Knights Valley Merlot and Roasted Pork Chop w/Cherry Reduction Sauce
PORK CHOPS WITH CHERRY REDUCTION SAUCE to be paired with Summers Knights Valley Merlot wine, by Chef Roy Chellemi, the Wine Guru
Ingredients:
4 to 6 thick center cut pork chops
6 cloves chopped garlic
2 large onions
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
½ cup chicken stock
2 sticks butter
1½ cups red wine
1 cup brewed coffee
1 cup dried cherries
5 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon powdered cocoa
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 cup water
5 sage leaves
5 sprigs thyme
- Combine red wine and dried cherries. Either soak dried cherries/wine overnight, or bring mixture to boil in saucepan, then turn off and let rest.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees
- Coat pork chops generously with salt, pepper (to taste) and chopped garlic.
- Melt one stick of butter in an extra large skillet.
- Place coated pork chops in skillet – brown both sides well (reserve skillet flavors for later in the recipe).
- In roasting pan, place mixture of 1 large onion chopped in ½ inch pieces, carrots and celery chopped in ½ inch pieces, 3 bay leaves, sage and thyme, and ½ cup chicken stock
- Add browned pork chops on top of roasting pan mixture, cover with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes
- Remove foil covering roasting pan, continue baking at 300 for 15 more minutes
- Using the skillet used to brown the pork chops (with reserved brown flavorings); add 1 stick of butter and 1 onion finely chopped. Sauté until onions are caramelized.
- Remove roasting pan from oven and place baked pork chops on separate plate and keep warm in oven.
- Combine the following ingredients, then add to the skillet with caramelized onions: baking juices from roasting pan (strain out vegetables): cherries soaked in red wine, 1 Cup coffee, 1 Tablespoon powdered cocoa, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar, 2 bay leaves to the skillet with caramelized onions. Bring this mixture to a simmer, reduce heat and simmer additional 30 minutes.
- Mix 1 T cornstarch to 1/8 cup water then add to sauce and let thicken
- Place pork chop on dinner plate and spoon sauce over pork chop