Ruined roast?

Question

I bought a 4 lb pork tenderloin this weekend and decided I was going to try this slow cooker recipe with it:

http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2012/01/slow-cooker-pork-roast-with-vegetables.html

I did add a step to brine it last night...

So, it's been cooking on low now for about 5 hours, and I expected it to have 1 - 3 hours left to go, but... I just checked the meat temperature and it is around 180 and the meat is tough. I also check the vegies and the carrots and potatos still are not tender. I was a little skeptical, so I tried a different thermometer and got the same results../

Do I need to cook it longer? Pull the meat and let the vegies continue?

Answer

If it's 4 lbs, it's a loin, not a tenderloin. Either way, it's not a great cut for braising.

Answer

pork tenderloin should never go in a crockpot. It's too lean and tender.

A crockpot will destroy it.

Answer

I think everyone else hit the nail on the head with it being the wrong cut for the crock pot. Just wanted to mention that I love that blog you pulled the recipe from. Mary has a lot of throwback recipes that remind me of my father's cooking. When I'm in a pinch and don't feel like thinking what to make my picky eaters, I go there.

Answer

I cooked this in a slow cooker recently, using loin rather that tenderloin:

http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/3-ingredient-pulled-pork-recipe/1/

I was worried that it would not be the right cut for this treatment, but I need not have feared as it worked really well. Easy to shred.

So, as wyogal says, a few more hours may be the answer.

Answer

A 4 ?? pound pork tenderloin??? sure it wasn't a pork loin? Pork tendeloins generaly weight aprox 1 pound.

Answer

imho, a pork tenderloin doesn't have enough fat to be a good choice for cooking in a slow cooker. I would say that is your problem.

Answer

Look at the picture of the seasoned roast the blogger put up. All of that fat is going to break down in the slow cooker and melt into the meat, making it moist and tender. A pork loin, as others have said, is too lean to slow cook.

Answer

First, thanks for the replies. I consider myself a cook, but am far frokm being a chef, so I am bound to make mistakes along the way.

I went back and looked, and as y'all thought, it was a "loin" not a tenderloin. But, after a couple more hours it was very tender, much more so than when I originally made this post. I was having a hard time inserting the probe when I tested it at first. 

Now, although tender, I would not have wanted to eat it without the gravy as it would have been dry. All in all, it was a very good meal, even the reheated leftovers were good today. 

My concern with buying a different cut like the Boston Butt mentioned in the original recipe is that there are just two of us in the house and I can only go so many days eating the same food before I get tired of it, no matter how tasty. And the wife only eats leftovers if they are a Korean dish that she has made. So, that is why I went with the smaller cut that may not have been the preferred cut for a crock pot.

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Ruined roast?

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