If you were to snoop around my house, through my mess of a purse, and in the depths of my pockets, you’d find a thousand little scraps of paper covered in scribbles about things I want to cook. A few weeks ago, I jotted down one of these notes to myself with the heading “late spring/early summer”. The list ended up looking like it should simply be titled “10 things to do with rhubarb”.
Well, we tackled the first thing on the list a couple of weeks back: a batch of ginger-rhubarb swirled ice cream that was awfully good. Today, we’ll make a mostarda so we can eat our rhubarb with some savory dishes too.
Mostarda, if you’re unfamiliar, is in Italian condiment made from simmering fresh and/or dried fruits with mustard seeds, vinegar, and sugar until it reaches a thick, jammy consistency. This one is a sweet-tart mix of fresh rhubarb and dried currants with an assertive mustard pop. It’s great used as an accompaniment to cheese or cured meats and I’d be willing to bet it would be pretty spectacular with a grilled pork chop. If I have any left by the weekend, I’ll be sure to test the theory.
To make the rhubarb mostarda, you’ll just need a few stalks of rhubarb, a couple of shallots, a handful of currants, sugar, vinegar, mustard seeds, and mustard powder.
Combine the vinegar, shallot, sugar, mustard powder and seeds, and currants in a saucepan. Simmer until the mixture is thick and syrupy, the currants have plumped, and the shallots have softened.
Stir sliced rhubarb into the mix and keep simmering until the mostarda has thickened and rhubarb is just beginning to break down. From here, you can light the grill, get the pork chops going, and settle in for a delicious dinner. Or pack the mostarda into a mason jars and ration it out for the next couple of weeks as a condiment with cheese boards, sandwiches, cured meats, grilled chicken, hot dogs, you name it. I doubt there are many “wrong” applications for this summery condiment.
- ½ c. Dried Currants
- 2 medium Shallots (about ½ c. diced)
- ½ c. Sugar
- ¼ c. Red Wine Vinegar
- ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
- 1 Tbsp. Mustard Seeds
- 1 heaping Tbsp. (or more to taste) Mustard Powder
- 3 c. sliced Rhubarb
- Combine the currants, shallots, sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard seeds, and mustard powder in medium saucepan. Stir, dissolving the sugar, over medium heat until the currants have plumped and the shallot has softened slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Add the rhubarb and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the rhubarb is quite soft but still maintaining its shape and the liquid has reduced, about 10 minutes. Serve now with grilled meat (I’m thinking pork chops, lamb, or even a hot dog) or allow to cool to room temperature and use as a condiment with a cheese or a plate of cured meats. The mustard can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Yields 2½ pints.
You may also enjoy:
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- Grilled Pork Chops with Rhubarb & Fig Compote
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- Pork Tenderloin with Italian Plum Jam
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