Apricot Slow Cooker Pork

• After having gone to two Christmas parties two nights in a row that both had AMAZING food, it was pretty hard to figure out how to make a dinner that would at least try to stand up to what I had been eating. I made this roast for friends tonight and I'd say it fit the bill. I served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and green beans, with a homemade vanilla pudding pie for dessert. The combination of sweet pork and apricots, with the thyme added in was very nice to have on a chilly evening. Add hot chocolate and a Christmas movie, as well as a drive around the neighborhood to see the lights on the houses and I am a happy girl.

• Apricot Slow Cooker Pork
  Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Slow Cooking
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
• 1 boneless pork loin roast, about 2 ½ lb.
• 2 Tbs. canola oil
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 cups dried apricots
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
• 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 
  
  On a plate, stir together the flour, the ½ tsp. salt and the ¼ tsp. pepper. Turn the pork in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
  
  
  In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the pork and cook, turning frequently, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  
  
  Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat in the pan. Add the onion and sauté until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and deglaze the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom.
  
  
  Transfer the pork to a slow cooker and pour in the broth mixture. Add the apricots, orange juice and thyme. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or on low for 4 to 6 hours according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the pork is very tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 140°F.
  
  
  Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apricots to a bowl. Using a large, shallow spoon or a ladle, skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the cooking liquid. Strain the juices into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced and concentrated, about 10 minutes. Stir the mustard into the sauce and add the apricots. Season with salt and pepper.
  
  
  Cut the pork loin across the grain into thin slices and arrange on a warmed platter. Serve immediately with the sauce and apricots. Serves 4 to 6.

Herbs de Provence Pork Roast

So guess what was on sale at the grocery and what spice mix I have been just dying to use? Yup, pork roast and herbs de provence! This roast is simple and so moist. For an awesome lunch, I put a bag of frozen vegetables and potatoes in the microwave and paired it with the leftovers. Yum.

Herbs de Provence Pork Roast
From Sandra Lee on Food Network

• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 2 ½ pounds pork loin roast, rinsed and patted dry
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together herbs de Provence, onion powder, light brown sugar, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Place the pork roast in a shallow roasting pan or baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and then rub with the herb mixture.

Place roast in oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Roast for 30 minutes per pound, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. (Roast will continue to cook up to 170 degrees F out of the oven.) Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Cherry Pork

So this recipe was supposed to go up during cherry week a while back, but I got distracted with going out of town. I brought this pork to a girls' night and served it with couscous and everyone really liked it (the pork was so tender!). However, I didn't have enough time to eat all of the leftovers before going to Florida, so my very smart roomie popped the meat in the freezer.

I am so glad she did! I wasn't completely convinced of this recipe's merit until, after defrosting the meat and sauce, I tried it again with a salad for a side. Man, I am so glad I didn't pass this over. I will definitely be making it again. Maybe the sauce just gets better after a day or so. I know that's how my saffron sauce is (recipe will come in a bit for that).

Anyway, if you are hankering for a new way to use those fresh cherries of the summer, here's a good meal.

Cherry Pork with Rice

Serves 2-3
Adapted from the Seattle Times

*Feel free to double or triple this

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 pound
½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup pitted Bing cherries (see note)
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch bits
1 cup brown rice, cooked (the sauce tastes so good mixed with the rice!)
Salads for a side

1. Cut the pork tenderloin into medallion-size pieces. Sprinkle the rounds with the salt and pepper.

2. Put the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, and when the oil is hot, cook the pork, turning once, until the surface of each piece is golden brown, about 7 minutes altogether.

3. Use tongs or a fork to transfer the pork to a plate. Toss the cherries in the oil left behind in the pan. Pour the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar over the cherries and turn the heat to high.

4. When the broth has boiled down to about half its original volume and the cherries are tender, about 5 minutes, return the pork to the pan, along with any juices that have collected on the plate.

5. Reheat the pork in the sauce for a minute, then transfer it to serving plates. Swirl the butter into the pan juices and pour some of the sauce over the pork, but save most of the sauce and cherries to pour over the brown rice that you have made to serve as side. Serve pork medallions with the rice with the sauce and a nice salad.

Note: When fresh cherries are out of season, use frozen whole cherries, which are available year-round. If doing so, add them to the boiling sauce after it has halved in volume.

Sunday Pork Roast

If you are at a loss when it comes to finding cook books that have recipes for real people who eat real food, I highly recommend looking into the Gooseberry Patch collection. Their cookbooks always have practical dishes that include recognizable ingredients and are fairly simple to put together. I honestly could see myself making almost every one of their recipes in my Family Dinners Gooseberry Patch cook book. (Hint: great gift for newlyweds with little experience in the kitchen).

My mom bought me a pork roast when she was up in Kentucky for my graduation and I have recently been trying to explore the world of wine, so a pork roast with white wine seemed like a great choice. I love my gas stove and oven and the kitchen is really beginning to come together. My roommate and I went out and bought an old baker's cabinet from 1950. It's in really good condition, is sturdy, and is light weight. Who knew that "sturdy" and "light weight" could coexist?

I have inherited my late grandparents' beautiful Ethan Allen dining room table.

Isn't the wood beautiful in this picture?

Sunday Pork Roast

From Gooseberry Patch

Serves 6-8

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T dried rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

2-lb boneless pork loin roast

2 T olive oil

1/2 large onion

½ cup white wine or chicken broth

Suggestion: Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots, yum.

Crush garlic with rosemary, salt and pepper. Pierce pork with a sharp knife tip in several places and press half the garlic mixture into openings. Rub pork with remaining garlic mixture and olive oil. Place pork in a lightly greased 13x9 pan and place slices of onion around the roast.

Bake, uncovered, at 350F for one hour and 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155F. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 160F. Remove to a serving platter; slice and keep warm. Add wine or broth to pan, stirring to loosen browned bits. Serve pan drippings over pork.