Pork Tenderloin with Roast Vegetable Couscous

Photo credit Alex J Harris

I am only a recent convert to slow cooker cooking. I bought a slow cooker years ago, but it was faulty, and the first time I used it the food did not cook at all. It put me off completely, and it wasn’t until a few weeks ago I decided to try using one again. I admit, I was seduced by this beauty. I liked the way it fitted on the countertop so easily, as well as the fact the pot itself could also be used on the stove top, oven or microwave. I’ve been having a lot of fun experimenting with it, and I’m amassing quite a collection of recipes to share!

This is one of the first things I cooked. I was inspired by a recipe onAllrecipes.com but as usual I adapted it to make it my own. I don’t normally have onion soup mix on hand as it is hard to get here in the UK, but I had a package hiding in the cupboard so I decided to give it a try. The recipe did have a lot of liquid, and even though I cut it down to start with, it was still very ‘wet’ so in the end I thickened the gravy with cornstarch.

2 pork tenderloins, about 1½ pounds each
(free range, pasture raised or organic if possible)
1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
¾ cup chicken or pork stock
½ cup good red wine
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1 cup couscous, prepared according to package directions
Roast Vegetables

Place the sliced onion in the bottom of your slow cooker pot. Lay the tenderloins on top, turning the edges round so that they fit into the pot.

Mix the stock, red wine, soy sauce and dried oregano together.

Sprinkle the contents of the soup packet over the tenderloin, and then pour the liquid over the top.

Cook on low for 4 hours, or until the pork registers at least 145ºC (300ºF) on a meat thermometer. I usually cook my pork to 160ºC (320ºF).

When you have about an hour to go, roast the vegetables.

Remove the tenderloins from the slow cooker, cover and keep warm.

Add the cornstarch and water to the oniony liquid remaining in the slow cooker. Pop the lid back on, turn the slow cooker to high, and cook for about ten minutes to take any floury taste away.

Meanwhile prepare the couscous according to package directions. If you are using the kind of couscous that you prepare with boiling water, I always add a stock cube to the water for flavour.

Slice and serve the onion gravy topped tenderloin beside roast vegetable topped couscous.

This would also be delicious with my Mom’s Scalloped Potatoes.

Shared with Tasty Tuesday, See Ya in the Gumbo, Food on Fridays