Cooking types: dry sherry substitution in recipe?

[Lyric]

I have a recipe for pork chops in wine mushroom sauce that involves using a cup of dry sherry. I don't have dry sherry, but I *do* have the following alternatives: pinot noir, apple cider, and cider vinegar. Google says that any of the three can be a substitute, but I'm thinking of mixing a tablespoon of the vinegar with two or three tablespoons of cider and making the rest up with pinot noir. The sherry goes in at the "deglaze the pan" stage and I don't want to lose the alcohol content when it's for that purpose, but I also really like the subtle flavors of apple cider and cider vinegar with pork.

I've never tried sherry, so I don't know what kind of flavor it has, but this recipe specifically calls for "dry sherry" and forbids something called "cooking sherry". So is mixing the pinot with a little cider and cider vinegar and then using it as a substitute a good idea or bad idea? Do you think the end result will taste strange or bad? Should I leave out the vinegar and just go with the wine plus a little cider?

[Gormy Cuss]

1. I'd go with the cider/cider vinegar combo

or the pinot by itself. I don't think of dry sherry as fruity but cider with a little cider vinegar would probably be a good flavor too just not as similar to dry sherry as the pinot.

Cooking sherry is crap. You definitely want to avoid it.



eta: just cuz

[sakabatou]

2. "Cooking sherry is crap. You definitely want to avoid it."

That's because it's not for drinking. Unless you were referring to the deglazing process.

[Gabi Hayes]

3. salt city....horrible, horrible stuff, and expensive as hell, as measured per unit

"cooking wine" was created by a restauranteur. He salted the wine so his cooks would stop drinking up all the wine.

[AngryAmish]

5. Cooking sherry is complete crap.

Cheapest shit out there. Never use it. Add your own salt. Honestly, the gallo shit is better.

[Gormy Cuss]

7. No, I meant for anything.

I've never heard a good reason to buy "cooking sherry." It costs the same or less to buy sherry for cooking and it doesn't have the added sodium.

[AngryAmish]

4. Cognac is always nice.

The alcohol is going to burn off anyway.



oh, I just read the whole thing.

Your idea works.

[shugah]

6. i would go with the pinot noir

i have trouble seeing how any cider can be a sub for sherry. i don't like sherry, btw, so wouldn't have it on hand for a recipe. but i am pretty sure you can't go wrong with a red wine...

[REP]

8. Sherry gives things a distinctive 'nutty' flavor; your subs won't

They'll work; the vinegar will deglaze the pan clean and the wine will taste fine, but the result will be different from what the recipe intended. It might be better! But I freaking LOVE vinegar; I have at least 7 different kinds right now, from plain ol' white to Chinese black vinegar.

[old mark]

9. "Cooking sherry generally has a lot of salt in it...I'd use regular dry sherry or the cider...

the alcohol will cook off quickly, leaving the flavor.

mark

[alphafemale]

10. Diluted by half apple cider vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Or leave it out

It's probably not that important.

You could also add some lemon juice and a drop or two of honey.

That'd probably be pretty good. Maybe better than the sherry even.