Grilled Sausage Stuffed Apples

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 rib celery, finely chopped

12 ounces of pork or chicken sausage

4 fresh sage leaves, minced

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons to 4 maple syrup

6 large apples

1 chunk of applewood or other light smoking wood

Preparation

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage and sage. Increase the heat to high, and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook until brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the stuffing to a strainer set over a bowl to drain off the excess fat, reserving the fat for basting. Let the stuffing cool to room temperature.

Using a melon baller, apple corer, or paring knife, remove the core from each apple creating a large cavity, being careful not to cut all of the way through the apple. Spoon the stuffing into the apples. Pour a little maple syrup over the stuffing. Top each apple with a small piece of the remaining butter. Brush the outside of the apples with the reserved fat.

Light a chimney 3/4 full of charcoal. When the charcoal is fully lit and covered in gray ash, pour coals out and arrange them on one side of the charcoal grate, keeping the other side empty.

Place the wood chunk on top of the charcoal, and when it's lit and starts smoking, place the apples over the cool side of the grill and cover. Grill the apples until soft, 40 to 60 minutes. Transfer the apples to a platter or plates and serve immediately.