Maple Glazed Pork Chops with Thyme Poached Apples

 

Ingredients 

Pork Chops
boneless pork chops, 1/2-inch thick, trimmed 
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt 
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 
tablespoon Vinesation Robust Olive Oil
tablespoons finely sliced shallots  
1/3 cup Vinesation Aged Pure Maple Balsamic

Thyme Poached Apples (or Quince)
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup Vinesation Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic (or Vinesation Honey-Ginger White Balsamic)
1 - 3" sprig fresh thyme 
1 ripe apples (about 10 oz), peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (quince can be substituted by increasing the poaching time to 20 minutes)

Instructions:
Thyme Poached Apples (Quince)
Bring water, balsamic to a simmer in a 2- to 2 1/2-quart saucepan. Add the apples and sprig of thyme.  Simmer, gently stirring once or twice, until quince is tender, about 35 minutes. Discard the thyme sprig, drain quince in a sieve set over a bowl and reserve for pan sauce.
 

Pork Chops 
Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. In nonstick 12 inch skillet, heat the EVOO over med-high heat. Cook chops 4 minutes one side, turn over and cook 3 minutes the other side. Transfer to platter and keep warm. Increase heat to high. Stir shallot into pan juices; cook 2 minutes. Stir in the balsamic and cook down for an additional 2 minutes. Add the strained poached apples to the pan and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.  To serve, ladle the pan sauce and fruit over the pork chops.