Tonight I decided to make this recipe from a Crockpot Cookbook I received for Christmas. Every recipe in the book has a photo which I personally prefer because then I get an idea of what in the world my dish is supposed to come out looking like.

The pork loin I had was only 1.5 lbs. but I didn’t cut the whole recipe in half because I wanted the pork loin to stay moist and the Arborio rice to have enough liquid to cook thoroughly. So while I used only about 1/4 cup of onion, 2 cloves garlic, and 1/2 cup red wine, I still used 1.5 cups of chicken broth, 2 tbsp butter, and 2 tbsp olive oil.  I didn’t have fresh rosemary so I just sprinkled the pork loin while browning with dried rosemary and fennel seed because that’s my favorite dried herb! I also cut down the cooking time to just 3 hours on HIGH since I had a smaller roast than this recipe called for and I didn’t want it to get dried out from overcooking.

Pork w/ risotto ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

The pork came out easy to slice, very tender, and fulfilling. The risotto was full of the herb flavor and had a reddish tint from the wine. The only change I would make is that this recipe needs an accompanying sauce. I added spoonfuls of applesauce to my plate. I think a fruit compote or jam is perfect for this so next time I’d plan for that ahead of time and add the sauce just before serving. Otherwise, it was a pretty simple and tasty meal!

I served it alongside my leftover Potato, Tomato, Zucchini Gratin from two nights ago. I had half the pork loin leftover so tomorrow I think I’ll add a sauce/side of carrots, fennel, garlic, and apple slices simmered in apple juice and mustard to add moisture, saucy flavor, and a vegetable side. For dessert tonight I made a straight-out-of-the-box Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cake and sprinkled it with powdered sugar. MMM Yum!

Gingerbread ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

Rosemary Pork with Red Wine Risotto

From: Crockpot
Yield: 6 Servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (3 pound) boneless pork loin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup onion, minced
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 2 cups chicken broth, divided
• 1 cup fruity red wine
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat on the stove. When the oil is hot, add 3 sprigs of rosemary and place the pork roast on top of them. Season with the salt and pepper. Brown the pork roast on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from pan and place the roast and the rosemary in a large crock pot.

2. Deglaze the pan on the stove by adding 1/4 cup of the chicken broth to the hot pan and stirring rapidly with a whisk, loosening the browned bits of pork.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter, the garlic and onion and cook, stirring with a spoon, until the onion is translucent. Add the rice and stir well. Cook until the rice just begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining chicken broth and wine. Remove from heat and pour into the slow cooker around the roast.

4. Place cover on crock pot and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. The internal temperature of the pork should register 170 degrees F. When the cooking time is done, remove the roast, slice and keep warm on a platter. Remove and discard the rosemary.

5. Stir the remaining butter and Parmesan cheese into the rice. Spoon the risotto around the roast slices and garnish with the remaining fresh rosemary sprigs.