Slow Cooker Pork Masala with Red Potatoes and Baby Carrots

I have a back issue of Bon Appetit with a Child Friendly Chicken Masala that I have been wanting to try.  I have always loved Indian food, but Nick has a real aversion to anything he thinks may be "curry-like".  So I was thinking a child friendly version may be just the ticket to introducing him to the cuisine.  Additionally, if its a little toned down on spices, the chances are higher that Sydney will like it too.

On to the modifications, I made more than a few.  I converted the recipe from a traditional oven to slow cooker.  I used pork tenderloin instead of chicken. I substituted sour cream for plain yogurt, and dried onion flakes instead of fresh chopped.  I also added vegetables and white pepper.

Slow Cooker Pork Masala with Red Potatoes and Baby Carrots

Here's what I used:

1 2 lb pork tenderloin, cut into fist-sized chunks
1/2 bag baby carrots (or enough to cover bottom of slow cooker)
3 large red potatoes, skin on, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tbsp garam masala (Priya brand, found in my local grocery international section)
2 tsp kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp dried chopped onion
1 cup sour cream
3 tbsp olive oil

Here's what I did:

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours, or LOW for 8-10.  Just prior to serving, remove pork and cut into 1" or bite sized pieces, and then add them back into the cooker.

Serve over Basmati or Long Grain rice.

I am soooo pleased with this one.  My first foray into any sort of Indian fare, and it was really successful.  Spices were right on.

Seriously Good Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Red Potatoes & Onions

As with most of my cooking decisions, I got a good price on a 3 lb pork tenderloin.  I was able to find two recipes that I combined to create possibly the most tender and moist pork tenderloin I have ever eaten.  No joke.  Even days later, I'm eating slices of the pork loin cold as a snack - an activity I usually reserve for leftover filet mignon, still scrumptious cold.

My recipe is an adaptation of a Giada de Laurentiis recipe "Roasted Pork Loin with Fig Sauce" but without the Fig Sauce, using the leftover seasoning that I had from the Fiorientina recipe that I posted last Monday.

Here's what I used:

3 lb pork tenderloin
6-8 red potatoes, halved
2 small onions, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chicken broth

Fiorientina Rub:

1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried sage
1 tbsp dried thyme
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp black pepper

Here's what I did:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cover roasting pan in foil to save cleaning time.

In a small mixing bowl, combine Fiorientina Rub with olive oil and blend.  Place pork loin in roasting pan, and coat with rub and oil mixture.  If tenderloin is in more than one piece, wrap with cooking bands (as seen in picture below).  Add potatoes and onion to remaining rub mixture and stir to coat.  Add vegetables to pan around pork.

Roast for 45 minutes, turning pork every 15 minutes to evenly brown the meat.  At end of cooking time, meat should register 145 degrees.  Once removed from oven, place pork on a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm and allow to rest another 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, add chicken broth to pan with vegetables and meat drippings and stir to remove browned bits into the broth.

I plated this with some quick cook brown rice, and drizzled the sauce over the plate.  This was seriously good pork.