Peach Chipotle Sauce (Sort Of)

Sigh……….

Given my habit of losing just about everything, I guess it was only a matter of time before I mislaid a recipe.

Welcome to the mislaid-recipe post.

I actually made this dish TWICE. The first time I discovered that my camera had jammed just as the pork was ready to eat.

The second time the camera worked, but the recipe disappeared shortly after dinner.

I THINK I remember what I did. The recipe below replicates that memory. Unfortunately, I’m only about 80 percent sure of its accuracy.

Despite my qualms I wanted to post this sauce for readers before peach season ends because it is really, really delicious–a perfect balance of sweetness and heat.

I love it over cream cheese on crackers and also with pork. (It would probably be tasty with chicken, too.)

So here’s your chance to experiment along with me. If you do, please post a comment to let me know what you think of the recipe.

The Peach Chipotle Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
butter as necessary for sautéing
2 cups chopped peaches
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt1 chipotle in adobo, finely chopped (add a little more if you like things a little spicy; I do so I found 1-1/2 chipotles just right)

Instructions:

In a saucepan brown the onion in a little butter. Add the peaches, brown sugar, salt, and chopped chipotle.

Simmer the mixture until it reaches the desired consistency, stirring frequently. If you want to use it for baking (see below), you need to cook it only for about 15 minutes, until the flavors have melded but the consistency is not jam like.

If you want to serve it with cream cheese and crackers, cook it until it is jam like–that is, until it just begins to sheet, rather than drip, off a cold stainless-steel spoon.

This recipe makes about 1-1/2 cups of the jam-like version.

Peach Chipotle Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

1 generous pound pork tenderloin
a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil for sautéing
1-1/2 cups “drippy” peach chipotle sauce (see above)
1/2 cup water
pepper to taste
a little more salt to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the tenderloin into small medallions. (This is neater if you place it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before you slice it.)

Sauté the tenderloin in a small amount of olive oil to brown the medallions on both sides. Transfer them to a baking dish.

Combine the chipotle sauce, water, and pepper and pour them over the pork. Cover the baking dish, and place it in the preheated oven.

Bake for 45 minutes; then uncover the mixture and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more. Add a little salt if necessary to taste. Serve over noodles. Serves 4.