Today I prepared a crock pot meal I have wanted to try for a long time, Seeded Pork Roast. This recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens, New Crockery Cooker Cookbook , published in 1987. Yes, I have waited a long time to try it!! It is the easiest crock pot entree I have ever made, but could be a bit pricey if you do not have some or all of the seeds on hand. I only had to purchase dillseed, something I use occasionally in summer salads.
Seeded Pork Roast Serves 6
1 2 1/2 to 3 pound boneless pork sirloin roast
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon anise seed
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 tablespoon caraway seed
1 tablespoon dillseed
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon granuales
1 cup water
Trim fat from roast. Rub soy sauce over surface of roast with fingers [I put the soy sauce in a small dish then spooned some over the surface then rubbed, spooning and rubbing until I had used up all of the liquid.] On a large piece of foil combine the anise seed, fennel seed, caraway seed, dillseed, and celery seed [Again I combined them in a small dish then poured them on the foil.] Roll the roast in the seeds to coat evenly [including the ends]. [This went easier than I thought it would and the seeds stuck very well to the damp roast.] Wrap the roast tightly in foil. Let meat stand in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours or overnight [I let it sit overnight].
Remove foil from the roast. If necessary, cut the roast to fit into the crock pot. In a small bowl [I used my glass measuring cup], dissolve bouillon granules in water; pour around roast, not over it. [I think you could also use 1 cup of canned or homemade beef broth instead of the water/bouillon combination.]
Cover; cook on low heat setting 10-12 hours or on high heat setting for 5-6 hours. [I used low heat and served after 10 1/2 hours for a 2 pound roast. It was very tender.]
Transfer to a serving platter [I let the roast rest about 10 minutes before slicing.] Strain cooking juices and pass juice with the roast. [Important to strain the juice as the concentration of seeds in the juice are not as tasty as the seeds on the roast. Also, I felt that without the juice the roast was a bit dry, perhaps because I only had a two pound roast and it may have cooked too long. However, the juice made it very good and moist. I also poured juice over the leftovers. When I microwave them to reheat, they will not dry out even more and should remain moist.]
What I especially loved about this recipe was the simplicity of preparation. I did not have to brown the meat, so clean up after prep was a breeze!! I hate it when I have to brown a piece of meat before putting it into the crock pot. A greasy skillet AND stove top!
The finished roast (left)
My slices are not as pretty as the cookbook picture, but the roast was delicious. (right)
