Pork Loin in Cherry Sauce

Following a flexitarian diet we do of course have our meat-eating days mixed in with the vegetarian. For this I try to be as crreative as possible whilst utilising fresh produce from the local market. June and July in Spain is cherry season, so cherry sauce seemed the perfect accompaniement to this wrapped pork loin recipe.

Ingredients

350g pork loin
4 slices serrano ham
2 sprigs rosemary chopped

100g cherries, destoned
150ml red wine (we used tempranillo)
150ml water
3 tsp sugar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp flour, mixed with a little water 


Method
Trim the fat from the pork loin and put in a frying pan, cook over a low heat to reduce.
Heat the oven to 190C
Season the pork loin with salt and pepper then roll in the chopped rosemary, press in a little.
Lay the 4 slices of serrano ham horizontally on a board, slightly overlapping each piece.
Place the pork loin on top, vertically, then wrap the ham around.
Place the pork in the frying pay and cook until the ham is lightly seared on all sides 
Put the seared wrapped pork on a baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove and allow to rest for 4 mins before cutting into thick slices.

In a saucepan put the cherries, wine, water and sugar. Bring to a rapid boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then cook on high heat for 5-10 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half. Turn the heat to low and add the vinegar, stir, check the seasoning. At this point the sauce may be a little sharp but once thickened the sweetness is noticeable so do not be tempted to add more sugar! Add the flour and water mix, stirring as you do so. Do a little at a time to ensure you do not over thicken. When happy with the consistency add a little knob of butter which helps to richen the sauce and give a shiny glaze. 

Place the pork slices on a good helping of mashed potatoes then pour the sauce over and around. Dig in and wash down with the rest of the Tempranillo!