Best Cider Sauce Recipes

PORK TENDERLOIN STEAKS WITH MUSTARD CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut the pork tenderloin into 1-inch-thick steaks on a long bias. Season the steaks all over with salt and black pepper, then toss in the flour to coat.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the foam subsides. Shake the excess flour off the meat and add it to the skillet. Cook, flipping once, until cooked to medium and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers about 150 degrees F, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the pork steaks to a platter and lower the heat under the skillet to medium.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the shallots. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the cider, mustard, parsley, chives and a sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Simmer, scraping up any brown bits, until reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. Top the steaks with the sauce and serve.

CIDER-BRINED PORK CHOPS WITH PERFECT PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• For the brine: combine the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, coriander, mustard seeds, allspice berries, bay leaves, thyme and 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and pour in the cold cider. Let the brine cool to room temperature.
• Put the pork chops in a large resealable plastic bag and pour in the brine. Press out excess air and seal tightly. Put the bag in a shallow container so it can lay flat and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• Drain the chops, rinse and pat dry. Discard the brine.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chops (work in batches if necessary; do not crowd the pan) and cook, turning occasionally, until they are golden brown and cooked through, 13 to 14 minutes. (If the chops are browning too quickly or the pan drippings start to burn, lower the heat.) Remove to a plate.
• For the sauce: Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and place over medium heat. Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and cook until sizzling, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to make a paste. Whisk in the cider and bring to a simmer.
• Simmer until very thick, about 1 minute. Add the stock, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the cream and simmer to bring the sauce together, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, vinegar and parsley. Season to taste with salt. Add the chops to the pan and simmer, turning occasionally, until just heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs.

APPLE CIDER BREAD PUDDING WITH CARAMEL BOURBON-PECAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Combine bread cubes, apples, and raisins in a very large bowl.
• Whisk eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt together in another large bowl until well combined. Whisk in milk and apple cider. Pour mixture over bread mixture, and toss gently using a spatula until evenly coated. Let bread pudding mixture stand for 15 minutes.
• Pour bread pudding mixture into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Let bread pudding cool for at least 15 minutes; pudding will sink slightly.
• Meanwhile, spread pecans on a baking sheet. Bake in the hot oven until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, and butter in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until mixture is reduced to 3 cups, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat. Stir in pecans, bourbon, and vanilla extract.
• Serve sauce with bread pudding.

ROAST PORK TENDERLOIN WITH APPLES AND CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Pat tenderloins dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown tenderloins on all sides, turning with tongs, about 5 minutes total. (If the handle of your skillet is not ovenproof, wrap handle in a triple layer of foil, shiny side out.) Transfer skillet to upper third of oven and roast until a thermometer inserted diagonally into center of meat registers 155°F, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes before slicing.
• While meat is standing, heat butter in same skillet (handle will be hot) over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add apple wedges and sauté, turning occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer apples to a plate, then add chicken broth and cider to skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat and meanwhile whisk together arrowroot and water in a small bowl. Whisk arrowroot mixture into sauce and boil until thickened and reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar, measured salt and pepper, and any juices that have accumulated on platter.
• Cut meat into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve topped with apples and sauce.

CRISPY BLACK CHICKEN WITH APPLE CIDER VINEGAR SAUCE AND ROASTED GARLIC, DIRTY RICE AND HEIRLOOM GLAZED CARROTS

Steps:

