For Jill...Cherry Cabernet Sauce

Cherry Cabernet Sauce

Ingredients
• 1 cup of cherries, pits removed and cut into quarters
• 4 cloves of garlic, diced finely
• 1 small shallot, diced finely
• 2 TSP of olive oil
• 1 cup of red wine (Cabernet or Merlot works best)
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• ¼ cup of water
• 2 TSP balsamic vinegar
• 1 TSP of fresh thyme leaves
• 3 TSP of honey
• Three whole cloves
• Fresh ground pepper
• Pinch + of crushed red pepper flakes
1 TSP herbs de provance

Directions
In medium sauce pan, sauté cherries, garlic, and shallots in olive oil until cherries are soft. Slowly pour in red wine and stir well. Add beef bouillon cube, water, balsamic, thyme, honey, cloves, and peppers. Stir well to incorporate honey. Reduce heat to medium and bring to a slight boil for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer until it has reduced by ½.

Serve over freshly grilled sliced tri-tip that has been marinated in a combination of red wine, balsamic, garlic and olive oil. I generally cook a 1.5 lb tri tip in the oven, covered for 1 hour at 250 degrees and then grill on the barbecue for about 15 minutes on each side until brown and cooked to medium rare. Works great on pork tenderloin too!

The sweetness of the cherries and honey play nicely with the tartness of the balsamic vinegar and the garlic. The crimson color and rich flavor make it a great addition to Christmas dinner or a New Year’s party.