Rhubarb Cherry Pork Chops
Last week I talked about how much I love Tartarian cherries. I look forward to them every year, and grab as many as I can until they disappear. It’s five or six weeks of pure bliss. While I use them plenty for sweet desserts, I use them for savory recipes as well. That sweet pop of cherry flavor goes great with chicken or pork. So, since I made chicken last week, this week I’m going with pork. But this time I’m not only using cherries. This time I’m using rhubarb as well.
It’s awesome that rhubarb and cherries are in season together at the same time. Both are delicious and combine so well. While rhubarb is often relegated to pie territory, there are so many other uses for this tart vegetable. That’s right, I said vegetable. I’ve actually used it before in chutneys and sauces. So, while you could combine the cherries and rhubarb into a delicious pie, why not combine them into a sweet sauce to pour over pork?
I love sweet sauces over savory proteins. You get that pop of sweet, fruity flavor that enhances the saltiness from whatever protein you’re eating. It makes for a wonderful taste explosion in your mouth. I actually combine fruits with my meats all the time, especially in the spring and summer when all those amazing stone fruits are in season. I just can’t get enough. I’ve done it with cherries, strawberries, peaches, plums and apricots. Each flavor is slightly different but amazing in their own way. While I usually stick to one fruit, combining them makes for an even more interesting dinner. A dinner, I usually end up going back for seconds or thirds. Sometimes I even want to lick the plate.
That was the case with these Rhubarb Cherry Pork Chops. I was so upset there weren’t any more chops to slather with that amazing sauce. Yes, I had plenty of sauce left over, but the thick pork chops were all gone. For a minute I debated grabbing a spoon and eating it straight from the pan. But I remembered my manners and knew deep down there would be something else I could spoon it over in a day or two. So, I did what any sane person would do: I transferred the sauce to a container, popped it in the fridge and dreamed about what else I could spoon it over. After a couple days there were still no savory proteins. But I did have a couple slices of French toast left over from breakfast. Now, I’m usually a jam and French toast person, but this sauce was so thick and chunky, it was just like a rich jam. Sure, there was a slight savory aspect to it thanks to the shallots, but it worked wonderfully, and it allowed me to finish off the sauce, rather than dumping it down the drain which would have been a serious crime!
While I ladled this sauce over some thick pork chops, it could easily be served with any kind of poultry as well. It would also be great with crackers and a soft cheese. You could even serve it on toast for breakfast. No matter how you choose to use this thick cherry-rhubarb sauce, you need to act fast. Both rhubarb and cherries have short seasons and they’ve already started. So, run to your farmers market, grab some rhubarb and cherries and make this sauce, stat! If you love spring fruits and vegetables as much as I do, you won’t be disappointed.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup fresh cherries, stemmed, pitted and sliced in half
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 8 to 10 ounces rhubarb, ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 4 bone-in pork chops
Instructions
- Combine cherries with vinegar and set aside.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-low heat in a small pan. Add the onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the cherry mixture, rhubarb, and sugar to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until rhubarb is tender, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the nutmeg and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat remaining oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Cook pork until browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve topped with cherry/rhubarb sauce.
