Pan Roasted Pork Chops with Red Swiss Chard & Cranberry Chutney

I’ve been experimenting with our new 2008 Carménère Rosé. This neat little wine has been a joy to cook with and has great potential at the holiday table. Of course, not every night is Thanksgiving, but we can still savor the Fall table in small dollops.

Ingredients

Pan Roasted Pork Chops with Red Swiss Chard

1 medium Walla Walla Sweet Onion, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 thin cut pork chops
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 lb red Swiss Chard, stems and center ribs cut our and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped separately
1/4 cup Carménère Rosé

Cranberry & Orange Chutney

 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
 1 cup sugar
 1/2 cup water
 1 cinnamon stick
 2 bags fresh cranberries, rinsed
 1 orange, peeled, with segments cut into 1� pieces
 1 cup golden raisins
 1 teaspoon peeled fresh ginger, finely minced

Preparation

For the Pork Chops:

Pat chops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, 12� skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then toss in the Walla Walla sweet onion. Lightly salt and sauté until almost transparent. Nestle the pork chops in amongst the onions, making sure they have good contact with the surface of the skillet. Add the thyme sprigs. Brown the chops, about three minutes each side and add the minced garlic.

Toss in red chard stems and center ribs and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Use tongs to gently flip them occasionally. Then add the red chard leaves, and sauté until wilted, about two minutes. Add the Carménère Rosé to deglaze the pan, scraping the delicious brown bits into the liquid. Remove the thyme sprigs and serve immediately.

Plate over steamed wild rice, mounding the chard and onions over the pork chops. Serve with cranberry chutney.

For the Cranberry Chutney:

In a heavy saucepan combine the cranberries, both sugars, water, golden raisins, orange segments, ginger, and cinnamon stick. Add a pinch of salt, if desired and stir occasionally, cooking over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the berries have burst. Remove the cinnamon stick and serve immediately.

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