Cedar Planked Pork Chops with Thyme Italian Prune Sauce

Usufruct: the legal right to use and/or derive benefit from property that belongs to another person without destroying it.  From the Latin ususfructus, which literally means to enjoy fruits or profits. 

I am especially interested in this law as it applies to fruit trees.

That's right, it is legal to collect (drive benefit from) fruit from trees or bushes that obviously aren't being harvested... and obviously aren't yours. And oh man, I have I been getting my usufruct on. (i.e.- prowling the side streets and alleys- basket in hand- in search of obviously neglected apple, plum, and pear trees. )  

Note: when practicing usufruct, don't be a dummy! Collect fruit from the ground and take only what you will use. Don't hop any fences, damage any trees/bushes and otherwise be a knucklehead. 

This late in the season, about the only thing left to urban forage for are Italian Prunes. I have been incorrectly classifying these little fruits as plums until just recently.

"Plums are clingstone (the pit does not separate easily from the flesh) and prunes are freestone," according to the woman at the Farmer's Market who was noticeably aggrieved by my lack horticultural knowledge. Ok, ok- Italian Prunes it is!

After a couple stiff freezes, the prunes drop to the ground, littering the ground with a monochromatic Easter Egg hunt.  Most of them are in great condition, but beware of the occasional rotten egg.

The prunes are great fresh and are simply marvelous when dehydrated, turned into jams or hobo wine! But I couldn't let prune season slip by without pairing them with something planked.

Cedar Planked Pork Chops with Thyme Italian Prune Sauce

Ingredients

1 Outdoor Gourmet Cedar Grilling Plank 
2 thick cut pork chops
3 tablespoons dry rub (I used salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and dry thyme)
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups Italian prunes
3 teaspoons olive oil 
4 tablespoons brown sugar 
5 sprigs of fresh thyme 
salt + fresh ground pepper

** I served this dish over brown rice with wild mushrooms, which was great! But mixed greens, quinoa, wild rice, or lot's of other stuff would be good too. Just depends what you are in the mood for.

First: Soak a large Outdoor Gourmet Cedar Grilling Plank for at least an hour. Place plank in a 13 x 9 baking pan, cover with water, and weight with something heavy enough to keep it submerged. The longer you soak your plank, the less likely it is to catch fire!

Next: Marinate pork chop in red wine, salt and pepper for 30 minutes. Slice and remove pits from the prunes while you wait.

Then: Preheat grill to high (450°). Remove chops from marinade and generously apply dry rub.
Sear 2 minutes per side for good-lookin' grill marks and turn grill down to medium (300°). Place soaked plank on grill, move chops to plank, and close the lid. Allow to smoke and smolder until internal temp of 145° is reached. That takes about 14-17 minutes.

Meanwhile: Heat olive oil in sauce pan. Add prunes, brown sugar, and the leaves of 3 thyme sprigs. Stir over medium-high heat for 4 minutes.

Finally: Carefully remove chops from grill when done to your liking, serve over rice, top with prune sauce, and garnish with the remaining thyme.

Welcome to your weekend. -KB