Roast Pork with Apricots

 Essentials of Slow Cooking -by Williams-Sonoma

• ¼  cup all purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 boneless pork loin roast, about 2 ½ lbs.
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 cups dried apricot
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tbsps.  Chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tbsps. Dijon Mustard

DIRECTIONS:

On a plate, stir together the flour, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper.  Turn the pork in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.  In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil.  Cook the pork, turning frequently, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

Pour off all but 1 tbsp. of the fat in the pan.  Add the onion and sauté until softened, 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Pour in the broth and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits of the bottom of the pan with a wood spoon.

Transfer the pork to a slow cooker and pour in the broth mixture.  Add the apricots, orange juice and thyme.  Cover and cook until the pork is very tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 140˚ (60˚), 2—3 hours on the high-heat setting or 4-6 hours on the low-heat setting.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the apricots and set aside.  Use a large, shallow spoon or a ladle to skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the cooking liquid.  Strain the juices into a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced and concentrated, about 10 minutes.  Stir the mustard into the sauce and add the apricots.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut the pork loin, across the grain into thin slices and arrange the slices on a warmed platter.  Serve at once with the sauce and apricots over a bed of rice.

Mondays are now Elise's turn to cook.   It's so nice to come home to a full cooked meal, just the smell alone as I walk through the door is amazing.  She out did herself with this dish.  Pork in a apricot/orangy sauce married with the garlic, onions and fresh thyme was SOOO good.  With it being cooked in the crockpot the meat was so tender and just soaked in all the juices..  m-m-m-m.  You must try this one!  Dad and I both loved it and licked our platters clean :)