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Port Wine-Cherry Sauce

By Andrew Janjigian

Published on September 25, 2013

Time

50 minutes

Yield

Serves 6 to 8 (Makes about 1 3/4 cups)

Port Wine-Cherry Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups tawny port 1 cup dried cherries ½ cup balsamic vinegar 4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 2 teaspoons minced2 shallots, minced¼ cup heavy cream 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  1. Combine port and cherries in bowl and microwave until steaming, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover and let stand until plump, about 10 minutes. Strain port through fine-mesh strainer into medium saucepan, reserving cherries.
  2. Add vinegar, thyme sprigs, and shallots to port and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and reduce mixture until it measures 3/4 cup, 14 to 16 minutes. Add cream and reduce again to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs. Off heat, whisk in butter, few pieces at a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in cherries, minced thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover pan and hold, off heat, until serving. Alternatively, let sauce cool completely and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until warm.
Port Wine-Cherry Sauce

Port Wine-Cherry Sauce

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Time

50 minutes

Yield

Serves 6 to 8 (Makes about 1 3/4 cups)

Ingredients

2 cups tawny port
1 cup dried cherries
½ cup balsamic vinegar
4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 2 teaspoons minced
2 shallots, minced
¼ cup heavy cream
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 cups tawny port
1 cup dried cherries
½ cup balsamic vinegar
4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 2 teaspoons minced
2 shallots, minced
¼ cup heavy cream
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 cups tawny port
1 cup dried cherries
½ cup balsamic vinegar
4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 2 teaspoons minced
2 shallots, minced
¼ cup heavy cream
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

We cure our pork rib roast overnight with a salt and sugar rub, which seasons it well and gives it a mahogany appearance. We then cook it slowly, to help keep it as moist and juicy as possible. To dress it up for a holiday feast, we pair it with an elegant and concentrated port wine and dried cherry beurre rouge sauce.

Instructions

  1. Combine port and cherries in bowl and microwave until steaming, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover and let stand until plump, about 10 minutes. Strain port through fine-mesh strainer into medium saucepan, reserving cherries.
  2. Add vinegar, thyme sprigs, and shallots to port and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and reduce mixture until it measures 3/4 cup, 14 to 16 minutes. Add cream and reduce again to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs. Off heat, whisk in butter, few pieces at a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in cherries, minced thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover pan and hold, off heat, until serving. Alternatively, let sauce cool completely and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until warm.

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