Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Chops
In the northeast we have had some spectacular weather over the past few weeks. I decided to take the opportunity and barbeque pork chops on the grill, with a slight twist using fresh locally sourced, and seasonal ingredients such as apples and cranberries.
Pork chops and applesauce are a well documented partnership like Bonnie and Clyde, Sonnie and Cher, and more recently the New York football Giants and losing. Yet by adding tangy cranberries and crunchy almonds to the already great flavor profiles of pork with apples, my interpretation of the dish adds some complexity but maintains the overall idea of the partnership. The dish’s reduced carbon footprint is not only good for the environment, but will also be a sure hit as a main dish at your next dinner party.
If you enjoy this recipe or have any ideas for any future recipes, please email me at travis@livegreenbegreen.com.
Ingredients:
4 bone-out pork chops
1 organic apple
1/4 cup fresh cranberries
Handful of unsalted almonds
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/16 cup flour
1/4 cup cognac
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
A dash of nutmeg
Salt and Pepper
Makes 4 servings
Preparation:
Step 1:
Slice, peel, and cut apple into small pieces.
Step 2:
Add cranberries and apples to a saute pan and cook on high heat. Juice will begin to come out of the fruit as you cook them. Once this happens, add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook on high heat for three to five minutes or until the apple gain a slightly brown coating.
Step 3:
Turn off heat, add unsalted almonds to cooked stuffing mixture, and let cool.
Step 4:
Create pocket for stuffing in pork chop by taking a butterfly approach, with the only difference being not cutting into the meat as deep, and leave about half an inch thickness of connective tissue to ensure the pocket does not collapse and maintains rigid enough to enclose the stuffing in the rear.
Step 5:
Season pork chop with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powders on both sides.
Step 6:
Add stuffing to to pork chops, and close with toothpicks towards the edge of the chop where the stuffing is inserted. Grill on barbeque by setting grill to high heat and grill on each side for a minute or until a nice char is achieved. Then reduce heat to medium and cook for about ten minutes on each side. *(The added thickness of the chop as a result of the stuffing will dictate a longer cooking time).*
Step 7:
Let cool, serve, and enjoy!