Good Eating Monday: Slow Cooker Country French Pork w/ Prunes & Apples!

Today's delicious recipe comes from the "Taste Of Home" Skinny Slow Cooker Magazine edition I picked up at the grocery. I was tired of so many recent Pinterest recipe fails (which I don't publish). 

Taste of Home recipes are tested and more of a sure thing.

So, today's I'm serving up Slow Cooker
"Country French Pork with Prunes & Apples."

This pork loin came out perfectly seasoned and so tender!

It calls for "herbes de Provence," which is a mix of summer herbs representing that region France. Lavender is a big ingredient in it among a dozen others.
 It's unique and not one you can substitute for. I discovered I love it, though and use it in tuna salad and salmon salad or any meat or vegetable dish!

McCormick makes it and I found it readily available where I shop.

I didn't peel my apples and used instant chicken bouillon broth and it came out tasting fabulous. 

It does take a 5 or 6 quart slow-cooker for this size roast.

Cook time total is 4 to 4 1/2 hours, plus 15 minutes rest before cutting.

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The photo of my own of the finished recipe arranged on a platter and actually looks very much like the photo. 

(This was only half of the loin)

Country French Pork with Prunes & Apples

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon herbes de Provence

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1 boneless pork-loin roast (3 to 4 lbs.)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, halved then sliced

1 cup unsweetened apple juice or apple cidar

1 cup beef stock

2 Bay leaves

2 large tart apples, peeled, cored and chopped.

1 cup pitted prunes, halved  

(Prunes are delicious cooked, but if you're not a fan, leave them out.)

Directions:

1)  In a small bowl: mix the flour, herbes de Provence, salt & pepper; rub over pork. 

2)  In a large skillet, add olive oil, heat oil over medium-high heat, then brown roast on all sides and ends. (This seals in the juices)

3)  Place the loin roast in a 5 or 6 qt. slow cooker. Add the onions, apple cider/juice, broth and bay leaves.

4) Cook covered on LOW for 3 hours. Then add apples and prunes, recover and cook another 1 to 1 1/2 hours til apples and pork are tender.

5) Move roast, apples, onions and prunes to a serving platter. Tend roast with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

(You can thicken the broth a little bit with cornstarch or flour, if you like.)

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Serve it with potatoes or rice or whatever you like with a elegant meat entree like this.