Apple Cider Jus

This sauce is fall in liquid form. A brilliant balance of sweet, tart and savory comfort, worthy of diverting cider from your cup.  Use the best quality apple cider you can find and your efforts will be rewarded with a lick-your-plate clean experience.  It shines when served with a grilled pork tenderloin (though it would be equally at home on the same plate with with a turkey or chicken breast) and an earthy root vegetable mash of potatoes, parsnips and rutabagas.  A good local hard cider wouldn’t go amiss with this meal either.  

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Apple Cider Jus

slightly adapted from Bon Appetit 

Mix apple cider, broth, shallots, vinegar and spices in a medium saucepan. Boil until the mixture is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes.  Strain the cider mixture, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid.  Discard the solids.  Return the cider mixture to the saucepan and boil again until reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 3 minutes.  Whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, though I’ve never found a need for this step.   

Tenille Enger is an amateur cook and gardener with a passion for moments when the two intersect. She was a contributor to Taste the Local Difference® in both digital works and in print. You can contact her at [email protected]