Bacon Wrapped Maple Glazed Pork Loin

The main course for the perfect special occasion dinner is a pork loin, wrapped in bacon and glazed with pure maple syrup.  I originally got this recipe from my sister, who is also a very good, southern cook.  She made this while she was visiting once and it was so good.  I did adapt it a little by adding the maple syrup because of something I had at a local bed and breakfast called Federal Grove.  Federal Grove is a civil war era, plantation style house that has been turned into a bed and breakfast, restaurant and an event venue.  It is also the southernmost maple syrup producer in the United States.  They have a maple syrup festival during the month of February and they feature dishes using the syrup.  It smells wonderful before you even get in the door.  They serve a maple glazed pork chop, which gave me the idea of adding the maple syrup to this.  I am going to visit Federal Grove soon and do an entire blog about it with pictures.  If you are in the area, you should go there to eat.  The house is also very interesting and furnished with all period antiques that are also for sale.  If you are ever in the area, make it a stop on your trip.  You won't regret it.

Here is what you will need for this delicious recipe:

Whole boneless pork loin, brown sugar, spicy brown mustard, bacon, soy sauce, Worcestershire, Federal Grove maple syrup, garlic salt, salt and pepper.

Ingredients:

1 whole boneless pork loin  4-6 lbs.

1 cup brown sugar 

2 Tbs. spicy brown mustard

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. Worcestershire

1/2 cup pure maple syrup plus some or drizzling when basting.

10-12 bacon slices

salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste



Mix 1 cup brown sugar, 2 Tbs. spicy brown mustard, 1Tbs. soy sauce, 1 Tbs. Worcestershire, 1/4 cup maple syrup.  Remove the layer of fat on top of the pork with a sharp knife or most of it. Sprinkle it with salt, pepper and garlic salt.  Pour the brown sugar glaze over the top.

Wrap the pork with bacon slices covering it all.  Drizzle the top with the maple syrup.

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees.  Remove foil and with a spoon re glaze the top with the dripping in the pan.  Recover and cook for 30 more minutes.  Uncover and re glaze again with the pan juices, you can drizzle with more syrup if you like now also.  Cook uncovered until bacon is brown and crispy... about 20 more minutes.

This is your finished pork loin. Let it rest for about 5-10 minutes before slicing.

This will be so tender and will slice in nice thin slices.  You can put the pan juices over it after slicing or leave as it is.  Make sure each portion has some of the sweet, crispy bacon with it...that's the best part to me! 

Roasted Pork Loin with Mushroom Gravy!

This transforms a pork loin into something worthy of serving to company or special enough for your holiday menu, but it's so easy you won't believe it!  This is also a relatively low fat recipe, believe it or not with not very many ingredients!   Usually, anything with gravy, that is not the case!  I like this cooked in the oven, but you can use your slow cooker also with some adaptation, I will give those instructions at the end.  

 Here is what you will need: 

3-5 lb. pork loin

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. minced garlic

1  (10 3/4) oz. can  cream of chicken with herbs soup (I used Campbell's)

1 medium sweet onion, diced

2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced (I use a white button mushroom)

2 Tbs. soy sauce

3 cups water

2 Tbs. cornstarch

1/2 cup cold water

Place the pork loin in a roasting pan or heavy baking dish!   If you spray it with some nonstick spray it cleans up easier.  Sprinkle with the seasoned salt, black pepper and garlic.   Spoon the soup over the top of the pork loin.  You can substitute cream of mushroom soup or plain cream of chicken soup, but the cream of chicken with herbs gives the gravy a nice flavor!  

 Place the diced onion and sliced mushrooms over the soup.  Sort of press them into the soup so they stay on top for now.  Sprinkle the 2 Tbs. of soy sauce over the mushrooms.  I don't add a lot of salt to this recipe, because the salt in the soup and the soy sauce is sufficient with just the 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt.   Pour three cups water around the pork loin in the bottom of the baking pan. 

 Cover tightly with foil or if you are using a roasting pan, place the lid on and place in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours.

Mix the 2 Tablespoons cornstarch into 1/2 cup cold water in a bowl or cup until there are no lumps and it's smooth.  Carefully remove the pan from the oven and take foil or lid off.  Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the pan juice around the pork loin.  Turn the oven up to 450 degrees and place the pan back in the oven, uncovered for about 20 minutes.   This will thicken the juice and make your gravy.  It also sort of browns the top of the pork loin so it looks nice.

Plate the pork loin on a platter and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing in thin slices!  Spoon some of the mushroom gravy over the pork loin and place the rest in a gravy boat or bowl!  This makes plenty of gravy for serving on the side! 

We like this served with mashed potatoes, but you could serve with rice or egg noodles also.  If you have picky eaters, you can leave the mushrooms out completely and it's still delicious! 

***Slow Cooker Instructions:   Follow all of the same steps above, except decrease the water in the crock around the pork loin to 2 cups.  Slow cookers do not allow for much condensation during cooking so you never need as much liquid. Cook on low for 8 hours.  

An hour before serving turn the slow cooker up to high.  Make your cornstarch slurry and whisk into the juices, cover and let it go for an hour on high.  Whisk at the end to be sure it's smooth.   This method doesn't produce as pretty a pork loin...can pork be pretty???  I think it can...lol!!!  However, it tastes just as good! 

