Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever (34 page)

Smoky chipotle chiles and sunny oranges are a stellar combination when slow cooking pork loin. The same sauce can be used also for slow cooking pork shoulder for carnitas. Serve the pork loin with rice and refried beans for a casual dinner.

2 tablespoons olive oil

One 4-pound pork loin roast, rolled and tied

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1½ cups coarsely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo (or to taste), finely chopped, with 1 teaspoon adobo

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup orange marmalade

¼ cup fresh orange juice

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

4 navel oranges, thinly sliced for garnishing

heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the roast evenly with the salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Brown on all sides and transfer to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.

add the onion, garlic, chiles, and cumin to the same skillet and sauté until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the marmalade, orange juice, and lime juice and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the roast is tender.

remove the roast from the slow-cooker insert, cover with aluminum foil, and allow the meat to rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust if needed.

slice the meat and strain the sauce. Serve the roast napped with some of the sauce, garnished with orange slices and additional sauce on the side.

serves 10

Spice rubs work wonders for slow-cooked meats, because they not only flavor the meat but also add seasoning to the pan sauce. This rub, with a shot of brown sugar and strong flavors like cumin, fennel, and cinnamon, is perfect for pork. Its flavors blend nicely with the root vegetables surrounding the meat.

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks or wedges

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks or wedges

2 medium red onions, cut into quarters

½ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1½ teaspoons fennel seeds

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

One 4-pound pork loin roast, rolled and tied

½ cup chicken broth

arrange the vegetables in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Drizzle ¼ cup of the oil over the vegetables and toss to coat. Combine the cumin, fennel seeds, cinnamon, ginger, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the rub over the vegetables and toss again.

pat the rest of the rub over the meat, place the meat on the vegetables, and drizzle with the remaining ¼ cup olive oil. Pour in the chicken broth. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork and vegetables are tender. (The roast should register 175°F on an instant-read thermometer.)

transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Cut the meat into ½-inch-thick slices and arrange on the center of a platter. Spoon the vegetables around the meat and serve.

serves 6–8

Simple, homey, and, oh, so good, this pork loin is sweet and tangy, and the fruity mustard pan sauce is delicious over rice or noodles. Try to find apricot preserves that aren’t sweetened—the jar should read “pure fruit.” If the preserves have a lot of sugar in them, omit the brown sugar in the recipe.

2 cups apricot preserves

½ cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¼ cup fresh orange juice

¼ cup beef broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme

One 4-pound pork loin roast, rolled and tied

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground ginger

combine the preserves, mustard, lemon and orange juices, broth, and thyme in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle the roast evenly with the salt, pepper, and ginger.

place the roast in the slow-cooker insert and spoon some of the sauce over the roast. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat is tender. (The roast should register 175°F on an instant-read thermometer.)

transfer the roast to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving. Skim off any fat from the surface of the sauce and taste and adjust the seasoning.

cut the roast into ½-inch-thick slices and arrange on a platter. Serve the sauce on the side.

serves 6–8

The ruby red color of this dish makes it a stand out any night of the week. Sweet, crisp Riesling wine flavors red cabbage and sauerkraut and helps flavor the pork loin as it braises low and slow. The finished dish has a lovely sweet-and-sour quality that pairs well with root vegetable gratins, applesauce, or mashed potatoes on the side.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

One 4-pound pork loin roast, rolled and tied

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

2 medium onions, cut into half rounds

1 small head red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (3 to 4 cups)

2 cups Riesling wine

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

One 1-pound bag sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over the roast. Add the roast to the skillet and brown on all sides.

transfer to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cabbage and sauté until the onions are sof tened and begins to turn translucent.

add the wine, brown sugar, and sauerkraut to the skillet, and stir to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert. Lift the pork and spoon some of the vegetables under the pork. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours. Transfer the roast to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

cut the roast into ½-inch-thick slices and serve with the sauerkraut.

serves 6–8

The tenderloin is the filet mignon of pork. Because it has no fat, it needs a marinade or brine to keep it juicy and tender during cooking. Most pork tenderloins weigh about one pound. The tenderloin has what is called silver skin, which is a sheath that runs the length of the meat; you will need to trim and discard that. Simply run a thin, sharp knife underneath it, separating it from the meat. If you don’t trim the silver skin, it will cause the meat to buckle when it cooks and it won’t cook evenly.

