Sherry, for timing reasons im using a crockpot recipe. There are several of this ilk:

https://ourbestbites.com/crockpot-apple-cider-pork-roast/

A similar one uses apple butter.

I've made this harvest salad before and the one thing that is different and that I love about it is what is done with the dried cranberries. I just throw in pumpkin seeds. The salad dressing is a much better combination of amounts of the ingredients than the other one posted.

https://chefmichaelsmith.com/recipe/harvest-salad-with-apple-cider-vinaigrette/

Your most recent pork recipe (the apple cider pork roast) seems very sweet with the cider, vinegar and honey. I would omit the honey, as the cider and vinegar will provide plenty of sweetness. And I would balance it with garlic, as well as some fresh thyme toward the end of roasting.

The apple slaw sounds wonderful! I'm neutral on corn puddings. Roasted brussels sprouts with pancetta might be a simple option, too. Warm regards to Sides. :-)

cider, vinegar and honey. I would omit the honey, as the cider and vinegar will provide plenty of sweetness.

I was thinking of omitting the honey, too. I love the brace of vinegar. I may use apple butter though, which is also sweet. I will just have to adjust the vinegar and mustard to keep it all in balance.

I think I have corn on my mind for a few reasons. One, I have a secret stash of fab local corn in the freezer. Two, I had this out last weekend with friends and it was sooooo good.

local corn soup, potato, thai chili oil, freeze dried corn

I'm sensing some confusion here. There is a big difference between a pork tenderloin and a pork loin. The tenderloin is a cut from the back near the spine and is very tender. It is usually more expensive and weighs about 1 lb so will serve only 2-3. The loin is cut from the loin itself with a layer of fat on top. While usually about 3-4 lbs, it can be cut even larger to serve more people. The former needs to be done at high heat and quickly and can be grilled. The latter needs to oven roast or can be done in the crock pot. The latter can also come boneless or not. The tenderloin is boneless.

Yeah, that's what I said above - I would do a tenderloin on a high quick heat. For something in a crockpot, I would choose a cut with some fat (shoulder or butt?) and then skim the rendered fat from the completed dish.

But a few people here seem to be saying they do a tenderloin in a crockpot. Seems odd to me, but again I have pork like 1x a yr. My girls don't care for pork. And it not something I'd typically make for guests. (In this case, I know they all like it, and it seems like a good choice for fall flavors)

Annie's description is how I treat tenderloins and loins. A tenderloin cooks quickly, and I usually do it on the grill or higher heat oven, cooking to 130 or 135, as temp will raise a bit more during rest. I've never cooked tenderloin in a crock pot.

I have cooked pork loin in the crock pot, low and slow, with a rub, and then basting periodically.

I don't believe I've cooked a pork sirloin roast--they don't call them sirloin roasts around here. I think it's just called a pork roast.

... and then, there are pork steaks. If you know, you know.

Just for the record, that linked recipe for crockpot apple cider pork roast does NOT show a picture of caramelized onions! It’s almost shocking 🧐

NOT caramelized:

Caramelized onions:

They were on their way to caramelization?

mtnrd, what i'm suggesting is to do a boneless pork loin roast in the crock pot. Need not be a shoulder or butt and it's a nicer cut of meat to serve.

Lol, Mtn…. you know you can make a ton of caramelized onions in the crockpot the night before, and have extras to freeze for other delicious fall recipes. I make a mean caramelized onion dip, if I do say so 😁

@mtnrdredux_gw, I almost always make anise beef for potlucks, so I don't worry about sides. At home I would probably serve it with rice and some kind of braised greens, leaning a bit into the "Chinese Pot Roast" aspect. But I think the flavor profile works with other cuisines (anise is used Europe and the Mediterranean). The recipe does need something to sop up the sauce, which could be rice or bread or noodles or spaetzle (I wouldn't do potatoes, personally, it just doesn't sound good with anise).

So many great ideas! my suggestion would be a great pork loin roast and an apple pie.

