

After a few more minutes, when the apples look cooked and a little soft, turn off the heat and stir in the cheese.

Stuff each pork chop with as much as it will hold.

I found that, even though it looked like way too much overall, there was just enough stuffing to fill them all quite plentifully.  Season the chops with salt and pepper.

Melt the other Tablespoon of butter in the now empty skillet, again over medium heat, and add the chops, being careful not to let the stuffing spill out.

Flip the over after about 4 minutes to cook on the other side.

After 4 minutes cooking on the second side, add the chicken stock to the pan.

Let it cook for a few more minutes until they are done, turning the chops over once more if you like.  I also chose to cover them loosely with a pot lid, to help the cooking along.

Transfer the chops to tin foil, and cover to keep warm.

What you should have left in the pan at this point is chicken stock, and maybe some bits of stuffing that fell out.  Now, add the apple cider and the  mustard, and whisk it all together.

Bring it to a full boil, and let the sauce reduce down to about half to one-third of its original volume.

Finally, serve each chop up with a spoonful or two of the sauce.  We had ours, as you can see, with steamed carrots.

This was very, very yummy.  What else can I say?  you should try it.  :)