• For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the garlic cloves onto a sheet tray and roast, 20 minutes.
• Set up a deep fryer with canola oil and heat to 350 degrees F. Fry the brussels sprouts until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt.
• Lower the temperature on the fryer to 275 degrees F.
• Combine the cornstarch, baking powder and salt to taste in a wide shallow dish. Dredge the chicken halves in the cornstarch mixture and shake off any excess. Deep-fry the chicken for 10 minutes, then remove from the oil onto a paper towel-lined tray.
• Increase the temperature on the fryer to 400 degrees F. Place the chicken back into the fryer to crisp for 5 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
• Add 1/4 cup each of the apple cider and apple cider vinegar to a large saute pan placed over medium-high heat. Allow to reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add half the chicken stock and salt to taste. Reduce by half, about 5 minutes, then add the remaining chicken stock. Add the roasted garlic and allow the sauce to reduce, 5 to 7 minutes. Finish the sauce with the remaining 2 tablespoons each apple cider and apple cider vinegar and the butter.
• For the dirty rice: Add the onion, salt to taste and 2 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil to a medium saucepan and turn the heat to medium high. Sweat the onion until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat. Toast for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bay leaves and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer and cook until the rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
• Heat a large saute pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and salt to taste. Saute until translucent, 5 minutes. Add the chicken livers and blood sausage and brown until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cooked rice to the pan and stir to combine, tossing to thoroughly coat the rice in the chicken livers and blood sausage. Remove the pan from the heat, add the brandy and ignite with a click lighter. Put the pan back on the heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the alcohol has cooked off. Turn off the heat and stir in the scallions.
• For the glazed carrots: Season a pot of boiling water generously with salt. It should be as salty as the sea. Prepare an ice bath and season generously with salt. Add the carrots to the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until tender but still slightly crisp. Remove the carrots and immediately plunge into the ice bath. Set aside.
• Melt the butter, brown sugar and cayenne together in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken stock and the blanched carrots. Toss to coat the carrots, then allow the liquid to reduce until the glaze has thickened, 5 minutes. If the mixture needs to be thinned out, you can add a bit more chicken stock.
• To plate: Place a scoop of dirty rice onto the plate. Top with the glazed carrots, followed by the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, making sure to include the roasted garlic cloves. Garnish with the crispy Brussels sprouts and micro radish.

APPLE CIDER CRANBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the apple cider, sugar, cinnamon sticks, orange zest, and cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat to low; simmer until sugar is dissolved and the flavors are blended, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir cranberries into the saucepan, turn heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until cranberries begin to pop, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and cook until sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves. Pour into shallow dish to cool and serve.

CHICKEN WITH APPLE, ONION AND CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Place the chicken in the skillet smooth-side down and cook until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking dish and bake until cooked through, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the onion and apple to the skillet, along with 1 tablespoon oil, if the pan is dry, and increase the heat to high. Cook, tossing, until the onion has wilted slightly and the apple is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the pan. Let the mixture boil until the vinegar becomes syrupy, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and return to a boil. Cook until the broth reduces by half.
• Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the butter. Remove the chicken from the oven; add any collected juices to the sauce. Divide the chicken among four plates and spoon the apple, onion and pan sauce over each piece. Sprinkle with the parsley.

PANFRIED PORK CHOPS WITH CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with seasoned salt, thyme, garlic powder and pepper. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork chops; cook uncovered about 5 minutes until bottom sides of pork chops are browned.
• Turn pork chops; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until pork chops are no longer pink in center. Remove from skillet to serving platter; cover with foil to keep warm while preparing sauce.
• Add cider and brandy to skillet. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly to loosen browned bits from bottom of skillet; reduce heat to low. Add butter, simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, 1 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve sauce over chops.

APPLE DUMPLINGS WITH MAPLE-CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. With pastry blender or two knives used scissors fashion, cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the cider, 1 Tbsp at a time, tossing with fork after each addition, unti pastry holds together to form a dough. Shape dough into two 1/2 in. thick squares; wrap separately in plastic wrap. Chill. 2.Preheat oven to 375. With melon-ball scoop, core apples, leaving 1/2 in. of core intact at bottom of each apple. Peel 2/3 of each apple leaving peel on bottom 1/3. In bowl, mix brown sugar, currants, walnuts and butter; pack mixture into cored portion of each apple. 3. On lightly floured surface, with lightly floured rolling pin, roll out 1 dough square to 21 1/2 x 7 1/2" rectangle.; trim to 21 x 7" saving scraps. Cut into (3) 7" squares; place an apple, filling side up, on each square. Brush some egg mixture over edges of dough. Lift opposite corners of dough squares over apples; pinch to seal, making 4 seems. Press seams flat onto pasty to conform to apple shape; brush dumpling with egg mixture. Reroll dough scraps; cut out leaves. With knife, make vein marks on leaves. While egg mixture is still wet, attach leaves to dumpling. Repeat with remaining apples, dough and egg mixture. Insert cinnamon stick "stem in top of each dumpling. Place dumplings in 13 x 9 x2" pan. Bake 40 minutes 4. Meanwhile, make Maple-Cider Sauce: In small saucepan, mix cornstarch and cider until smooth. Add remaining ingredients; mix. Heat to boiling over medium heat; boil 1 minute. 5. After apples bake 40 minutes. pour sauce over them; bake 15 minutes longer or until apples are tender when tested with wooden skewer inserted through lower third of dumplings. 6. Make Maple Whipped cream: In bowl, beat ingredients until stiff. Serve with dumplings.

CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH APPLE CIDER

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
• Reduce heat and simmer on medium low heat for 20 minutes or until cranberries pop, stirring occasionally.

ROAST PORK TENDERLOIN WITH APPLE CIDER CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Salt and pepper the pork. Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray and place the pork in it. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 155 to 160 degrees. Remove from oven and place pork on a cutting board.
• Pour the apple cider in the baking pan and scrape any brown bits from the bottom. Put the pan on the stove over medium-high heat (or pour the pan drippings and cider into a skillet). Stirring occasionally, let the cider boil until it is reduced to 1/4 cup. It will be quite dark.
• Add cream & brown sugar and boil 5 minutes, or until very thick. Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and beat vigorously as it melts. Add the second tablespoon and beat until it melts. To serve the pork, slice thinly and drizzle with sauce. Pass extra sauce in a gravy boat, if desired.

CRANBERRY-APPLE CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring cider to a boil and cook over a medium-high heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 40 minutes.
• Combine reduced cider and all the other ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
• Simmer sauce until thickened and cranberries have popped, stirring occasionally, 10-12 minutes. Sauce will thicken more when cooled.

APPLE AND CARAWAY TARTLETS WITH CINNAMON-CLOVE ICE CREAM AND CIDER-CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend flour, sugar, caraway and salt in processor. Add butter and process, using on/off turns, until butter is cut into pea-size pieces. Add 5 teaspoons ice water. Blend until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Cut into 6 equal pieces. Press each piece of dough into 4 1/2-inch-diameter tartlet pan with 3/4-inch-high sides and removable bottom. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover each crust; chill.)
• For filling:
• Place 3/4 cup Cider-Caramel Sauce in heavy large skillet. Add apples and cinnamon. Cook over high heat until apples are crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Cool filling completely.
• Place rack at lowest position in oven; preheat to 375°F Divide filling among crusts, overlapping apples, if desired. Place tartlets on oven rack; bake until apples are tender and crust is brown at edges, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool 30 minutes. Push up pan bottoms, releasing tartlets. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Rewarm remaining sauce in small saucepan. Place tartlets on plates. Top with ice cream and some warm sauce. Garnish with grapes and mint, if desired.

APPLE SUNDAES WITH CIDER CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together both sugars, butter, and vinegar until well combined. Spread mixture evenly in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Peel and core apples, then slice into 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Toss with cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a bowl. Place on top of sugar mixture in a single layer, overlapping slightly if needed. Cover with parchment-lined foil and bake until just beginning to soften and bubble, 20 to 25 minutes. Spoon sauce over apples, and increase heat to 450 degrees. Continue to bake, uncovered, until sauce thickens and apples are soft and brown, about 15 minutes more.
• Divide apples evenly among 4 bowls. Whisk cream into liquid in baking dish to make a caramel sauce. Transfer to a bowl; let cool until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Top apples with ice cream, caramel sauce, and cookies; serve.

PAN-SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using tongs, transfer to paper towels and drain. Crumble bacon. Pour off all but 2 teaspoons bacon drippings from skillet.
• Whisk apple cider and cornstarch in small bowl to blend well. Sprinkle scallops with thyme salt and pepper.
• Heat bacon drippings in skillet over high heat. Add scallops and cook until golden brown and almost cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Add cider mixture to skillet and bring to boil, whisking constantly. Boil until thickened to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice. Return scallops to skillet and toss until just opaque in center, about 1 minute. Transfer scallops to plates. Sprinkle bacon over.

APPLE GINGER PIE WITH CIDER-BOURBON SAUCE

Steps:

• For Crust :
• Mix flour, sugar, salt and apple pie spice in processor. Add butter and shortening and cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add sour cream and blend in using on/off turns just until dough forms. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Form each half into a ball; flatten into disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
• For Filling:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss first 6 ingredients together in bowl.
• Roll out 1 dough disk between sheets of plastic wrap to 13-inch round. Peel off top sheet; invert dough into 9 1/2-inch deep-dish glass pie dish. Peel off plastic. Roll out remaining dough disk between sheets of plastic wrap to 13-inch round. Peel off top sheet of plastic. Mound filling in pie dish. Invert dough over filling. Peel off plastic. Pinch edges of dough to seal. Trim excess crust. Crimp edges decoratively. Cut 5 slashes in top of dough to allow steam to escape. Brush top with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, covering with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour.
• Let pie stand until just slightly warm, about 1 hour. Serve pie with ice cream and Cider-Bourbon Sauce.
• For the cider-bourbon sauce:
• Boil apple cider in heavy medium saucepan until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 45 minutes. Add butter and sugar and whisk until butter melts. Boil 3 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat. Whisk in bourbon. Cool sauce completely before serving.

