When I started writing this blog, I signed up for a bunch of email newsletters from different sites and publications. Some of them have been good (Serious Eats) but some have been really inspiring. One of the most inspiring ones has been the "Gourmet Weekly" from Gourmet Magazine. And according to the email I got today it's Sour Cherry season!
I haven't seen them yet at the farmers market, but I'm keeping my eyes peeled and will grab them when they come in because the season is very short. Last year I got a few pounds, froze half of them and used the rest to make sour cherry and rhubarb compote - a delicious treat with granola and Greek yogurt, ice cream or almost any kind of cake. It's definitely helpful to have a cherry pitter, (I have one of these, which also works for olives) but apparently you can also pit cherries with a paperclip.
Today's email had a recipe for Pork with Sour Cherries - a delicious sounding sour cherry reduction served with pork chops. Oddly, I couldn't find this recipe on the site to link to - I guess only the lucky people who sign up for the newsletter get it. They do have a whole feature on different cherry recipes, but that's for later in the summer. I haven't tried this recipe yet. Hopefully soon.
Pork with Sour Cherries (from Gourmet Magazine)
SERVES 4
ACTIVE TIME: 1 HR
START TO FINISH: 1 HR
The sour cherry reduction is a great summer complement to pork—pleasantly fruity and not overly sweet.
- 1 large onion, halved lengthwise, then sliced (½ inch thick)
- 2½ Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- ¼ cup red-wine vinegar
- ½ lb pitted fresh sour cherries or thawed frozen (reserving any juice)
- ½ cup ruby Port
- 4 (¾- to 1-inch-thick) pork chops
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
Cook onion in 1½ Tbsp oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle sugar over onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is caramelized and onion is deep golden, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar and boil, stirring, until reduced to a thick glaze, about 1 minute. Add cherries with juice and Port and boil, stirring, until slightly syrupy, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl.
Pat chops dry and season with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Heat remaining Tbsp oil in cleaned skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then cook chops, turning once, until golden-brown and just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plates.
Reheat sauce in skillet, stirring in butter until incorporated, then season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chops.
And my recipe for the compote:
Sour Cherry & Rhubarb Compote
- 1/2 pound sour cherries, pitted
- 1/2 pound rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup sugar (you can do less if you prefer tart to sweet)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 T lemon zest
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- Dash of cinnamon
Put all of the ingredients in a medium sized pot over low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens and becomes slightly shiny (20 minutes or so).
This can be put up in mason jars in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes, or you can simply freeze or refrigerate it. Serve with yogurt, ice cream, cake or anything you want to add a little sweet/tart to.
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