This is hands down my favorite time of year. When the weather starts to get a bit cooler (which is a big deal when you live in Los Angeles) and you’re craving fall boots, turtlenecks, and a temperature plunge. Even more exciting are the holidays that start on Oct 31st and keep going until the end of the year.
I love that Halloween fell on a Monday this year because it gave our family time to hunker in, create our Halloween costumes, brew up some warm cider and make this Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Apples and Onions. Just these little moments when we get to stop and cook together makes my week feel complete.
As I put Chloe to bed tonight and I was telling her how much I loved her and hoped that I was a good Mommy to her she said “you always cook for me so I know you love me”. It made my heart melt more than she will ever know.
While Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are the big holidays that we’re all focusing on over the next few months, it’s those small moments during the year that not only feel good, but should taste good too. These are those moments when you’re watching a movie together, sitting reading a book or making a dish that you really love.
Chloe and I are big pork lovers, so I let her help me come up with a slow cooker recipe we can prepare together. It gave us a chance to work on her costume while it cooked, but I could see this being a great meal after a hectic day of holiday errands. Did I mention that it makes the house smell like heaven?! If it makes her happy that I cook for her, having her in the kitchen with me makes my heart explode.
Last weekend we went to the farmers market and bought an entire box of Gala and Pink Lady apples, garnet yams (close cousins to sweet potatoes) and sweet onions and picked up this pork loin roast which is always the perfect accompaniment to sweet fruits.
Whenever I see pork and apples on a restaurant menu together it’s my go-to order. There’s just something about the combination that makes me giddy inside and craving fall flavors.
When cooked on low in a slow cooker, a pork loin roast becomes tender, moist, juicy and down right delectable. It’s the same way I feel when Chloe cooks with me. I want to eat her up!
This is one of those recipes that’s all about slow and steady wins the race, just like those small sweet moments you have to grab hold of when you have the chance.
If you make this recipe I would love to see it! You can tag me on Instagram @weelicious or let me know in the comments below how you enjoyed it or tips that made your Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Apples and Onions special.
Photos by Gerry Speirs
Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Apples and Onions
Ingredients
- 1 3-5 pound boneless pork loin roast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 pink lady or gala apples, cored and cut into 8 wedges
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
- 1 small head purple cabbage, sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup low sodium chicken stock or apple juice
- 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
Instructions
- Melt oil or butter in a large sauté pan (or use your slow cooker if it’s safe to sauté with) over medium high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper and sauté on each side for a total of 4 minutes. Set aside.
- Place the remaining ingredients in a slow cooker and top with pork.
- Cook the pork for 5-6 hours on LOW (about 1 1/4 hours per pound) until pork is cooked through and the fruit and vegetables are fork tender. The National Pork Board recommends cooking pork chops, loin roasts and tenderloin to an internal temperature between 145°F (medium rare) and 160°F (medium), followed by a three-minute rest.
I would serve it with a nice salad https://weelicious.com/2013/01/23/winter-citrus-salad/or sauteed greens https://weelicious.com/2016/09/27/turmeric-sauteed-greens-recipe/
Hi Catherine,
I want to make this pork roast this week. Do you serve any other sides with it? Thanks!
Carolyn
That’s where the slow cooker comes into play!
I am not fond of pork loins because they are not tender or juicy. They have no fat.
So glad it was a hit!
Just finished eating this! Oh my word! This is AMAZING! Thank you so much for the great recipe!
Aren’t slow cookers fabulous?! So glad your family enjoyed it!
This was very good. Made it today. So nice to come home after a busy afternoon and dinner is ready! We ate it so fast that I forgot to take a picture. Yes, the house did smell good. I halved the recipe, since there’s only three of us.
I have this one and I love it! http://astore.amazon.com/weelicious-20/detail/B0007SXBUQ
hi there, i love this recipe, post, and your site! question RE slow cookers, as there is a bit of controversy particularly in california regarding what constitutes a healthy totally lead-free one… which slow cooker do you use / prefer? i found a “360 Cookware Gourmet Slow Cooker and Stainless Steel Stock Pot with Cover, 4 Quart” which didn’t have any of the California prop 65 warnings … kinda pricey but considering the volume of food I’d like to cook for my family, and how long the food sits in the slow cooker containers… considering it. Love to know your thoughts! x x
Yes! That should work great!
The combination is great, but we don’t do much pork here. Do you think this would work similarly with a turkey tenderloin roast?
I didn’t include them in this recipe here, but there are so many things you can do with yams or sweet potatoes! https://weelicious.com/?s=sweet+potatoes
This recipe looks delicious! You mentioned garnet yams in the post but I didn’t see them included in the recipe. Should yams also be included?
Thank you!