GINGERSNAP PORK LOIN ROAST WITH APPLES, CURRANTS, AND AN APPLE CIDER PAN REDUCTION SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Season pork roast with kosher salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.
• Process gingersnap cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a plate or shallow bowl. Roll roast in crumbs to coat.
• Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook roast in hot oil until all sides are browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer skillet with roast to the center rack of the oven.
• Roast pork in the preheated oven until it is slightly pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Remove roast to a serving platter and cover with foil.
• Pour apple cider and chicken stock into the same skillet used to cook the pork roast and bring liquid to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add apple slices and currants; simmer until sauce reduces to 1/2 cup, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir butter into apple mixture until butter is completely melted and incorporated, about 1 minute more. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
• Slice pork roast into 1/2-inch thick slices and pour apple currant sauce over the top.

MAPLE-GLAZED FRESH HAM WITH HARD CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• If brining the ham, combine salt and white sugar with 2 quarts water in a pot large enough to fit the ham comfortably. Stir well to dissolve. Add ham, cover, and place in refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. Remove, rinse well, and dry with paper towels.
• In a small bowl, combine raisins and rum and allow to sit while ham cooks, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place brown sugar, sage, mustard, lemon zest, garlic, salt and peppercorns in a blender or a food processor fitted with a steel blade, and process until smooth.
• Using a sharp knife, score entire surface of ham in a crosshatch pattern, cutting down just through skin to the flesh underneath. (If you are cutting to the right depth, the skin will spread apart a bit as you cut.) Rub outside of ham all over with spice mixture, pressing it gently into crosshatch spaces between the skin. Put roast on a rack in a large roasting pan and place in oven.
• After 20 minutes, reduce oven setting to 300 degrees. After 1 hour, begin painting ham every 15 minutes or so with maple syrup. Continue roasting until the very center of ham reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees, 2 to 2 1/2 hours total cooking time. (Begin checking at 1 1/2 hours to be sure.) To check for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the absolute center of the roast, let it sit for 5 seconds, then take the reading.
• While ham is cooking, place cider in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium high, and simmer vigorously until liquid is reduced by about half, about 20 minutes.
• When ham is done, remove it from roasting pan, cover it loosely with foil, and allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Tip roasting pan to the side so you can spoon off all the fat from pan juices, then place pan on stove over medium-high heat. Add reduced cider, and bring to a simmer, scraping bottom of pan to free the browned bits. Skim any film off surface and season liquid as needed with salt and pepper. Add rum-soaked raisins, along with any remaining rum, and stir to combine. Pour into a gravy boat.
• Carve ham into thick slices, drizzle with raisin-cider sauce and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING WITH APPLE CIDER BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, milk, heavy cream, whole eggs, egg yolks, brown sugar, spices and salt. Set aside.
• Toss the cubed bread with the melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Add in the apples. Pour egg mixture over and gently stir to coat.
• Pour into a 9" x 13" baking dish or 10" - 12" round baking dish that has been lightly greased. Allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes (or up to 3 hours). Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until everything is set and lightly beginning to brown. I loosely cover mine with foil for the first 15 minute of baking.
• To make the sauce, melt 1 stick of butter in a medium sauce pan set to medium-low heat. Add in the confectioner's sugar and apple cider. Heat - stirring continuously - until sauce is smooth and the sugar is completely dissolved. Once smooth, additional confectioner's sugar or apple cider can be added, as needed, if your sauce is too thin or thick for your preference.
• While bread pudding is still warm (about 15 minutes after removing from oven), drizzle half of the sauce over the top. Reserve the remaining sauce for serving.
• NOTE: I've found that the leftovers are best if used up by the following day. After that, the bread pudding can get quite soggy. I have reheated individual pieces on a foil-lined baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 10 - 15 minutes. This will crisp the pieces up a bit. Also, if you have sauce leftover, it can be stored in the fridge. It will harden, but can be reheated until it returns to a pourable consistency.

APPLE CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• Reduce the apple cider in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it's thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the cream and salt and cook until it reaches the desired consistency, an additional 2 to 3 minutes.