The traditional veal dish is made here with pork tenderloin instead, and the results are deeply flavored and delicious. Serve with risotto, polenta, or pasta.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 pounds pork tenderloin, silver skin removed, cut into 1-inch cubes

1½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrots

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 teaspoon dried sage

½ cup dry white wine or vermouth

½ cup chicken broth

½ cup beef broth

One 15-ounce can chopped plum tomatoes, with their juice

4 cloves garlic, minced

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Grated zest of 1 orange

½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the pork with the salt and pepper. Add to the skillet in several batches and brown until nicely crusted on all sides.

transfer the pork to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and sage to the same skillet and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes.

add the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer to the slow-cooker insert. Add both broths and the tomatoes and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, until the meat is fork tender.

skim off any fat from the top of the sauce. Stir in the garlic, lemon and orange zests, and parsley.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 10

A delicious stuffing made with wild rice and orange zest bursts from this butterflied pork tenderloin, which is braised in a cranberry and port sauce. Your family will wonder what you are up to when you serve this elegant dish on a weeknight.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

3 cups cooked wild rice

Two 1-pound pork tenderloins

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Two 14- to 15-ounce cans jellied cranberry sauce

¼ cup Ruby Port

¼ cup fresh orange juice

¼ cup beef broth

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons olive oil

melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, thyme, and orange zest and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the wild rice.

remove the silver skin from the outside of the pork with a boning knife and discard. Cut each tenderloin lengthwise in half to within ½ inch of the other side and open it like a book. Place the meat on a cutting board, cover with a piece of plastic wrap, and pound the pork evenly ½ inch thick.

sprinkle one tenderloin with half the salt and pepper. Spread half the wild rice mixture over the meat. Roll up the meat from one long side and tie at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string or silicone loops. Repeat with the second tenderloin.

combine the cranberry sauce, port, orange juice, broth, and rosemary in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.

heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown each pork tenderloin on all sides. Transfer them to the slow-cooker insert and spoon some of the sauce over the pork. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours, until the pork is tender. (The pork should register 175°F on an instantread thermometer.)

remove the pork from the slow-cooker insert, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat from the top of the sauce. Remove the strings from the meat and cut into ½-inch-thick slices. Serve with the sauce.

serves 6–8

Stuffed pork chops are on many dinner tables during the week, so I’ve dressed this one up at bit and given it a rich red-wine sauce to complement the sweet cornbread filling. The slow cooker takes care of all the simmering, and you can lift the lid and surprise your family with this delicious down-home-dish-with-a-twist.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 teaspoon dried sage leaves

4 cups crumbled stale cornbread

1 large egg, beaten

Two 1-pound pork tenderloins

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ cup red wine such as Pinot Noir or Syrah

½ cup chicken broth

1 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme

melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and sage and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool. Stir in the cornbread and egg.

remove the silver skin from the outside of the pork with a boning knife and discard. Cut each roast lengthwise in half to within ½ inch of the other side and open it like a book. Place the meat on a cutting board, cover with a piece of plastic wrap, and pound the pork evenly ½ inch thick.

sprinkle one tenderloin with half the salt and pepper. Spread half the cornbread stuffing mixture over the meat. Roll up the meat from one long side and tie at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string or silicone loops. Repeat with the second tenderloin.

heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown each pork tenderloin on all sides. Transfer to the slow-cooker insert. Dissolve the cornstarch in the wine, then add the wine, both broths, and thyme to the skillet. Cook, scr aping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the sauce thickens. Pour the sauce into the slow-cooker insert.

cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours, until the pork is tender. (The pork should register 175°F on an instant-read thermometer.)

remove the pork from the slow-cooker insert, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat from the top of the sauce. Remove the strings from the meat and cut into ½-inch-thick slices. Serve with the sauce.

serves 6–8

Braised on a bed of tropical fruit, the spicy pork tenderloins in this dish become sweet and juicy. Serve the pork with steamed rice and black beans.

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

2 large mangoes, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped

2 navel oranges, peeled and sectioned

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ cup dark rum

½ cup beef broth

Two 1-pound pork tenderloins

2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning

6 green onions, finely chopped, using the white and tender green parts for garnishing

stir the butter, mangoes, oranges, soy sauce, rum, and broth together in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Remove the silver skin from the outside of the pork with a boning knife and discard.

rub the jerk seasoning on the pork and arrange it in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, until the pork is tender and cooked through. (The pork should register 175°F on an instant-read thermometer.)

remove the pork from the sauce, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat from the top of the sauce.

slice the meat and garnish with the green onions. Serve the sauce on the side.

serves 6