Pan-Roasted Pork Chops with Cranberries and Red Swiss Chard

SERVES: 4

Ingredients

4 medium shallots, minced

1 ½ tbs olive oil

1 tbs minced garlic

½ cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries

4 tbs unsalted butter

¾ cup chicken stock                    

1 lb red Swiss chard

3 tbs light brown sugar

4 pork chops, 1 ¼” thick

1 ½ tsp chopped fresh thyme or ½ tsp

dried thyme, crumbled

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Prepare Swiss chard:  Cut stems and center ribs from leaves and chop; coarsely chop leaves separately.  In a large, ovenproof heavy skillet, cook half of the shallots in 2 tbs butter over moderate heat, stirring until golden (about 5 minutes).  Add chopped chard stems and cook, covered, until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Add chopped leaves and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, 6-7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a heavy saucepan and wipe out skillet.

Cook pork chops:  Pat chops dry and season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.  Brown chops, 3 minutes per side.  Transfer skillet to oven and roast 7 – 9 minutes.  Transfer to a platter, leaving fat in skillet, and cover chops loosely with foil. 

Make sauce:  Saute remaining shallots in fat in skillet over moderately high heat, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes.  Add wine and deglaze the pan by boiling over high heat, scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half.  Add cranberries and chicken stock and simmer, stirring, until berries collapse (about 3 minutes).  Remove from heat and stir in butter until incorporated, then season with salt and pepper.  While sauce is cooking, reheat chard over moderate heat.  Divide chard among 4 plates, top with the pork chops, and then spoon sauce on top.

Recipe from epicurious.com