Pork Chops with Rhubarb-Cherry Sauce

After my success with the Rhubarb Crisp the other day, I was anxious to try another dish, this time, something savory. My new cookbook (Everyday Food: Great Food Fast) had a recipe for pork chops with rhubarb cherry sauce and I decided to give it a try. For this recipe I had to resort to dried cherries from the grocery store, but soon cherries will be available at the farmers markets.

 

Pork Chops with Rhubarb Cherry Sauce, adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (from Anselmo Farms)
• 8-10 ounces rhubarb (from Anselmo Farms)
  
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• Ground nutmeg
• 4 pork chops (from Skagit River Ranch)

1. Combine the cherries and the balsamic vinegar with the hot water in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. 
2. Cut the rhubarb crosswise in to pieces no more than 1/2 inch thick.
3. Meanwhile, heat a teaspoon of your favorite oil in a small saucepan. 
4. Saute the onion for about 5-10 minutes, until it starts to soften.
   
5. Add the cherry mixture, the rhubarb, and the sugar to the pan and bring to a boil. Note: It's not going to look like enough liquid to actually boil, but the rhubarb releases water very quickly and the mixture will boil after a few minutes.
   
6. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the rhubarb is somewhere between soft and disintegrated. Add a pinch of nutmeg and stir to combine.
   
7. Cover and keep warm.
8. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and grill until done.
   
9. Top with warm sauce and enjoy.

Patricia's Notes: I loved this recipe. Sometimes I run hot and cold on pork chops. They are quite often fattier than I prefer and they are very easy to overcook. But these were fantastic. Even though the actual chops did end up slightly overdone, with the addition of the sauce, they were nearly perfect. I tasted the sauce before the pork was done and honestly, it just wasn't great. It was a little too tart and the flavor depth just didn't hit me as spectacular. However, once it met the pork, the flavors melded perfectly. I'll definitely make this again soon.