Cranberry Orange Pork Chops

Photo by Taste of Home

I thought I would share a recipe I made recently which turned out quite well even though it was mostly improvised.  I had seen this recipe: Sweet Onion and Cherry Pork Chops</> and thought it sounded like a good possibility for this past Sunday's potluck lunch at church.  I knew I would need to triple it because it only serves two, but that looked easy enough to do.  Boneless pork sirloin steaks were on sale for only $1.79/lb. so that made it even more of a good idea.

The only problem was that I couldn't find the frozen cherries the recipe calls for.  I didn't want to mess around with pitting fresh ones and I certainly wasn't paying the price for canned cherries.  Saturday afternoon, when we got back from our getaway, I set about putting this recipe together.  What I ended up with was vastly different from the original, so I will share it here.

CRANBERRY ORANGE PORK CHOPS
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries -- could use more
1/2 cup frozen chopped onion -- could use more
3 Tblsp. brown sugar
2 Tblsp. orange juice
1 1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
6 boneless pork sirloin steaks, cut in serving size pieces
1 Tblsp. cornstarch
2 Tblsp. cold water

In a slow cooker, combine the first six ingredients; top with pork.  Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until pork is tender.

Just before serving, combine cornstarch and water until smooth.  (I had brought my cornstarch along in a snack size zip top bag, so just added the water to the bag, zipped it closed and kneaded it gently until smooth.  But you could mix it in a small cup or bowl..)  Gradually stir into the slow cooker and stir until the gravy is thickened and smooth.

Yield: six servings (more at a potluck).  Good with mashed potatoes or rice.

This pork turns out tender and the gravy is delicious.  Hope you enjoy this (and/or the original recipe!) if you try it.