Apple-Cranberry Pork Chops

Ingredients

-Brine (optional, but will help tenderize your pork):
-1/2 Gallon of water(ish, I just fill the bag 1/2 way)
-1 Cup Brown Sugar
-1 Cup Salt
-1 1/2 Teaspoons whole black pepper corns (1/2 tsp ground pepper)
-1/2 Can frozen apple juice concentrate
-2 Fresh Sprigs of thyme (or 1 TBS dried thyme)

-4 Thick Pork Chops
-Salt and Pepper
-Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or any other type of oil to grease the pan)

Apple-Cranberry Sauce:
-2 TBS Butter
-3 Granny smith apples, peeled and sliced into wedges
-2 fresh Sprigs of Thyme, leaves only (or 1 TBS dried thyme)
-1/3 Cup Dried Cranberries
-1/2 Can Frozen apple juice concentrate
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/4 tsp ground cloves
-pinch of dry mustard
-salt and pepper
-1/2 lemon (or 2 TBS of lemon juice)

Directions:

In a gallon size ziploc bag add all ingredients of the brine. Seal and shake until all of the salt has dissolved (you may need more water if it's not all dissolving). Open the bag and add pork chops. Place in the fridge for 30 min to 2 hours (but no longer, as the meat will get mushy).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Next heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and let it get hot. Pull pork out of the brine and pat dry. Place chops into the skillet and let them brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove pork chops and place them in a baking pan in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. I like pork medium well, so about 145 degrees, but this recipe always make them closer to well done :)

Next, in clean skillet melt butter over medium-low heat. Add apples and thyme and coat in the butter; cook and stir for 6-8 minutes to give them some color. Next add dried cranberries and apple juice concentrate to scrape up the bits off of the bottom. Add rest of the ingredients and let it simmer for 10 minutes or so. Serve apples over the pork chops.

That's it. This is a modification of Tyler's Ultimate Pork Chops. Also, if you live locally and want to try this one, I have TONS of fresh thyme in my garden, so don't go buy it, just stop by and get some. Enjoy!