in the kitchen

in the kitchen

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Balsamic Glaze

Long hiatus from the Wasatch Mountain Kitchen. We've been building a house and by that I mean I was throwing trusses around, digging sand out of the water hook up, painting what needed to be painted, etc. Acting as my own general contractor on this project has been rewarding, challenging, frustrating and fun...sometimes all in the same day! Cooking has not been a priority lately but the project is almost done and I am thrilled to see my new kitchen pulling together. (And the rest of the house, too.)
Here is a slow cooker roast that is simply dreamy, both to cook and to eat. I created it one day that I knew was going to be long and arduous. It was great to come back to a beautiful aroma at dinner time. Don't we all love slow cookers for that very reason?
Pork Roast with Balsamic Glaze
3 to 4 pounds pork loin
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 purple onion
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 generous sprigs oregano
6 to 8 sage leaves
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon corn starch
Place meat in a slow cooker. Season with salt. Peel and quarter the onion then add to pot. Crush and peel the garlic and add to pot. Pour the vinegar over meat. Add oregano, sage and finish with black pepper. Place the lid on and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours. Remove roast to platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Strain cooking liquid into a sauce pan, discard solids. Place on stove top and begin to heat pan. In a small container, mix water and cornstarch. Whisk into hot liquid and cook until thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings. Slice meat and pour glaze over top to serve.
Hints: I like to use pretty lean cuts of pork but you may need to skim off some fat before making the sauce if the pork was too fatty. Of course using the slow cooker makes the meat very tender and the slicing may turn into shredding if you are not careful. Allowing the meat to rest a bit helps and a very sharp knife does too. Adjust seasonings in the glaze by adding salt or balsamic vinegar until it taste right to you. Leftovers are great on an artisian roll topped with slaw.

I appreciate all the traffic my blog has received these past several weeks even though there was no new content. I'll be back in the saddle again soon and am excited to begin using a new kitchen to create new recipes and feed family and friends more consistently again.

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