Cherry rhubarb sauce: the tart fruit glaze for roast pork and duck

Rhubarb is one of the few ingredients that can make a fruit sauce taste savory. It is extremely tart on its own - inedible raw - and when it is cooked with cherries and honey it loses its raw astringency and contributes something more complex: a sour-fruity backbone that makes the sweetness of the cherries and honey taste earned rather than cloying.

This sauce takes 10 minutes. The rhubarb and cherries break down quickly at a simmer, especially if you chop the rhubarb into small pieces. The rosemary goes in whole as a branch and comes out at the end - it adds a piney, slightly resinous note that connects the sauce to the herb rubs often used on pork and lamb.

Rhubarb is a source of vitamin K1 and calcium; cherries provide anthocyanins, one of the more well-researched anti-inflammatory plant compounds.

AIP note: Fully compliant on the elimination phase as written.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries (thaw completely if frozen)
• 1/2 cup chopped rhubarb (about 2 stalks, cut into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1 to 2 tbsp raw honey, to taste
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 to 3 tbsp water, as needed to prevent sticking

Yield: About 3/4 cup.

Method

Combine the cherries, rhubarb, honey, and rosemary sprig in a small saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Cook until the rhubarb has fully broken down and the cherries are very soft and beginning to collapse, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add another splash of water if the sauce starts to stick before the fruit has broken down.

Remove the rosemary sprig. Taste and adjust the honey - the sauce should be tart enough to cut through rich meat but sweet enough to read as a fruit sauce, not a condiment. Add a small additional pinch of sea salt if the sweetness needs grounding.

For a smoother sauce, press through a fine-mesh strainer or use an immersion blender briefly. For a chunky, jammy texture, leave it as is.

Note on rhubarb availability: Fresh rhubarb is seasonal (spring into early summer). Frozen rhubarb works well; thaw it completely and drain any liquid before using, or the sauce will be watery.

How to use it

• Spoon over sliced roast pork tenderloin or pork loin at plating
• Serve alongside duck breast as a plate sauce
• Use as a glaze brushed over chicken thighs in the last 10 minutes of roasting
• Stir into roasted beet slices as a warm fruit-dressed side
• Serve warm alongside cassava-flour waffles as a breakfast topping
• Spoon over roasted sweet potato for a sweet-tart contrast

Storage

Refrigerator: up to 5 days in a sealed glass jar. Reheat gently with a splash of water to restore pourable consistency.

Freezer: up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

*Adapted from gutsybynature.com/roast-pork-with-cherry-rhubarb-sauce/ by Jaime Hartman*