Slow Cooker Piccata Pork Roast

I am taking the easy way out with cooking dinner tonight. My meal involves a slow cooker, jarred piccata sauce from Trader Joe's, and a pork loin roast. Just three major ingredients, friends! I decided that the boy and I would bake something after nap time, so I didn't want to bake, clean up, and then immediately start fussing with dinner. Instead, I opted to throw a pork roast in the crock pot with some jarred sauce. I know, I know...it is almost like not even cooking. However, this will give the boy and I ample time for our afternoon of baking, without the thought of dinner preparation looming in my head. For side dishes, I was toying with the idea of some polenta and a vegetable of some sort. I haven't nailed my plan down that far yet. I guess I will just see how my baking goes, and then make my final decision for side items after that. Really, dinner is not going to be my main focus tonight. I am just looking forward to spending some quality time in the kitchen with my little guy.

Slow Cooker Piccata Pork Roast

Ingredients:
cooking spray
1 pork loin roast (mine is 2.88 lbs.)
salt and pepper to taste
1 jar of Trader Joe's Piccata Simmer Sauce

Directions:
Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray. Sprinkle both sides of thawed pork roast with salt and pepper to taste. Place pork roast in slow cooker, fat side up. Pour whole jar of Piccata sauce over roast. Cover with lid and cook for 5-6 hours on high, or until pork roast is thoroughly cooked.



The Result:
Well....the flavor of the sauce was good. The pork, however, was toast. Way over-cooked and totally dry. Thankfully, we had the jarred piccata sauce to moisten it...otherwise, it would have been inedible. More times than not, I don't have good luck with crock pot meats. I should know better, since I know my stupid slow cooker runs really hot. Ugh. Darn thing almost always overcooks protein items! It is so unbelievably frustrating! I really, really, really wanted take my whole slow cooker and back my mini van over it last night. Then, I would have an excuse to get a new one that does not turn most meat items into sawdust. Double Ugh. (Dropping it from a very tall building is another slow cooker annihilation fantasy I have often.) I would recommend the Trader Joe's Piccata Simmer Sauce. That was the one bright spot about this dinner. Also, my polenta turned out yummy. The polenta was pre-cooked Trader Joe's brand, as well. All I had to do was slice it, slightly brown it in some olive oil, and add a little crunchy kosher salt. Yum! Perfect firm polenta (I go back in forth between loving soft and firm polenta...I guess it depends what I am in the mood for that determines which one I like the best.) Sadly, the rest leftover pork went to the pups. It was so horribly dry; I really don't even feel remorseful about that, either.