seared bone-in pork chops with spicy cranberry chutney

Is anyone else as ready for Thanksgiving as I am? The other day I was stumped on what to make for dinner. All I could think about was turkey and cranberry sauce. Well, really just the cranberry sauce. Does anyone else crave cranberry sauce in November? Just me?

I knew I wanted something different than the usual suspects, but I still wanted it to feel like Fall, if you know what I mean. I wasn't about to roast an entire turkey on a random weeknight, so that was out. That left me with just the cranberry sauce. And no, I'm not talking about that canned version in all its cylinder mold perfection (though, that stuff is pretty freakin' awesome). No, I'm talking about chutney folks. Spicy cranberry chutney. The real stuff.

You know what goes well with cranberry chutney, aside from turkey? Yep, you guessed it! Pork chops! At least it does in my book. Especially when the chutney has a kick like this one.

Want to know the best part? These chops are super simple to make! I never realized how easy and amazingly delicious pork chops were until...well, until I made them for the first time! Yep. Pork chop newbie over here. So, if I can make them on my first try, that means you can too. No joke.

You're going to want to buy the bone-in pork chops that err on the thick side. The bone is what makes these things incredibly flavorful, moist and juicy. Trust me.

In about ten minutes these babies are cooked and good to go! How can you beat that? This may not be the turkey feast your salivating for, but it sure does come in a close second...maybe a first once you whip it up for yourself and have a bite!

Seared Pork Chops with Spicy Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients:

2 bone-in, thick cut pork loin chops

salt and pepper 

olive oil for searing

parsley, chopped for garnish

cranberry chutney:

2 cups fresh whole cranberries

juice from one orange

2-3 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp cayenne

dash of salt

Directions:

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides and set aside. 

In a separate small pot, over medium heat, add the cranberries and orange juice. Allow the cranberries and orange juice to come to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Stir in the maple syrup, cayenne and dash of salt. Let the mixture simmer, while mixing every so often. The cranberries will pop and the mixture will begin to thicken as it cooks down. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, until mixture has thickened. Add more orange juice if the mixture becomes too thick. Remove from heat and set aside covered.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add olive oil (about 2-3 tbsp). Once the olive oil is heated, place the seasoned bone-in pork chops in the skillet and sear on both sides until brown (about 4-5 minutes each side). Remove the skillet from the heat and using a meat thermometer, make sure the internal temperature of the pork reads 145 degrees. 

Let the pork chops sit in the skillet and "rest" for about 5 minutes before plating. Top pork chops with cranberry chutney and garnish with chopped parsley.