SLOW ROASTED PORK WITH CINNAMON APPLES AND SWEET ONIONS

Yesterday I was inspired to break out my slow cooker and make a delicious meal with basically no work. And that is what a slow cooker is, right? I have been so busy lately running around and not having time to cook a REAL dinner (sorry husband), that I figured this was the perfect solution. A one-pot meal that requires barely any work, and that will last a few days (at least)? SOLD.

I called my husband on the way to Whole Foods to tell him the good news: I was picking up a pork tenderloin to slow roast for 8 hours and it was just for him (which was a lie of course). You would have thought I gave him a pot of gold. What is it with men and their meat? Especially messy, whole pieces of meat that you slow roast or barbeque…..anyway, no complaints here! The meal turn out amazing and like I said: Day 3, and we still have a lot of it left.

The good news is there is absolutely no oil or fat of any kind added to this dish. And since pork tenderloin happens to be one of the leanest meats you can buy, you are safe to pig out (no pun intended). More good news is that it comes out so tender it falls apart like short ribs…yes! Like short ribs. A lean pork tenderloin is capable of doing this thanks to Mr. Slow Cooker here. Oh and did I mention the dish is also 100% Paleo? Yes. It’s time to dig in.

SLOW ROASTED PORK WITH CINNAMON APPLES AND SWEET ONIONS
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed of fat
2 apples, peeled and sliced (use a sweet varietal such as Gala)
1 sweet onion, sliced (I used Vidalia)
1/3 cup of chicken broth
2 to 3 tablespoons of honey (for Paleo) or agave nectar
2 to 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
3 springs of fresh rosemary
3 springs of fresh thyme
6 Sage leafs
Your favorite pork/poultry seasoning (or just salt and pepper)
Cinnamon

Start by taking your pork out of the fridge and let it rest until it reaches room temperature. Next, season the tenderloin generously with your favorite pork/poultry seasoning (I used one that has a mix of rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, pepper and nutmeg) or salt and pepper will work just fine. Massage it into the pork. Place the tenderloin in your slow cooker and pour the chicken broth over the top. Stick the fresh herbs around the pork. Whisk together the honey (or agave) and Dijon mustard. Spoon 1/3 of it over the pork, covering it. Next, add the onions and spoon another 1/3 of the honey mustard mixture over top. Then add your apples as the last layer all over and around the pork and top with the rest of the honey mustard sauce (If you feel like you need a bit more honey/mustard, feel free to make more. It wont hurt!). Sprinkle the apples all around with cinnamon. Set your slow cooker to LOW and cook for about 8 to 10 hours. Around hour 8, take a fork and and see if the pork falls apart easily. If not, let it cook longer. (Side Note: The apples come out very soft in this dish. If you would prefer more of a texture to them, add them to the slow cooker later on in the cooking process). After you are finished slow roasting, serve the pork to individual plates and top with the apple/onion mixture. YUM!