 If you are serving this for company or a holiday meal and want a pretty presentation, you can place it in the oven at 450 degrees to thicken the juices and brown the top like I did in the oven method.  Some slow cooker liners are oven proof, but some are not, so be sure of what yours is before you put it in the oven at a high temp.  You might need to transfer the pork loin to a baking dish if go to this trouble.  

See, this is pretty pork!!! 





Slow Cooker Apricot Glazed Pork Loin!

Pork loin is such an economical cut of meat, because it's mostly all lean with very little waste and really serves a lot of people.   However, it's a cut of meat that so many folks seem to not know what to do with or they don't understand that it can be very dry if not cooked properly.  It's a lean cut of meat and it works best with low and slow cooking, unless you cut it in nice boneless loin chops.  Because it works well with low and slow cooking, the slow cooker is perfect for pork loin.

  Now, how do you get the flavor in it and how do you get a variety of flavor other than just barbeque sauce?   This recipe is a really good change of pace from the usual barbequed pork loin.  It's also great for a week night meal as well as elegant enough for company.    I have discovered in using the slow cooker more for recipes now than I ever have, that if you finish some meats in the oven after the slow cooking period, they not only taste better, but the presentation is much better also.  This is one of those recipes.  


This is really a very simple recipe and you family is going to love it.  Here is what you will need:

1  4-6 lb. boneless pork loin
1 (20 oz.) jar of apricot preserves
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1/4 cup prepared Italian dressing (whatever you prefer or have on hand)
1/4 cup Teriyaki or soy sauce (I used the Teriyaki)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs. minced garlic
salt
black pepper
seasoned salt

Mix the apricot preserves with the dry onion soup, Italian dressing, soy or Teriyaki sauce, brown sugar and minced garlic until well blended.  Place the pork loin in a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker that has been sprayed well with nonstick spray or use a slow cooker liner.    Sprinkle liberally with salt, black pepper, and seasoned salt.   Pour half of the apricot glaze over the pork loin.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  You can cook this on high for 4-5 hours, but the low setting for longer produces a more tender roast.   Cover the other half of the glaze and refrigerate.   It will become thick when it gets cold and that is ok.  When you use the other half it will stay on better a little thicker.


***You can cook this in the oven if you do not have a slow cooker or just prefer the oven.  Cook at 350 degrees, covered for two hours and then uncover and add the reserved half of glaze.  If there are a lot of cooking juices in the pan, pour some of those off before you add the other half of glaze.  Cook at 375 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes or until the glaze caramelizes.  Be sure to let your meat rest for at least 15 minutes out of the oven, before slicing.  If you don't, it will lose all of it's juices.  I also spoon some of the pan juices back over the slices after placing them on the platter.

When the pork loin has finished cooking in the slow cooker, CAREFULLY remove it to a baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.    It will be hot and depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks it might be very tender and try to fall apart (but probably not).   I use a very wide spatula and meat fork to remove mine.   Pour the other half of the apricot glaze over the pork loin.  Place in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Don't let it burn but the sugars in the glaze will caramelize and turn darker.  This also gets very sticky so be sure to spray that baking dish with nonstick spray. 

Remove from oven and let stand to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.   If you slice meat as soon as you remove from the oven, without allowing to rest, you lose all of the juices and the meat will be dry.

Slow Cooker Pork Loin Supper!

I really love this recipe, because it's just about your entire meal right in one pot and that pot can be your slow cooker, which means you put it all in and forget about it.  It's great for those days when you do not have time to be in the kitchen half of the day.

 It also uses pork loin, which is pretty inexpensive when you catch it on sale and it feeds a lot of people.  This meal is also healthy and can be adjusted to your families tastes, just by substituting for the vegetables they prefer.   If you remove the roast from the slow cooker and place it on a platter with vegetables around it, it's pretty enough for company also.  

Here is what you will need for this:

1 (4-6 lb.) boneless pork loin

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 (14.4 oz.) cans sauerkraut (I prefer the Bavarian and if your family does not like sauerkraut, substitute 4 potatoes peeled and quartered or cabbage, cored and cut into wedges)

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

3 Tbs. brown sugar

1 tsp. dried oregano

4 bay leaves

1 Tbs. dried parsley

4 carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise, then in half across

3 medium onions, quartered

3 stalks of celery, cut in 1 inch pieces

1 cup water

Place the pork loin in slow cooker that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.  Sprinkle with seasoned salt, black pepper and garlic powder.  Pour sauerkraut over the top of the pork loin.  Place the can of the tomatoes over the sauerkraut. 

Place the carrots, onions, and celery around the sides of the roast.  If you are using potatoes instead of sauerkraut, place them around the sides also.  You can sprinkle the vegetables with a little more seasoned salt and black pepper if you like more spice.

Sprinkle the brown sugar over the tomatoes and sauerkraut.  Sprinkle the oregano, parsley and bay leaf over all.  Pour 1 cup water around the sides. 

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, depending on how your slow cooker's temps are.

When done, remove to a platter and place the vegetables around the pork loin and the sauerkraut and tomatoes on top of it.  You can garnish with some rosemary at this point.  Drizzle the juices over all.   The pork loin will be very tender and will slice in nice thin slices.