Quick visit to the Experimental Food Corner.

[rivka]

I usually cook pork chops with broth and quartered red potatoes and roasted red peppers, but today I didn't have any of those ingredients. Nor did I have the usual things I would use to make a pan sauce for sauteed pork chops. Clearly, this called for a trip to the Experimental Food Corner.

After browning the chops and then cooking them in a covered pan over low heat, I removed them to a plate, leaving the drippings. I turned up the heat, deglazed the pan with fresh cranberry-apple cider, and added plenty of dijon mustard as well as some basil, oregano, and black pepper. I whisked it all smooth and let it boil for a minute or two, and then - with some trepidation - served it.

It was really good: sweet and tangy, with a notable cranberry undertone. It worked well with the pork chops, and I think it would also make a good poultry sauce. If only we got cranberry-apple cider in the stores year-round.

Comments

[cattitude.livejournal.com]

I love it when a plan comes together.

That sounds very tasty; I may have to try something like it now while cranberry stuff's available.

Were the spices right? Anything you'd add or subtract?

[rivka.livejournal.com]

That sounds very tasty; I may have to try something like it now while cranberry stuff's available.

If fresh cranberries are part of your Thanksgiving plans, it might be a good idea to set a few aside, and later use them in this sauce. I'm guessing that three or four cranberries per person would be ample.

Do you have fresh cranberry-apple cider available? I'm not sure how it would taste with bottled cranberry-apple juice.

Were the spices right? Anything you'd add or subtract?

I might add garlic next time. Not a large amount, but a touch. I'm also intrigued by papersky's idea about adding a bit of cream, but that would obviously turn it into a completely different sauce.

If you try it, let me know! Especially if you fiddle with the recipe to good effect.