Apple Cranberry Pork Chops

It's been awhile since I've posted any recipes (or as I like to refer to them: approximate suggestions.)  I predict even fewer posts on culinary endeavors in the weeks ahead, so I should probably share something while I can! On my birthday, my husband and I had dinner at a quaint, but sophisticated little restaurant called Indigo Crow.  It is a new favorite for me after being introduced to it by mygirlfriends from Oak Grove.  The pièce de résistance was the Brie Encroute, an unbelievably decadent balance of baked brie, puff pastry, and apple cranberry chutney.  Naturally, I set about to recreating my own version at home, starting with the chutney.  The flavors here meld perfectly with my Apple-Thyme Pork Chops, so we served them together.  Simple--yet remarkably unexpected.  Enjoy!

Apple-Thyme Pork Chops

• 4 or 5 1-inch thick center cut pork chops
• 2 Tbs. oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons or so of soy sauce
• 3 hefty dashes (maybe about 1 tsp.) crushed thyme

Place all ingredients in a ziploc bag, seal and marinate for at least 2 hours. Stick them on a hot grill, and cook just until center is done.

Apple-Cranberry Chutney

• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2 cups of orange juice
• 1-2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, diced into small pieces
• 1/4 cup white dessert wine (ie. muscato, reisling, or gewurtziminer)
• 1/8 cup port sugar to taste
• 1 tsp corn starch mixed with 2 or 3 Tbs. of cold water, to thicken chutney

Combine orange juice and dried cranberries in a glass bowl. Let soak and plump up for about an hour. On medium-high heat, combine juice, cranberries, apples, wine, and port in saucepan. Bring to boil for a few minutes, then lower heat to simmer. Add sugar to taste. When apples are cooked to a firmly cooked consistency (or to your liking), add corn starch mixture (a little at a time) until desired consistency. That's all. Serve with pork chops...or baked brie if you've got it!