Pot Luck Test: Honey Apple Pork

After joining 20SB, I became "that guy" that fell right off the tree.  I picked up a few new Gentle Readers and started following a few more bloggers, but I got distracted by the leaves and the trees and just stopped going to the site because I'm a slacker.  I still subscribe to the 20SB blog and this month they are doing a Winter Pinterest Party, which I'm always down for.  

Coincidentally, this also equated to a resurfacing of Teh Megan at 20SB.  Irony?  Maybe.

So.. what happened was...

We had a pot luck for our department at work.  There were rules.  The best rule was that if you came empty handed, you'd leave empty handed and with an empty stomach because we were feeding leechers.  It's really awesome when contractors say things I can't..  Also, there were categories for people to bring certain foods.  Like A-E had to bring desserts.  F-Q had to bring sides.  R-Z had to bring a main dish/meat.  This way we didn't end up with only desserts.  I fell into that main dish/meat category and I told the rule maker that I was "bringing a meat from Pinterest."

I've had this idea pinned for a while now and I wanted something easy to bring to the pot luck.  BTW, Pinterest is my go-to place for cooking experiments, especially for pot luck's because I enjoy cooking, but I don't enjoy having to eat all the food myself or having it go bad or it not being good.  Pot luck's are perfect for experimental food because most people are willing to at least try a little bite of everyone's strange food... and usually, I don't have leftovers.  SCORE!

Crockpot Honey Apple Pork from Pinterest via CrossFit + Paleo = A Winning Combination

First, lets do this right.  This is what Phil does after I kick him out of the kitchen:

No, Moms!  Don't takes mah piksure.
I'z shy.

Ingredients you will need:
1x 2.5-3 lb pork tenderloin
3-4x apples
Enough honey
Enough cinnamon

Directions:
1.  Slice apples.
2.  Place apples slices from 2 apples in the bottom of the crock pot.
3.  Sprinkle cinnamon over apples (unless you're me and forget this step).

Hai! - Bets the Stand Mixer

3.  Cut slits in the tenderloin about every 1ish inch.
4.  Drizzle honey in the slits.. or if you're miss, forget this step.  Oops.
5.  Place an apple in each slit.

6.  Place tenderloin(s, if it comes with 2 separate loins (hehee)) in crockpot.
7.  Add the rest of your apples (which I diced up).

8.  Drizzle enough honey over contents.
9.  (optional)  Add a liquid of your choice if you're worried about your meat drying out.  I added Apple Cider because I had some in the fridge that needed to be used.  I saw some comments where people had added water or apple juice.  Most people didn't add anything at all and said their meat came out fine.
10.  Sprinkle enough cinnamon over the contents.

11.  Place lid on crockpot.
12.  Cook on low for 7 hours.
13.  Check on Phil.

Hai, Mom.  Dis hedgehog iz mah faborite toy.

 14.  Go to bed.

There was a LOT of juice in the morning.  I didn't add that much apple cider.  Probably less than 3/4th of a cup.  I'm not sure I would bother adding the cider/liquid next time.

I did a quality control taste test before I left for work.  It was eh.  I wasn't super impressed with it.  I was anticipating more sweetness.. or apple-y-ness.. or cinnamon-y-ness.  It had a kind of sweet tinge, but not enough for this Southern Girl.  Some people said it was really good.  It was all gone when we started cleaning up, so I took that as a good sign.

Also, from my last photo, I can understand why they used the raw meat+apples as the Pinterest image.

YAY Pinterest Successes!