Name: Slow-Cooker Pork Loin With Warm Spiced Chickpea Salad
Total time: 3 h
Ingredients: 1 (3- to 4-pound) boneless pork loin roast , trimmed and tied at 1-inch intervals; Salt and pepper; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 onion , chopped fine; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/2 cup chicken broth; 3 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas , rinsed; 1/2 cup dried apricots , chopped; 1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers , rinsed, patted dry, and chopped; 1 shallot , sliced thin; 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint; 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Why This Recipe Works

A combination of coriander, cumin, and cloves created a flavorful base for our Moroccan-inspired side dish that accompanied our pork loin. Once the pork was done cooking, we let it rest while we finished our warm chickpea salad. We added dried apricots, roasted red peppers, and shallots at the end and allowed them to just warm through, keeping their flavors and textures distinct to balance the spice-infused chickpeas. A splash of vinegar and a generous sprinkling of mint rounded out the salad with bright freshness.

Before You Begin

You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. A wider, shorter pork loin (about 8 inches long) will fit best in the slow cooker. We found that leaving a ⅛-inch-thick layer of fat on top of the roast is ideal; if your roast has a thicker fat cap, trim it to be about ⅛ inch thick. Check the pork's temperature after 2 hours of cooking and continue to monitor until it registers 140 degrees.

Instructions

1. Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown roast on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to plate.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, coriander, cumin, and cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker.

Stir chickpeas into slow cooker. Nestle roast, fat side up, into slow cooker, adding any accumulated juices. Cover and cook until pork registers 140 degrees, 2 to 3 hours on low.

Transfer roast to carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.

Stir apricots, red peppers, and shallot into chickpea mixture and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in mint and vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove twine from roast and slice meat into ½-inch-thick slices. Serve with salad.