Currantly Full of Pork

I probably haven't mentioned this here, but we have finally decided to take a vacation. It's going to be our first vacation in about two years and my first overseas vacation in about 8-9 years. Q and I are off to Iceland in May, and our preliminary research tells us that boy oh boy is it ever going to be expensive! For this reason, I'm trying to use up some of the strange ingredients lurking in my pantry.

I was flipping through the April issue of Cooking Light, which is one of the two magazines I subscribe to. The other one is a freebie through my credit card. Hoo doggy do I love magazines! Sorry, had to get that out. Anyhoo, one recipe jumped out at me: Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Red Currant Sauce.

Shallots: check
Red Currant Jelly: check
random spices like coriander and thyme: check

All I needed was some pork chops (they specify bone-in, but I just used regular boneless chops from my butcher) and some beef broth (I used some stock from my corner bodega). After a little shallot and garlic-chopping and twenty minutes, I had tastiness!!!



The sauce was sweet and tart, which is a combination I adore although I despise the candy that shares the same description. I definitely used more than a teaspoon of coriander to season the pork. I probably used about a tablespoon, but it gave the chops a beautiful crust. I've only recently discovered the wonderful secret of cornstarch, which instantly thickens a sauce to make a super-quick meal. I will definitely be making this again, and fortunately, I'll have most of the ingredients on hand.