Slow Cooker Maple Sage Pork Roast Food

ROAST MAPLE PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Season the pork loin with 1 tablespoon of salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Chop the garlic and sage together to make a coarse rub for the pork. Rub it into the pork loin. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for a few hours, preferably overnight. Remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you're going to cook. (Note: Please allow 8 hours for overnight marinating.)
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Set a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon to the pan, and fry until crisp and fully rendered. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Return the pan to the heat.
• Add the orange juice, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and chili powder to the sauté pan with the rendered bacon fat. Simmer the glaze until it thickens and becomes syrupy, about 2-3 minutes. Once the glaze has thickened, drizzle in a tablespoon of olive oil, for added body and glossiness. Set aside.
• Trim, clean, and halve the Brussels sprouts. Spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
• Peel and cut the butternut squash into quarter-moon shapes, ¼-inch thick. Spread out on a second rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the rested pork loin, and discard. Brush the sage/garlic mixture off and place the loin, fat side up, on the third rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle half of the cooled glaze over the pork loin, smearing it in with your hands. Coat the vegetables in the remaining olive oil, scatter a few sprigs of thyme on the trays, and season with salt. Toss with the remaining glaze. Place the trays in the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes.
• Check the vegetables after 10 minutes; remove from the oven once they're golden brown and slightly soft in the middle. Drop the oven's temperature to 375 F and continue roasting the pork loin until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest end reads 140 degrees F, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest.
• Spread the roasted vegetables on a large serving platter. Slice half of the pork loin, and arrange on top of the vegetables. Garnish with the cooked bacon and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

SLOW COOKER PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Coarsely chop together the rosemary, sage and thyme, and transfer them to a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, and stir to combine.
• Score the fat cap of the pork shoulder in a crosshatch pattern, then rub it all over with 2 1/2 tablespoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and heat until shimmering. Add the pork, fat-side down, and brown it well, 3 to 4 minutes, then brown it all over, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a large plate.
• Add the wine, garlic and allspice to the pan, bring to a simmer and reduce by about half. Set aside.
• Put the carrots, celery, onions and bay leaves in the insert of a 7-quart slow cooker. Rub the herbed oil all over the pork, being sure to push some into all the natural divisions between muscles; place it on top of the vegetables, and pour in any collected juices. Add the reduced wine mixture and the chicken broth, cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
• Transfer the pork to a cutting board, and tent with foil. Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter with a slotted spoon. Discard the bay leaves, and tent the vegetables with foil. Pour the juices into a liquid measuring cup, and let them settle for about 10 minutes. The fat should rise to the surface; spoon off as much as you can, and discard. Pour the juices into a small saucepan, and bring to a boil.
• While the juices boil, make a cornstarch slurry: For every cup of juices, mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch into 1 tablespoon cold water until dissolved. Reduce the heat so the juices are simmering, whisk in the slurry and cook, whisking frequently, until the sauce has slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Season with salt if necessary.
• Slice the pork against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and arrange on a large platter with the vegetables. Ladle some of the sauce on top. Season the meat with a pinch of salt, and garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve with egg noodles, and pass the remaining sauce.

SLOW COOKER PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Remove the fat from the pork shoulder (you can get your butcher to do this bit for you). Season the pork with salt and pepper then heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. Brown the pork shoulder on all sides then transfer to a slow cooker. Add all the other ingredients, then cook on low for 6-8 hours until the meat pulls apart when pressed with two forks.
• Remove the meat, place on a plate and shred it with two forks. Remove the herbs from the sauce and squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins back into the pot. Put the meat back into its sauce for wonderfully tender and moist slow cooker pork. Serve as an alternative to your Sunday roast with roasted new potatoes, or with a big green salad, mustard and warmed baguettes.

SAGE AND MAPLE ROASTED PORK AND SQUASH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. Place pork chops and squash in pan. Sprinkle squash and both sides of pork chops with seasoned salt, sage and garlic powder; rub with fingers to distribute evenly.
• In small bowl, mix maple syrup and butter. Brush about half of mixture over pork and squash. Cover pan with foil.
• Bake 40 minutes. Turn pork chops over. Brush pork and squash with maple mixture. Bake uncovered 10 to 15 minutes longer or until pork is no longer pink and squash is tender.