A savory blend of aniseed, fennel, caraway, dillseed, and celery seed creates a crustlike coating for pork roast; apple juice adds a touch of sweetness as the meat simmers in your slow-cooker.
Serves: 6-8 Preparation time: Cooking time:
Ingredients
1 2-1/2- to 3-pound boneless pork shoulder roast
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons anise seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons caraway seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons dill seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons celery seeds, crushed
2/3 cup apple juice or apple cider
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Method
1. Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3-1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker. Brush soy sauce over meat. On a large piece of foil combine anise seeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, dill seeds, and celery seeds. Roll roast in seeds to coat evenly. Place meat in slow cooker. Pour 1/3 cup of the apple juice and the broth around meat.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 11 hours or on high-heat setting for 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours.
3. Transfer meat to a cutting board, reserving cooking liquid. Slice meat and transfer to a serving platter. Cover meat to keep warm.
4. For gravy, strain cooking liquid and skim off fat. Transfer cooking liquid to a small saucepan. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup apple juice and the cornstarch; stir into liquid in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Serve gravy over meat. Makes 8 servings.