Slow cooked pork loin with...

Apples, raisins, onion, honey, mead and apple pie spice mix.

Made this as my contribution to a potluck dinner with friends last Saturday, prepped and started it cooking about 2:30 AM =)

(2) 3 1/2# boneless pork loins - closely trimmed of fat, 6 medium Gala apples - wash, coarse chop, discard stems and core, leave on the skin (coat with a little lemon juice to keep them from browning during prep phase), 1/2 c dark raisins, 1 med sweet red onion - dice, 1 c sweet mead (which I brewed with 4 honeys and 8 fruits), 1/2 c wildflower honey, 2 c hot water , 2 Tbls apple pie spice mix, 2 Tbls sweet butter - melted, 1/2 c mead, 3/4 c cold water, 1/4 c hot water, 3 Tbls honey, 1 t spice mix, 1/2 c corn starch

While preparing the foodstuffs for cooking, preheat a covered casserole type slow cooker (aka crockpot) to high.  In my opinion, electric crock pots are one of the great cooking innovations of the late 20th century.

Rinse the pork under cold water and pat dry. Grease the warmed cooker with the melted butter and place in the meat, fat side up.

Dissolve the honey into the hot water then add in the mead and spices. Stir in 4 of the apples, the raisins and onion. Spread this over the pork and cook on high for 2 hours. Using 2 long tined cooking forks, lift the loins out of the apple mix and replace them on top of it, cook a further 10 hours at Low setting.

Turn the cooker off, the thermal mass will keep the food warm throughout meal time. I also wrap the base with a heavy towel to help hold the heat.

Spoon most of the pan drippings and all of the fruit and onion into a large saucepan and place over high heat. Put into this the remaining apples. Dissolve the remaining honey into the bit of hot water, then add the other mead, cold water and spices. In a large bowl, whisk this into the corn starch. Pour this into the pan and simmer while stirring until the sauce is slightly thickened, leaving the extra apples warmed, but not cooked.

Sides for this were German potato salad, Potatoes au Gratin, fresh sourdough bread, dandelion and pear salad, bratwurst and cheese.  We had home brewed beer and mead to drink.

[margypops]

that sounds good Pip I was wondering what happened to this group, we started off so well time to get going again..I do enjoy a piece of Pork and recently they haven't been too bad a price.Going to try this one for the weekend .Recently I have crock potted a curry and a chilli time for a change..

[Piparskeggr]

Let me know what you and yours think, also any changes you made to suit your taste.