ysabetwordsmith (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2021-11-06 08:21 pm
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2021-11-06 08:21 pm
Recipe: "Crockpot Pork Roast with Apples"
I made this today. It turned out quite well. :D
"Crockpot Pork Roast with Apples"
Ingredients:
small pork roast (about 2 pounds)
1 cup apple cider
1 cup water
1 Maggi cube
1 bay leaf
half a sweet onion, chopped
half a package of baby potatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pink peppercorns
pumpkin pie spice
thyme
oregano
2 apples, chopped (about 2 cups)
Directions:
Look for a relatively lean pork roast and trim off any big hunks of fat before cooking. Put the meat in the bottom of the crockpot and turn on High.
Pour in 1 cup apple cider and 1 cup water. Add 1 Maggi cube and 1 bay leaf. Cover.
Chop half a sweet onion and add the bits to the crockpot.
Rinse half a package of baby potatoes and chop them. Small ones can be cut in half, larger ones may need to be cut in thirds or quarters to reach bite size. Add the bits to the crockpot. Cover and cook on High for about half an hour.
In a mortar and pestle, grind together 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pink peppercorns. Sprinkle over the roast and vegetables.
Using shaker tops, sprinkle on some pumpkin pie spice, thyme, and oregano. Cover and cook on High for about two hours.
Cut up two apples. I cut them in quarters, remove the cores, then cut each of those big pieces into four bite-size chunks. Put the apple bits into the crockpot. Sprinkle with more pumpkin pie spice, thyme, and oregano. Cover and cook on High for about half an hour.
When done, the vegetables and apples should be tender and the pork will start to fall apart when cut.
Notes:
Pork goes quite well with apples and warming spices. The acid in the cider helps tenderize and flavor the meat. Any smallish pork roast should work. You could also double this recipe very easily if you have a larger roast.
Apple cider has a complex, sweet-spicy flavor. The key to cooking main dishes with apple cider is diluting it and adding savory flavor elements so it's not overwhelmingly sweet. I find that half-and-half cider and water works well. We have access to excellent cider from a local orchard, but storebought cider is usually decent for cooking.
Maggi cubes are flavor boosters sold in international food stores. If you don't have or like them, you can substitute a regular bullion cube.
Sweet onions include Vidalia and Walla Walla. They are less aggressive than hot onions.
Baby potatoes get up to about golf ball size and come in several colors. I like to use a mix of colors. If you can't find baby potatoes, then use fingerlings, or full-size potatoes chopped to bite size.
Sea salt has more minerals and flavor than table salt. If you don't have sea salt, then mineral salt or table salt will do.
Pink peppercorns have a fruity flavor with mild to moderate heat. They blend well with other warming spices. They help balance sweet and savory elements of a recipe. If you don't have any, substitute white peppercorns or a smaller amount of black peppercorns.
Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of several warming spices. It goes well with most fruits and some meats such as pork. If you don't have any, you can mix some from scratch with spices you probably have in separate jars. You can also substitute apple pie spice.
Apples come in many varieties. Cooking apples like Granny Smith will hold their shape better than multipurpose apples like Jonathan. I used Goldrush because that's what I have, with a lovely sweet-tart flavor brightened with spicy notes.
"Crockpot Pork Roast with Apples"
Ingredients:
small pork roast (about 2 pounds)
1 cup apple cider
1 cup water
1 Maggi cube
1 bay leaf
half a sweet onion, chopped
half a package of baby potatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pink peppercorns
pumpkin pie spice
thyme
oregano
2 apples, chopped (about 2 cups)
Directions:
Look for a relatively lean pork roast and trim off any big hunks of fat before cooking. Put the meat in the bottom of the crockpot and turn on High.
Pour in 1 cup apple cider and 1 cup water. Add 1 Maggi cube and 1 bay leaf. Cover.
Chop half a sweet onion and add the bits to the crockpot.
Rinse half a package of baby potatoes and chop them. Small ones can be cut in half, larger ones may need to be cut in thirds or quarters to reach bite size. Add the bits to the crockpot. Cover and cook on High for about half an hour.
In a mortar and pestle, grind together 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pink peppercorns. Sprinkle over the roast and vegetables.
Using shaker tops, sprinkle on some pumpkin pie spice, thyme, and oregano. Cover and cook on High for about two hours.
Cut up two apples. I cut them in quarters, remove the cores, then cut each of those big pieces into four bite-size chunks. Put the apple bits into the crockpot. Sprinkle with more pumpkin pie spice, thyme, and oregano. Cover and cook on High for about half an hour.
When done, the vegetables and apples should be tender and the pork will start to fall apart when cut.
Notes:
Pork goes quite well with apples and warming spices. The acid in the cider helps tenderize and flavor the meat. Any smallish pork roast should work. You could also double this recipe very easily if you have a larger roast.
Apple cider has a complex, sweet-spicy flavor. The key to cooking main dishes with apple cider is diluting it and adding savory flavor elements so it's not overwhelmingly sweet. I find that half-and-half cider and water works well. We have access to excellent cider from a local orchard, but storebought cider is usually decent for cooking.
Maggi cubes are flavor boosters sold in international food stores. If you don't have or like them, you can substitute a regular bullion cube.
Sweet onions include Vidalia and Walla Walla. They are less aggressive than hot onions.
Baby potatoes get up to about golf ball size and come in several colors. I like to use a mix of colors. If you can't find baby potatoes, then use fingerlings, or full-size potatoes chopped to bite size.
Sea salt has more minerals and flavor than table salt. If you don't have sea salt, then mineral salt or table salt will do.
Pink peppercorns have a fruity flavor with mild to moderate heat. They blend well with other warming spices. They help balance sweet and savory elements of a recipe. If you don't have any, substitute white peppercorns or a smaller amount of black peppercorns.
Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of several warming spices. It goes well with most fruits and some meats such as pork. If you don't have any, you can mix some from scratch with spices you probably have in separate jars. You can also substitute apple pie spice.
Apples come in many varieties. Cooking apples like Granny Smith will hold their shape better than multipurpose apples like Jonathan. I used Goldrush because that's what I have, with a lovely sweet-tart flavor brightened with spicy notes.