So Halloween is over and now I feel like we’re kind of in the calm before the storm that is Thanksgiving-the New Year. I’m in the mood for home-y comfort meals, especially if I can make them in my Crock Pot! This Crock Pot Apple Cider Pork Roast totally fits the bill–a little sweet, a little tangy, super easy, with a handful of ingredients I already have in my house.
To get started, you’re going to caramelize some onions. If you’ve never done it before or if you need a refresher, check out this post. You’ll need a medium white onion, sliced in half and then cut vertically, some butter, and some extra-virgin olive oil (I love using our garlic olive oil).
Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When melted, add the onions in a single layer and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and caramelized. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
For the roast, you’ll need a 2 1/2-3-pound pork sirloin roast, some apple cider (like the murky brown apple juice you can find in grocery stores and roadside stands all over the place in the fall, or Simply Apple the rest of the year), some mild coarse grain or Creole mustard, honey, salt, and pepper.
While the onions are caramelizing, season the pork roast on all sides with the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
When you have removed the onions from the pan, increase the heat to medium-high and add the pork roast (you may need to add another teaspoon or so of oil). Sear on all sides.
When the roast has seared, place it in a slow cooker. Top with caramelized onions.
In a 2 cup measuring cup, whisk together the apple cider, honey, and mustard. Pour it over the roast and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours or until the meat can easily be shredded with a fork.
When the meat is done, remove the roast and onions from the slow cooker and shred. Pour the cider mixture into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. While the cider is heating, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch. When the mixture is boiling, whisk in the cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and add vinegar.
Serve the pork on top of mashed potatoes and topped with gravy.
Crockpot Apple Cider Pork Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 onion, medium sliced vertically
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 2½-3 pound pork sirloin roast
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups apple cider the murky, brown stuff--it's widely available in the fall, but you can usually find Simply Apple year-round
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Creole or mild coarse grain mustard
- 1 ½ tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar again, the murky stuff, like Bragg's
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- mashed potatoes side, optional, see notes
Instructions
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When melted, add the onions in a single layer and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and caramelized. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
- While the onions are caramelizing, season the pork roast on all sides with the 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. When you have removed the onions from the pan, increase the heat to medium-high and add the pork roast (you may need to add another teaspoon or so of oil). Sear on all sides.
- When the roast has seared, place it in a slow cooker. Top with caramelized onions. In a 2 cup measuring cup, whisk together the apple cider, honey, and mustard. Pour it over the roast and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours or until the meat can easily be shredded with a fork.
- When the meat is done, remove the roast and onions from the slow cooker and shred. Pour the cider mixture into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. While the cider is heating, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch. When the mixture is boiling, whisk in the cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and add vinegar.
- Serve the pork on top of mashed potatoes and topped with gravy.
Notes
- We recommend this method for mashed potatoes.
Nutrition
Questions & Reviews
I made this today and we enjoyed it. I thought the gravy was lacking flavor. The sweet and tangy wasn’t the problem, it just needed savory. So I added 1packet of Lipton onion soup mix and a little more water and it was perfect. I had neighbors and my parents to dinner and it was a hit! I served it on top of mashed potatoes (I added parmesan and garlic powder to the potatoes) . I just wanted to say, thanks-You ladies never disappoint!
will normal apple cider vinegar work?
It will, but the Bragg’s stuff is better if you can swing it. 🙂
Just made this, it is sooo tasty. I put it in my crockpot before we went to church, and after we came home, I finished it up. Perfect for Sunday dinner.
I’m so glad!!!
Kate – I love your home-y comfort foods for fall and winter! I make white beans with rosemary and bacon like, 4 times in the fall. My husband and I LOVE it! This looks delish as well… question–would the leftovers from this freeze well? Thanks 🙂
Yes, absolutely!!! In fact, I froze our leftovers!
This recipe sounds like it’s prime for an instant pot conversion. Any thoughts?
For sure!! I would need to try it before I give you for-sure times and directions, but you could definitely instant pot this!
Yummo! Adding this to our menu plan! My slow cooker is on its last legs….I’m asking Santa for a new Cuisinart for Christmas.?Do y’all have suggested oven cooking temp/time? Help a busy mama out, please.
In the past, I’ve done 300 for 3-ish hours–maybe try that, but with a little buffer in case you need to go longer?
I’m a little unsure of what “mild coarse grain mustard” is. Can you give me an example or brand name? And do they even make Creole mustard? I’m kind of lost here
Yep! Look for zatarain’s creole mustard–it’s a national brand. But most stores carry a spicy and a mild coarse ground mustard. 🙂
Thank you! I’m excited to make this recipe for Sunday dinner this week!
Is this a powdered mustard?
Nope, it’s a prepared mild whole grain mustard. 🙂
Yuuuummmm.
Oh, my goodness. If I could get this delivered for breakfast that’d be fab….
Looks tasty!! Do you think a pork shoulder would work for this too? (That’s not the same thing as a pork sirloin roast, right?) Thanks!
A pork shoulder would be great! I like sirloin because it does well in the crockpot and it’s lean, but shoulders are so tasty.
Thanks! I have a shoulder already, so I figured I’d check.
Btw I really like your blog! My family owes many dinners to you ladies. Thank you!