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!
