Amazing Crock Pot BBQ Pork (Tenderloin)

Are you ready for the most flavorful, restaurant-quality crock pot bbq pork? Y’all, this recipe is unreal!!! AND easy!

Many people put pork in the crock pot plain, then shred it and add bbq sauce. Is there anything wrong with that? Absolutely not. Is it the best method? Not quite. See, when you follow the aforementioned method, the meat relies solely on being slathered in bbq sauce for flavor. On its own, pork tenderloin is pretty bland. Still delicious, don’t get me wrong, but it definitely needs a little something extra. That missing piece to the puzzle is a mixture of spices creating a dry rub! Here’s what they look like BEFORE being placed in the crock pot:

Now, this can be done up to 24 hours ahead of time and refrigerated; however, if you forget or don’t have time to put the meat in the fridge overnight, you can simply coat the pork in the spices right before placing them in the crock pot. I have made this both ways and both were equally successful and delicious. It seriously only takes a few minutes to take the extra step of mixing the dry rub together, but it makes a world of a difference in the finished product. By using a dry rub, you infuse the flavors into the meat, which means the meat has great flavor on its own. In turn, you’ll find you won’t need to use as much bbq sauce.

I use pork tenderloin for this recipe. Pork tenderloin is very lean and is a healthier choice than pork shoulder, but you could certainly use that if you prefer. We personally love the pork tenderloin! If you use 2 pork tenderloins as pictured above, you will have a lot of bbq! If you have a smaller family, you can actually freeze it in ziplock bags after you shred the meat for future use. Alternatively, you could just use one tenderloin!

Remember when I posted how to perfectly shred chicken using a Kitchen Aid mixer? I use that same trick with pork! It turns out perfect every time and is so much easier than using 2 forks. See?

From here, place the pork on a plate (or bun) and drizzle with your favorite bbq sauce! One of my college roommates sent me a bottle of sauce from our favorite local restaurant where we went to college, so that’s what I used! Yum.

 

Amazing Crock Pot BBQ Pork (Tenderloin!)

• 2 pork tenderloins, washed, trimmed of any visible fat, and dried
• 1/4 cup water
• Cooking spray

For the dry rub:

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons table salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1. In a small bowl, combine all the dry rub ingredients. Evenly coat the pork tenderloins with the dry rub. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 3 days. (You can also skip this altogether and place them directly into the crock pot to cook!)

2. Spray crock pot with cooking spray and add the pork tenderloins. Add 1/4 cup water and place the crock pot on low for about 6-7 hours, or until pork is tender.

3. Remove pork from crock pot and shred (using my kitchenaid mixer method or with two forks). Serve with preferred bbq sauce and enjoy!

Servings vary depending on the size of your pork tenderloins.

Nutritional information for 4 oz pork: Calories: 163 Fat: 4g Carbs: 0g Protein: 29.3g  WW PointsPlus: 4

Recipe adapted from: http://www.beantownbaker.com/2009/03/crockpot-pulled-pork.html 

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Delicious Pork Tenderloin

Easy enough to prepare on a weeknight, delicious enough to serve to guests. This pork tenderloin marinade is fantastic!!

This marinade calls for just a few simple ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry right now. Don’t you just love recipes like that? They can be a life-saver when you don’t know what to make for dinner or have guests unexpectedly.

The best part? You don’t even have to plan ahead and marinade the pork overnight! The marinade quickly tenderizes the pork as it bakes, and nestling garlic cloves directly into the meat adds great flavor in every bite. I’ve already made this recipe twice, and I hardly ever repeat recipes (ask my husband!).

Although only one tenderloin is pictured, this recipe makes enough for 2 pork tenderloins, which will feed about 8 people. The first time I made the recipe, I halved it and only used 1 tenderloin. My husband and I loved it so much that this time I made 2 and we have been enjoying leftovers throughout the week with various sides! The sauce is delicious and the pork goes great with quinoa, brown rice, or any roasted vegetable.

Cooking the pork tenderloins for 45 minutes at 350F really helped them stay juicy and was the perfect amount of cooking time for me. It is REALLY important, however, that once you pull them out you resist the urge to cut into them for about 10 minutes. They continue cooking during this time and you will lose the juices that keep them tender if you cut into them early. I hope you try this recipe! It is awesome.

Delicious Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of any visible fat
• 4 garlic cloves, slivered/quartered/sliced

For the marinade:

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons country style dijon mustard (I used grey poupon)
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or herbs de provence)
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

1). Preheat the oven to 350F. Rinse and dry the pork tenderloins. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Using a paring knife poke holes in the pork tenderloin and place a piece of slivered garlic in each one.

2). Combine all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, except for the olive oil. Whisk in the olive oil slowly and continue whisking to combine.

3). Pour marinade over pork tenderloins. Bake for 45 minutes, uncovered, basting once halfway through the cooking process (optional).

4). Remove from oven and let the pork rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with sauce. Enjoy!

Serves: 8

A note about the nutritional info: Keep in mind these numbers were calculated for the entire recipe, including the marinade. There is a LOT of sauce and it is unlikely you will consume that much, so the actual calorie count may be lower than listed. But, just in case you love the sauce as much as I do, here is the nutritional information per serving:

Calories: 218 Carbs: 10g Fat: 8g Protein: 24g Sugar: 9g Fiber: 0g

WW PointsPlus: 5 Old Points: 5

Recipe originally from: http://lickthebowlgood.blogspot.com/2009/06/oink-oink.html 

Herb, Garlic, and Dijon Pork Tenderloin

If you like the flavor of dijon mustard, you have to try this recipe!!

Pork tenderloin is a wonderfully healthy alternative to lean meats like chicken breast. Sometimes, however, it has the poor reputation of being bland or dry. I promise you it is neither one of those descriptions! We love bold flavors on meat, and the combination of these classic ingredients provides just the right amount.

I love this recipe for how simple and quick it is to throw together. A simple rub of fresh herbs, dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper coats the pork tenderloin and it bakes for 25 minutes. Done and perfectly cooked!

If you have other fresh herbs you can probably substitute them, but I have to admit I loved the combination of rosemary and thyme. They seem to compliment the pork very well. Also, if you have more than 2 people in your family, you may want to go ahead and cook both pork tenderloins, doubling the rub ingredients.

My husband took a bite and deemed it “AWESOME.” Yes, this recipe is definitely a keeper!

Herb, Garlic, and Dijon Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pork tenderloin
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1) Preheat oven to 425F. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

2) Combine garlic, dijon mustard, olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper in a small dish. Coat the pork tenderloins in the baking dish with the rub.

3). Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let rest about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Servings: 3. Nutritional Information per serving: Calories: 268. Carbs: 1g Fat: 13g Protein: 32g 

Recipe adapted from handletheheat.com