Pork with Cherry and Port Wine Sauce

Rated 3.4 stars by 5 users

Servings

Frankly, it almost doesn't matter what you put underneath this ambrosial sauce… Even if it won't make a silk purse of a sow's ear, the full-flavored combination of dried cherries, port, and Jus de Poulet Lié Gold certainly transforms mundane pork cutlets into celebrity fare. Serve this sauce with turkey, chicken, veal, or duck, as well.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup Port wine
1/4 cup dry red wine (preferably one with soft tannins like a Merlot or a Pinot Noir)
1 1/2 ounces Jus de Poulet Lié Gold®, diced (Demi-Glace Gold®,Demi-Glace de Veau Gold®, or may also be used)
Up to 1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt
4 boneless centercut pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Fresh thyme for garnish

Methods/Steps

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaf and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until the shallots are translucent.
Add the port and red wine, bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup.
Add the Jus de Poulet Lié Gold® and whisk until it dissolves. Thin the sauce with hot water to reach the desired consistency.
Strain the sauce and return it to the pan. Add the dried cherries and cream and return the sauce to a simmer while whisking. Whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter and season to taste with salt. Keep the sauce warm over low heat while you prepare the pork.
Season the pork with salt and pepper, and then heat a large skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the pork chops and quickly brown them on both sides.
Cover the pan tightly, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the chops are done, about 11 to 14 minutes.
Serve the pork chops whole or sliced across the grain. Spoon on the sauce, and garnish with a thyme sprig.

Additional Tips

Wine Pairing: Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, a lighter-boded Zinfandel, or a Riesling from Alsace.

Filed in: Cherry, Cook Like a Chef, Degree of Difficulty, Dietary Lifestyle, Entrées, Gluten-Free, Home for the Holidays, How I Want to Cook, Impress My Friends, Meat-Based Recipes, Moderate Family Recipes, Our Family Recipes, Pork, Port Wine, Poultry-Based Recipes, Recipes by Category, Recipes by Product, Saucier's Recipe File, Vegetable-Based Recipes, What's For Dinner?

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