Post-Holiday Things - Balsamic Cherry Pork

Does anyone else feel like they need a week off to recuperate from the holidays? After two weeks of back and forth travel and the stress of the holiday season, piled on with other various stressors, I am beat.

It's been unseasonably cold in Austin and I've been a grumpy stress ball for most of it. But, with the new year begins new things, and the warmer air is already setting in again, so hopefully things will settle back to some sort of normal soon.


Cooking, for the past few years, has always been my "me time"--a time to relax and experiment with flavors and make something amazing while letting my brain just chill. Lately, it's been a chore I've needed to push around my schedule for, and I've succumbed to short cuts and quick fixes. Instead of using it as my own personal therapy, I've avoided that. I need to get back.


Travel means lots of meals on the road. While I'm not complaining, I do miss my kitchen. This week I am committing to three home-cooked meals. So, I'm pulling out this recipe--formerly published on my last blog--because you can't get much more unique than cocoa balsamic vinegar. The savory and sweet combination is just perfect. Reduced with some wine you have a delicious topping for any sort of pork.




Grilled Pork Sirloin with Cherry Cocoa Balsamic Compote

  • 2 pork sirloin steaks
  • 1 cup golden cherries, pitted and halved
  • 3 tbs sugar
  • 1/4 cup Boyajian Cocoa Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/4 cup moscato wine
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2+ tbs Boyajian garlic oil, optional

-To begin, I rubbed the pork sirloin steaks with the garlic oil and salt and pepper and let them sit while my grill pan heated. Season pork steaks as you'd like, and grill until cooked through.

-While pork is cooking, combine all remaining ingredients in a saucepan and cook over high heat, until cherries burst and release their juices. Reduce heat and let simmer until reduced by half. Taste, and add more or less liquid if desired.

-Serve compote over pork.



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