# Tough slow cooker pork loin or roast



## drirene (Dec 30, 2015)

I went to Costco today and picked up a pork loin or roast (I know I should have checked which it was, but I didn't...). It's probably a roast because it is very lean. I stripped the fat and membrane, which I now find out I should have left. Oh well.

It was in the slow cooker on mostly low for 5 hours, covered with liquid. The internal temperature was 160, not hot enough yet. The whole cooker with the pork is in the fridge now and will finish cooking tomorrow.

It's tough. It will be sliced for a Cuban sandwich, so it doesn't have to stand on its own. I read on a slow cooker blog that it is OK for it to get tough, and if you keep cooking it, it will get tender.

So, should I believe the blog and put it back on low tomorrow and let it cook until it dies some more, or just get it to 170 and slice it?

(I keep asking my husband to learn how to cook since I'm a vegetarian who is a wanna be pastry chef. He won't cooperate.)

Many thanks in advance!


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Pork loin is best cooked to 140. So yeah, overcooked. Try sous vide if you want similar long cooking time but tender results.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

I am confused as to why you stopped the slow cooking process.
One of the main advantages of that appliance is being able to leave it on overnite and poof!
You wake up to a fully cooked and tasty meal.

The best roasts will have visible fat streaks throughout the muscle.
This fat melts during the cooking process and contributes to tenderness and flavor.
Yes the loin is lean and tends to be dry if overcooked.
My suggestion is to slice thin and braise in a flavorful liquid.
That should save the dish.

mimi


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Stopping the cooking process, refrigerating and recooking again leaves you open to a plethora of pathogens. It's hard to do safely and I don't see the point. 

Pork loin is a roast. There is no distinction between a roast and a loin. A roast is something you put in the oven, a loin is a specific part of an animal. A pork loin doesn't enjoy being braised like this, it will be dry and crumbly. It will need to swim in sauce in order to be edible. A better cut for this type of cooking is pork shoulder. If you want pork loin for sandwiches then next time roast it to 140F and let it rest before you slice it.


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## drirene (Dec 30, 2015)

I was following a slow cooker cook book but the roast needed to stay in another 3 to 4 hours and I don't trust leaving these appliances on while we are out or sleeping. We had an incident once, and that's all it takes.

One site wanted me to take the meat to 170 degrees minimally and to over 190 to tenderize. I will try the braise method now to save the roast. And I looked up sous vide. Wow! Who knew? I've ordered an Anova.

Thank you all very much! I love this site.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

drirene said:


> I was following a slow cooker cook book but the roast needed to stay in another 3 to 4 hours and I don't trust leaving these appliances on while we are out or sleeping. We had an incident once, and that's all it takes.
> 
> One site wanted me to take the meat to 170 degrees minimally and to over 190 to tenderize. I will try the braise method now to save the roast. And I looked up sous vide. Wow! Who knew? I've ordered an Anova.
> 
> Thank you all very much! I love this site.


I have no idea why anyone would suggest slow cooking a pork loin, for the reasons mentioned above. But if done, it really needs to be taken to an internal temp over 190, not so much to tenderize as to become shredable. It will still be dry but will meld with sauce easier and appear not quite as dry. But that is a travesty... Pork shoulder/butt is for shredding and has the fat/collogen to work out good. Pork loin should be oven roasted (or grilled) to 140 or so. At this point I'd suggest you slicing thin and use of Cuban sandwiches or down in sauce.

But this brings a related point to consider. What era is that cookbook from? The "standards" have changed for meat cookery and use of old cookbooks or old meat thermometers will almost guarantee overcooked and dry meat. Some web sites are not very current either... like the one suggesting a minimum or 170 degrees. That's just nuts.


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## drirene (Dec 30, 2015)

The cook book (101 Slow Cooker Recipes, printed 2011) didn't suggest temperatures. Just 7-9 hours in the cooker on low. I got the temperatures from two blogs. 

I'm not aiming for pulled pork, just some sliced pork for a Cuban sandwich.

Despite all my mistakes, it actually worked out well enough! The meat had been refrigerated so it was cold and hard enough to slice thinly through a mandolin.


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## halb (May 25, 2015)

drirene said:


> The whole cooker with the pork is in the fridge now and will finish cooking tomorrow.


I hate to think how long that took to get down to safe temperature.


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

A pork loin is very lean and cooks quickly in the oven. It will shred only after being way over cooked, by this point the meat is ruined in my opinion.
I would use a shoulder, much more flavorful, has a lot of inter muscular fat that will cook out, make the meat tender and flavorful.
Look up a Cuban roast pork mojo recipe.


