Cranberry Orange Pork Roast……cranberries, with a whisper of orange……..the prettiest little pork roast you will ever see….or serve!!
When fall is here and the temperature starts to drop, I think back to Sunday dinners with my family. First off, let me just say that my family is one in a million. As kids my cousins and I spent many a happy Sunday at someones house and there was alway a big Sunday meal. It was usually at noon…….just after church and so us kids could get home and get ready for bed…..school on Monday you know!
Now, when I was growing up, crockpots we not the norm. I remember my Grandmother and Aunts cooking up a storm in their kitchens, and the smells that came from those kitchens…..well nothing else can quite compare.
So, in honor of fall and my family… Cranberry Orange Pork Roast. The prep for this is very simple and using the crockpot makes a “start it and forget it” main dish.
A nice boneless pork loin roast, seasoned with salt and pepper and browned in just a bit of coconut oil. Browning the meat seals in the flavor and gives the meat a beautiful brown caramel color. Then into the crockpot.
Next in a small bowl, some dried cranberries… deep red, tart and slightly sweet, orange marmalade… bright, sweet, and bursting with citrus flavor. A bit of balsamic vinegar (fermented wine grapes barrel-aged for many years) for its rich, dark brown, sweet-sour flavor and brown sugar for an extra touch of sweetness.
All of this poured over the browned roast and cooked for 3-4 hours on low in the crockpot.
I knew the flavors of this dish would work and taste great, but I was not prepared for how really pretty it was……the cranberries reconstituted and looked like they were fresh. The sauce was sweet tart and a dark umber color with little flecks of orange peel…..beautiful!
I did add a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce, but only because Tim and I like a thicker sauce.
Cranberry Orange Pork Roast with some new potatoes or rice, and some nice fresh green beans…….a beautiful Sunday family dinner!
Cranberry Orange Pork Roast
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours + 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Crock Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 boneless pork loin roast (3 to 4 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3/4 cup orange marmalade
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
Instructions
- Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides.Transfer browned roast to a 6-qt. crock pot.
- In a small bowl, mix marmalade, cranberries, vinegar and brown sugar until blended; pour over roast. Cook, covered, on low 3-4 hours or until tender and the internal temperature should read at least 145°.
- Remove roast from crock pot. Let stand covered with foil for about15 minutes before slicing to allow juice to stay in the meat when sliced.
- Remove fat from cooking juices. Serve pork with sauce
Notes
For a thicker sauce use 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and 2 teaspoons of water mixed and add until desired thickness.
How do you remove the fat from the sauce before you thicken it with cornstarch? I don’t have a clue, so please be specific. Thanks. MM
There are several methods one is to use a fat separator – its tool like a measuring cup and the spout is at the bottom so when you pour the liquid the fat stays on top and in the cup. Alternately you can just skim the top of the liquid with a large spoon collecting the fat that is floating on top. A turkey baster will also work just suck the fat from the top. I have never tried this method but I am told you can just use a piece of bread to sop the fat from the top. I hope these are specific enough and that one of them works for you.
I made this recipe first with pork loin chops sauteed in a pan. The sauce is excellent, but I should have thickened it too. Next I used it with a partial pork loin in the crock pot. It is amazing!!! Our new favorite. Thanks so much for sharing it.
Thank you so much for trying our recipe Beth! I’m glad you enjoyed it:)
Im n ot a fam of Balsamic vinegar. Is there a substitute i could use for it ….perhaps fresh squeezed orange juice?
Apple cider vinegar would work as well.
This is one of our favorite recipes. Definitely thicken the sauce-it’s amazing!
Sooo dam good. It’s a keeper. Thanks very much .