orange is the new fit

I’ve never  been a pork person but sometimes it’s nice to have another go-to cut of meat that’s lean for weeknight meals.  I’ve been experimenting with pork tenderloin lately and wanted to see how it would do in the slow cooker.  Because it is super lean, I was worried it would taste dried out, but it was anything but.  For my family’s 4th of July get-together earlier this week I tested out this recipe on them and it was a hit.  Some made sandwiches, but most just ate it straight up!  Of all the meats available, including perfectly grilled tri tip, the shredded pork was getting the most love.

This might be a little anti-feminist to say but when men are pleased with my meat cooking recipes, it’s like a total stroke for my ego.  The men in my family might be able to grill, but I’m the master mind behind the flavor combos!  And this one was all me, except it required no grilling, and simply pushing a button.  Minor detail right?

When I make large volumes of meat, I like to make them flavorful but basic so that I can use them in a variety of different ways.  Depending on your dietary preferences, this shredded pork is SO versatile: eat as is topped with your favorite BBQ or other sauce, as the protein filling in a low carb wrap or tortilla, as a pulled pork sandwich, with rice and veggies, in lettuce cups with your favorite toppings, or add to a salad for a heartier meal.

If you follow a set of macro numbers and are concerned with carbs and oil, just be aware that honey is still a sweetener which increases the overall carb count of this dish.  You can omit the honey completely if you like, it just adds a bit of sweet balance to the salty soy sauce and pairs well with the heat of red pepper flakes if you choose to add those.  The oil can be cut down to 1 Tbsp or omitted completely as well.  However, when spread across the number of servings, the macros for the honey and oil do not increase the macros for the dish THAT much.  Just be aware if you are rigid about your tracking!

If you want to meal prep and want plenty for leftovers, use 3 or 4 tenderloins.  I used 4 and it made what is pictured above!  Because of the versatility of the flavor, you really can use it any way you like.

Shredded Pork Tenderloin For Any Occasion

Ingredients:

2 Pork Tenderloins

3/4 cup Chicken Broth

1/4 Cup Soy Sauce / Coconut Aminos

1/8 Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Honey

1/2 Chopped Sweet Yellow Onion

6 Finely Chopped Garlic Cloves

1 tsp. Dried Oregano

1 tsp. Dried Rosemary

1 tsp. Dried Thyme

1 tsp. Black Pepper

Optional: 1 Tbsp. Red Pepper Flakes – If you want a little kick!

Directions:

In an empty crockpot, pour half of each liquid, all the honey and oil, and the majority of the chopped onion and garlic to cover the bottom and mix.

Lay the pork tenderloins over the mixture.

Pour the remaining liquid over the pork to moisten and then sprinkle with all seasonings.  Cover with the remaining chopped onion and garlic.

Cover with lid and set timer on low for 7 hours.

After the pork has finished cooking, transfer tenderloins from the crockpot to a large pan and shred with tongs.  For smaller shreds use two forks, however, the pork will be tender enough and fall apart into perfect sized pieces with tongs.

Place the pork back into the crockpot to mix thoroughly with the liquid.  Serve hot!