Super Easy Pork Shoulder Roast (AIP, Paleo)

I have absolutely zero luck with pork in the crock pot, there I said it. Phew. I try recipes over and over again, either I over cook or under cook or I grab the wrong cut and it just never seems to work out. This may sound strange, but it's the truth. I am also super bad at following directions, so this may be part of it. This was the reason why I need something that required the least amount of instruction to equal the best results.

The recipe for this came as a bit of a fluke. I picked up a pork shoulder roast for a good deal at the store and had no clue what I was going to do with it, but had to buy it. When I went to prepare it, I literally grabbed a few of my favorite herbs, tossed them on top of the roast, turned the crock pot on low, and walked away. What came out was perfection! I love it when that works out. And best of all, this is completely approved by my non-paleo hubby, so you know it's a hit!

Super Easy Pork Shoulder Roast

Ingredients

• 3-5 lb pork shoulder roast
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons each of the following: oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil, and rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

Instruction

1. Place pork shoulder roast in slow cooker. If it is wrapped in kitchen netting, you can leave it on.
2. Rub garlic over the top of roast. Mix herbs together and sprinkle over the top of the roast.
3. Set slow cooker on low and cook for 9-10 hrs or until roast reaches 165 degrees F.
4. Remove roast and set on cutting board. Tent it with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 mins. This would be a good time to make your sides, like the Caramelized Fennel and Sweet Potato Sauté
5. Slice, serve, drool, and enjoy!

Shared on AIP Recipe Roundtable

Cranberry + Pumpkin Pork Loin (AIP, Paleo)

Cranberry + Pumpkin Pork Loin

If you are like me after the holiday, you find yourself with plenty of leftover pieces of the meal, such as cranberry sauce and pure pumpkin. Even though you got a whole can, you only needed a cup to make the pumpkin pie.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pure pumpkin
• 1 cup cranberry sauce (homemade, store bought or you can try the recipe listed below)
• 4-5 lb boneless pork loin (boneless pork tenderloin could work as well)
• 1 cup of chicken or turkey bone broth (or stock)
• 1 medium onion, cut into thick strips
• Kosher Salt
• Ground black pepper (omit for AIP)
• 1 teaspoon of arrowroot flour 
• 1 teaspoon of filtered water

Instructions

1. Heat a large pan to medium heat and sear pork loin on all sides. This helps trap in all the good flavors.
2. Line crock pot with onion slices. Lay pork loin on top of onion and top off with chicken broth.
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper (omit for AIP) all over the top of pork loin.
4. In small bowl, mix cranberry sauce and pumpkin until well combined.
5. Pour cranberry and pumpkin mix on top of pork loin.

6. Cook in crockpot for 5-7 hrs or until it pulls apart easily.
7. Remove from crockpot and let rest for 15 mins.
8. While pork loin is resting, take 1 cup of the drippings left in the bottom and transfer to a small sauce pan and bring to boil.
9. Mix 1 teaspoon of arrowroot flour (or tapioca starch) with 1 teaspoon of water and then slowly whisk it into the sauce.
10. Turn heat down to a simmer, and continue to stir until sauce thickens to become gravy.
11. Slice pork loin and serve topped with some homemade gravy

Cranberry Clementine Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 clementines
• Zest from one clementine
• 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (no need to thaw ahead of time)
• ½ cup coconut palm sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1.       Zest on clementine and then peel and roughly chop both and add to small sauce pan.

2.       Add cranberries, coconut sugar, zest, cinnamon sticks, and water to plan and bring to boil at a       

medium-high heat.

3.       Once boiling, drop to a low heat and let simmer, stir occasionally.

4.       When most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thick, remove from heat.

5.       Let cool and serve or put in the refrigerator for later. You can remove the cinnamon sticks or leave them.  If you are going to make the pork loin recipe, I would leave them in the sauce.