Pork Chops With Lingonberry Sauce

Good morning, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  I've mentioned before, how much I enjoy seasonally themed food, and this may not seem like it's very Halloween-y, but you could sell this as "pork chops in blloooddddd".  If you wanted to.  I seem to be the only one that enjoys this themed food, so I just kept that gem to myself while serving this to my family.
I tell myself that as my daughter gets a little bit older, she'll get as big a kick out of it as I do!

We go to Ikea somewhat often, and every time I go, I walk by the food section, and I pass the lingonberry jam.  I wonder what it is, what does it taste like?  On a whim, during one of our last trips there, I bit the bullet, and grabbed a jar.
That's when the idea for this dish came together, and I figured I'd give it a shot.  Fruit naturally pairs well with pork, and this was no exception.
In case you're wondering, the lingonberry jam is sweet with just a touch of tart mixed in.  I really enjoyed it!  I was pretty excited about it; it may be a new favorite of mine!

Here's your grocery list for this one:
2-3 pork chops, cut at least 1" thick

For the brine:

1-2 C water

1 Tbs Kosher salt

1 Tbs garlic powder

1 tsp dried Rosemary

2-3 dried bay leaves

For the sauce:
1/3 C lingonberry jam

2 Tbs butter, unsalted

1 C chicken stock

1 Tbs fresh rosemary

Rosemary for garnish

Alrighty!  So, let's start with building the brine.  I have mentioned before how much I love brining thick cuts of meat, or cuts of meat with the bone still in, this keeps them moist in the event of slight overcooking.  It's a great insurance plan!  Plus, it's super quick and easy to put together.  Now then, put the water, and herbs together in a pot.  Bring it up to a boil, turn it off the heat, and let cool.  

Once your brine has cooled, put your pork chops into a zip top bag, and pour the brine over them.  Seal the zip top bag, and pop into the fridge for at least 4 hours, but up to 8 hours.

Okay, so when you're ready to start cooking, pull the pork out of the bag, and discard the rest of the brine.  Pat your pork dry, then spray with some nonstick spray while you have a cast iron, or heavy bottomed pan preheating over medium high heat.  

While you're waiting for the pan to heat up, take a sprig of rosemary, and mince up about 1 Tbs, for the sauce.

Place your pork chops in the skillet, and cook for about 5 minutes per side; before you flip them, spray the uncooked side with some nonstick spray.  Once your pork has cooked all of the way through, set it aside on a plate.  Measure out the jam, and put the butter in.  Your pan will be hot, so the butter will melt very quickly. 

Add in the chicken stock, rosemary, and lingonberry jam; let this reduce by about 1/3 (this should take about 5 minutes over medium heat).  Taste your sauce to see if it needs any salt, and dish up!  This is definitely something I will make again, and maybe give it a more adventurous name for next time!  I just didn't want to scare my daughter off from eating it!