Apple Cider Pork Roast with Smoked Bacon

By á-73576

Ingredients

• 3-4 pound Pork Roast
• 6 slices smoked bacon
• 3 tablespoons bacon fat, approximately, rendered from cooking the bacon
• 1- 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/8 cup brandy
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 2 onions, halved then cut into half inch slices, white onions or a mix with red onion
• 5-6 medium size crisp red apples, cored, sliced into 1 inch thick slices, approximately
• kosher salt, enough for sprinkling on both sides of pork
• cracked black pepper, enough for sprinkling on both sides of pork
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 or more stems of fresh thyme
• Equipment
• 1 large saute pan, enough to comfortably brown pork roast all around
• Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 4mins
Adapted from spicedpeachblog.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large size saute pan cook the bacon on low heat to render the fat, approximately five minutes. Season the pork roast with salt and pepper. Remove the half cooked bacon to a plate. Leave around three tablespoons of bacon grease in the saute pan and add about one tablespoon olive oil swirling the grease to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Place pork roast into the pan, raise the heat temperature to medium and brown the roast all around. Pour the brandy into the pan, if it flames, shake pan until it subsides, turn pork roast over and continue cooking until brandy has cooked down to a mere tablespoon or two then pour in the apple cider, continuing to cook for another four or five minutes, turn off burner. Line the bottom of a Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker with most of the onion slices leaving some to sprinkle over the top of the roast. Remove the browned pork roast from the saute pan and place on top of the onions lining the pot, laying the thickest part of the roast on the right side of the slow cooker. Place the bacon strips all across the top of the pork roast, tuck the apple slices all around, add in the bay leaves, sprinkle over the remaining onion slices. Pour the brandied apple cider over the pork roast and top with the sprigs of fresh thyme. Place the lid onto the slow cooker and snap closed. Plug the probe into the side jack and place the pointy end of the probe through the opening into the thickest part of the roast. Press ON, Press PROBE, Press arrow to LOW, Press 160 degrees, Press ENTER. Enjoy your day. The Slow Cooker will automatically switch to warm once your pork roast is done. When ready to serve, remove bacon, slice pork, arrange onions and cooked apple slices around the roast, serve alongside the cider juices.