SERVES 6
When choosing a pork loin, we prefer the blade-end—be sure to choose a fatter, shorter loin over a longer, skinnier one. Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the orange. Make sure to trim any white pith from the zest, as it can impart a bitter flavor.
1 |
(4½- to 5-pound) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed and tied at 1-inch intervals |
Table salt and ground black pepper |
|
1 |
tablespoon vegetable oil |
1 |
(14-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce |
½ |
cup dried cranberries |
½ |
cup juice and 3 (3-inch-long) strips zest from 1 orange |
⅛ |
teaspoon ground cinnamon |
1. Dry the pork with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the pork well on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Stir the cranberry sauce, cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, and cinnamon into the slow cooker. Nestle the browned pork into the slow cooker. Cover and cook until the pork is tender and registers 140 to 145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 4 hours on low.
3. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Let the braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove the fat from the surface using a large spoon. Discard the orange zest. Transfer the braising liquid to a saucepan and simmer until reduced to 2 cups, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Remove the twine from the pork, slice into ½-inch-thick slices, and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon 1 cup sauce over the meat and serve with the remaining sauce.