Pork Cutlets with Cumberland Sauce

This recipe comes from the Eating Well Serves Two cookbook that I have been really enjoying. I had never heard of 'Cumberland sauce' so I did a little research on Wikipedia and found that it was named for the Duke of Cumberland in Germany but is very popular in England. It traditionally uses red currant, but I sure didn't have any of that laying around, so I used Red Cherry preserves instead. Lets get all of our ingredients together and get cooking.

Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 thin-cut boneless pork chops (8 ounces), trimmed of fat
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 1 small shallot, minced
* 1/2 cup dry red wine
* 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
* 1 1/2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon red currant jelly
* 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
* 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper, transfer to the pan and cook until browned and no longer pink in the middle, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add shallot to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add wine and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk cornstarch and vinegar in a small bowl; whisk into the sauce. Cook, stirring, until thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in jelly, sugar (if using), mustard and any accumulated juices from the pork. Serve the pork with the sauce.




You need some olive oil, 2 boneless pork chops, a shallot, red wine, corn starch, red wine vinegar, red current jelly (or any red berry jelly should work fine), brown sugar and dijon mustard.




Measure out the brown sugar, dijon and jelly.




Chop up the shallot pretty fine. If you cannot find shallot, just use regular onion.




Measure the vinegar.




Measure the wine. Perhaps pour an equal amount into a glass for yourself just to be sure it tastes ok.




Season your pork with some salt and pepper and we are ready to get cooking.




Get some oil in a pan over medium high brown them for a few minutes on each side.




I put the lid on to be sure the pork gets a little more cooking in as my chops were not that thin. I let them brown for about 4-6 minutes per side.




Once they are browned, get them out and cover them with foil or a covered dish so they stay warm.




Add in the shallot and cook for 30 seconds to a minute. Add in the wine and scrape up all the tasty pork bits from the bottom. Bring it to a boil and let it reduce for 2-3 minutes.




While its reducing, whisk the cornstarch into the vinegar. Pretty in pink!




Stir it into the sauce and let it thicken for about 30 seconds.




Get it off the heat and stir in the sugar, dijon and jelly. Add any juice that may have come out of the pork as it rested and give it a final stir.




Pour it over the pork and serve with your favorite veggie side. This goes right along with my love affair with savory and sweet. I can't get enough.