Pomegranate Sauce

Greg and I served this with pork chops but I'm sure it will work great with poultry too. (Cooking times for various meats will differ.)

Pomegranate Sauce

1 cup plain pomegranate juice (such as POM Wonderful)

3/4 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Sear thick pork chops (that have been brined and seasoned with pepper) in an oven-safe skillet on medium-high heat (4 minutes each side).
2. After searing, place in a 375 degree oven to finish cooking for 15 minutes or internal temp is 140-145.
   
3. Take pork out of the oven and move meat to a separate plate.
   
4. While the pork rests, pour off and discard any fat from the skillet. (Leave the brown bits on the bottom!)
   
5. Add pomegranate juice to the skillet and boil over moderately high heat until reduced to about 2/3 cup while also scraping off the brown bits from the bottom. (Reducing to 2/3 cup takes about 3 minutes.)
   
6. Stir together the cornstarch and water and whisk into juice.
   
7. Add mustard and then boil sauce until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and swirl in butter until incorporated.
   
9. Pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to get rid of lumps.
   
10. Season with salt (optional).
11. If you like your sauce thicker, add a little more cornstarch or cook longer.
    

We have come to a point in our cooking where sauces are starting to play an important role in the dish. (We made a pan gravy for our chicken last night that turned out really good too!) The pomegranate sauce was a delicious, not too sweet syrup that nicely complimented the pork. It was served along side a simple salad of lettuce, cucumber and tomato and a slice of cantaloupe. I'm sure this sauce will become a new favorite.

[I forgot to take any pictures.]

StillTasty

I've never been one to eat leftovers. I was roommates with a friend that had the same 'fear.' Needless-to-say, we stopped bringing home doggy bags.

When living with different people, it can be expected that not everyone has the same ideas on how long food lasts. In my current living situation, my timeline for touching leftovers is only 2-3 days MAX! Greg can wait up to a week and Uncle Dean's timeline is much longer.

How can we settle disputes that may arise on whether something is still good? The answer to all your questions can be found in this website: StillTasty. It gives you a guideline on how long things will last in the fridge and the freezer.

Thanks to Mo' for sending me this link! It will be useful in this household. :-)