Irish Pork Chops & Potato Stuffing

I have cooked this dish three times, once without browning the pork chops before adding the stuffing, and the pork chops always come out a bit tough. They taste great, and the stuffing is great, but the toughness baffles me.

INGREDIENTS

4-6    boneless, lean pork chops
2    tablespoons olive oil
      Mustard of any kind (Dijon, yellow, grainy, sweet)
 
¼   cup butter or butter substitute
4    cups peeled Yukon Gold, red or Russet potatoes, in ½ inch cubes
2    large apples (Macintosh, Fuji, Gala, etc.), peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch cubes
1    medium onion, chopped
2    teaspoons each dried sage and thyme

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil and sear the pork chops on both sides. Set the skillet aside. Cover one side of each pork chop with mustard and line the edges of a deep dish baking dish with the pork chops, mustard side to the outside, forming a basket.

Add the butter to the skillet and place over medium heat. Add the potatoes, apples and onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and add the spices, mixing well. Place the vegetable mix into the middle of the baking dish, inside of the pork chop basket. Sprinkle with a little salt, loosely cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes.