Things have been very hectic this past week. My in-laws arrived this Wednesday so no more doddling! The list had to be done! Well as much of it we could do at any rate. Not only are my husband’s parents visiting from the UK but his brother is visiting from the west coast. Which means our nutty dog is on the max chill pill we can give him. Hasn’t stopped from doing the I love you, I hate you switch back and forth as they come into different rooms. I love him to bits but he is a handful.
Last night I cooked a special dinner to celebrate everyone being together. I did up leeks with mushrooms and garlic in butter and a cheesy chive mashed potato. For the main event I had a nice piece of pork shoulder to use. As I am trying to make space in our stuffed freezer I thought I would try a gooseberry and apple sauce to go with the pork.
I will tell you how I made it so you too can have loads of leftover sauce. I’m trying to figure out what to do with the leftover sauce but I may just freeze it for the next time we have pork.
About an hour before you begin cooking rub olive oil, cumin, sea salt, and pepper over the pork. Cover and let it sit.
I found some pink lady apples at the co-op. Peel and dice three of them. Chop about a cup of red onion. While you are doing this heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and begin browning the pork.
Remove the pork and add the apple and onion to the skillet. Cook on medium heat until the apple and onion begin to soften.
Add about a cup of gooseberries and cook for a few minutes then add a few teaspoons of fresh thyme. Pour in 4 cups of vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Season with sea salt and pepper. I also added a few splashes of dry sherry. Simmer for several minutes and taste to make sure the flavour balance is right before adding the pork into the skillet. It’s easier to adjust at this point. Put the pork back into the skillet, cover and simmer until the pork is cooked.
Once the pork has rested, slice and serve. I really liked the tartness of the gooseberries with the sweetness of the apple. It is a very light sauce but holds its own if you know what I mean.