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## drirene (Dec 30, 2015)

halb said:


> I hate to think how long that took to get down to safe temperature.


Good point.

I will have a much better, and safer, Cuban sandwich next time around. 

https://dinnerthendessert.com/slow-cooker-cuban-mojo-pork/


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

drirene said:


> The cook book (101 Slow Cooker Recipes, printed 2011) didn't suggest temperatures. Just 7-9 hours in the cooker on low. I got the temperatures from two blogs.
> 
> I'm not aiming for pulled pork, just some sliced pork for a Cuban sandwich.
> 
> Despite all my mistakes, it actually worked out well enough! The meat had been refrigerated so it was cold and hard enough to slice thinly through a mandolin.


May I ask if the recipe did call for a "pork loin" or a pork roast and you chose the loin?


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Great point @halb ... I read it and kept going and much later it jumped up and slapped me.
Did the OP really put the entire appliance in the fridge?
@koukouvagia ...you are right about the braising...I guess what I meant to say was to reheat and try to get some moisture back in the meat.
My bad.

mimi


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

@drirene as noted above a few times you chose the wrong cut for the wrong cooking process.... a rookie mistake that is common but avoidable.
IMO there is something special about someone who does not partake to even try to attempt a Cuban with all the different components so kudos for that.
The *next* time you are hankering to please the hubby (food wise lol) do some research and then go talk to a butcher or two.
I would recommend a stand alone brick and mortar shop over the grocery meat market for the best advice.
Why is this?
Most groceries get their product already cut and packaged and the employees are (most likely) just stocking the cases.
A pro butcher starts with a whole animal and breaks it down partially for the case and saves the rest for special orders.

mimi


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## scott livesey (Jan 25, 2013)

one of the reasons I like pork loin is how quick it cooks. slice into 3/4" to 1" thick chops, brown 2 minutes a side in very hot cast iron skillet, remove skillet from burner, cover and let rest for 10 minutes or so while rest of dinner cooks. result is always tender and juicy. as said above, slow cooker seems to work best for shoulders or butt.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

scott livesey said:


> , slow cooker seems to work best for shoulders or butt.


Shoulder = butt


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

koukouvagia said:


> Shoulder = butt


Marketing terms differ. In my area "butt" is the upper half of the shoulder (#406) and "picnic" or "shoulder" (#405) is what they call the bottom part, with the shank. "Whole shoulder" or "picnic ham" (#403) is what they often call both parts when not cut apart.

But, yah, basically the same... but with different bones and muscles. 

The term "Boston" confuses most markets for both pork and lettuce around here.


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## scott livesey (Jan 25, 2013)

shoulder, butt, picnic, whatever they are selling this week, all enjoy a long slow cook whether in a slow cooker or charcoal smoker.


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## drirene (Dec 30, 2015)

Can't figure out how to delete post. Ugh.


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## drirene (Dec 30, 2015)

flipflopgirl said:


> Great point @halb ... I read it and kept going and much later it jumped up and slapped me.
> Did the OP really put the entire appliance in the fridge?
> @koukouvagia ...you are right about the braising...I guess what I meant to say was to reheat and try to get some moisture back in the meat.
> My bad.
> ...


Lol! I meant I took the heavy pot with the pork in it and put that in the fridge, as opposed to storing the pork in a container. So the slow cooker part you plug in was not put into fridge.


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## drirene (Dec 30, 2015)

chefross said:


> May I ask if the recipe did call for a "pork loin" or a pork roast and you chose the loin?


Page 350, "Praise This Pork Roast" used a 3 pound "boneless pork loin roast." The book seemed to use the words pork roast and pork loin roast interchangeably.


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## drirene (Dec 30, 2015)

flipflopgirl said:


> Great point @halb ... I read it and kept going and much later it jumped up and slapped me.
> Did the OP really put the entire appliance in the fridge?
> @koukouvagia ...you are right about the braising...I guess what I meant to say was to reheat and try to get some moisture back in the meat.
> My bad.
> ...


 I did braise it prior to use. It did hydrate some. Plus I got a little nervous over what halb said about it taking too long to cool down in the hot, heavy pot. At this point I'm overcooked anyway, so what's a little more heat and a few less germs. Amazingly, it really did turn out well. And next time, it will turn out better thanks to all the excellent input I got from all you guys who know what you're doing!


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## drirene (Dec 30, 2015)

phatch said:


> Pork loin is best cooked to 140. So yeah, overcooked. Try sous vide if you want similar long cooking time but tender results.


phatch, want to thank you. Never heard of sous vide until you suggested it on this threat. You have created a monster. Love it! Thank you! Delighted husband thanks you too - since wife is making more than cakes.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

It's always good to learn new things.


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