Bourbon Brown Sugar Pork Loin Roast
A slow-cooker pork loin roast, seared then cooked low and slow and basted with a bourbon brown sugar glaze. Serve with Rosemary Skillet Potatoes as a complementary side dish. A family-favorite recipe.
Ingredients
| 2-3 lb | 905 g – 1.4 kg | pork loin roast |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | water |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | brown sugar |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | minced garlic |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | bourbon (could replace with apple juice or balsamic vinegar) |
| 2-3 Tbs | 30–45 ml | corn starch |
| 4 Tbs | 60 ml | soy sauce |
| 2 tsp | 10 ml | Kosher salt (for rub) |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | freshly ground black pepper (for rub) |
| 2 Tbs | 30 ml | cooking oil |
Instructions
- Start a skillet heating up on medium-high, and add 2 Tbs of your favorite cooking oil.
- Make a rub with 2 tsp Kosher salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and rub all over the roast.
- Sear each side in a heavy skillet on medium-high heat, 1-2 minutes on each side until golden.
- Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water, and cook for 5-6 hours on Low. (Safety tip: Fully cooked pork should be 145 degrees and no pink in the middle.) Before the last hour, make the Bourbon Brown Sugar Glaze.
Bourbon Brown Sugar Glaze You'll need: 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup bourbon (could replace with apple juice or balsamic vinegar), 2-3 Tbs corn starch, 4 Tbs soy sauce.
- Whisk together all ingredients in a small pot, heating until boiling.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 3-4 minutes, until glaze thickens a bit (it will still be runny).
- Baste pork loin 2-3 times during the last hour.
- Optional (this is where the caramelized goodness on top comes from): Heat broiler on high. Line a casserole dish with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Carefully remove roast from slow cooker and place into foil. Brush more Bourbon Brown Sugar Glaze on top and sides, and broil on high for 1-2 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes.
Rosemary Skillet Potatoes (side dish) Peel potatoes (a rule of thumb: one less than the number of people being served; Yukon Gold works well). Cut into fairly even-sized pieces for even cooking — the thinner they are, the faster they cook. Place potatoes into a medium bowl and drizzle about 2 Tbs olive oil. Add about 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and 1-2 Tbs dried rosemary. Toss to coat evenly. Pour into a skillet and cook on medium heat, stirring often to avoid sticking, about 15 minutes. Place the pork loin roast onto a platter and scatter the rosemary potatoes around the roast.