Pork Loin with Brandy and Dried Cherries

Soaking dried cherries in brandy softens the fruit and yields deep flavor. Serve with rice, and garnish with flat-leaf parsley.

1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup brandy
2 pounds boneless pork loin, trimmed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon red currant jelly
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf

Combine cherries and brandy in a small bowl. Let stand 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Sprinkle pork evenly with mustard, pepper, and salt.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork; cook 8 minutes, turning pork every 2 minutes or until browned. Remove pork from pan. Reduce heat to medium; add onion and garlic. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add cherry mixture, broth, jelly, thyme, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Return pork to pan. Cover and bake at 325° for 2 hours or until tender. Remove pork from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Bring broth mixture to a boil; cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups (about 3 minutes).

Wine note: Pork marries well with everything from riesling to cabernet sauvignon. The best match depends on the flavors used to cook the pork. In this case, the dried cherries, brandy, and jelly add sweetness. As a result, a thick, soft, jammy, fruity red like Australian shiraz would be a terrific partner. Try Grant Burge "Barossa Vines" Shiraz from Australia's Barossa Valley. The 2001 is about $11. -Karen MacNeil

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and 1/2 cup sauce)

Cooks Note: I double the sauce because, IMO, it is the best part!

CALORIES 307(31% from fat); FAT 10.6g (sat 3.6g,mono 4.7g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 31.4g; CHOLESTEROL 83mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 315mg; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.4g
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2005