Edited to add, along with that delicious sounding Butternut Squash Casserole.

@kswl - I do make extra but I saute them in a very large, almost paella-like pan. I think there might be a difference in the Maillard reaction stovetop vs crockpot.

Well, my trial dinner is underway, and I will start the corn pudding tonight and pork tomorrow morning.

My local butcher was pro-shoulder, so that is what I bought for my test. He felt it was just more flavorful and, as long as I was cooking it low and slow, his fave. I did not find apple butter but I did find apple cider jelly (one ingredient; apple cider) so I will try that with the mustard and vinegar and some additional liquid.

And to my surprise, they are still harvesting local corn. They say this year the season was late and they expect corn until about mid October. I got some farm fresh cream, too. And a local bouquet!

I am thinking apple butter is closer to apple sauce than apple jelly??

Apple butter is very easy to make if you are into it ... or I would be happy to send you some. My area has enough to share with the entire east coast!

PS your chairs and flowers (dahlias?) look so pretty with the table!

Funny story about apple butter. When my son took a college class on the history of US immigration, he had to research the immigrant stories in our family. In that process, he came across some will and estate documents from my Pennsylvania ancestors. In one, among the effects left to kin, was 23 crocks of apple butter! LOL

My pork recipe uses apple cider, but some say it is not strong enough. Another recipe used apple butter, but that has sugar and spices added. So in fact, i think the apple cider jelly is ideal for my purposes.

One last thing I wanted to mention. Up here at the beachhouse (we got here today) there is a little bakery/boulangerie that we frequent. The have pretty flower gardens in the front of the store (its like an old house) and near the outdoor seating. Nestled among the flowers are herbs --- parsley, thyme, chives, basil, rosemary. Everyone is welcome to a sprig. Perfect for the tiny bit I want for my corn pudding. I guess they figure that a lot of customers are there because they are making a special dinner and oftne one needs just a soupcon of fresh herbs. I have some in my own gardens here, but not thyme. Yum.

Love that!

Great; it sounds like it is exactly what I picked up today at our specialty market. They call it "apple cider jelly" but since its only ingredient is apple cider, it must be the same thing.

I read that the apple cider jelly was only one ingredient (apple cider) above -- but it didn't actually register until you said it again. Sorry, I very much missed the point. The "jelly" sounds perfect.

Well, Funky, you are a little bit busier than I am, and this is now 78 posts. About a small dinner party. Thanks for suffering me, my invisible friends.

LOL I know the difference between pork tenderloin and pork loin. Where I buy meat they will usually have two tenderloins packaged together. A single tenderloin will serve my husband and myself for two meals. I have grilled tenderloin and baked it also, but most often I will cook the way I shared earlier - with brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Yes, it is cooked in the crockpot. Don't knock it until you try it. I suppose if you cooked it too long or used too high heat, it could dry out, but mine never has. It is not a "pretty" meat to serve for guests unless you cook it the day before and then refrigerate, than you can cut into rounds. If eaten the day it is cooked, it is very tender and will often fall apart. I do not eat pork loin, pork roast, etc. I will eat boneless thin cut pork chops. Apparently I like the less fatty cuts of pork.

This thread has me craving my grandmother's applesauce (NOT apple butter) on a hot buttered biscuit. Along with that give me some old fashioned corn pudding. Yum!

Corn and diced onion gently sauteeing on the stove now. The corn was delicious raw.

Silver Queen white corn is my absolute favorite. I could, and have, eaten whole ears raw 😎

When we fixed pork tenderloin for the annual Sweetheat Dinner [valentines day] at church, I would fix stuffed pork loin with sides of green beans [not the casserole] and au gratin potatoes ... homemade rolls and a nice dessert Rarely did anything come back to the kitchen uneatem.

Bragu, you say both pork tenderloin and also pork loin. Which did you fix for your church dinner? What did you stuff the pork with? It sounds good!

She had me at au gratin potatoes!

I have made this recipe many times and it is very good.

10 min. in oven.

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pork-tenderloin-with-balsamic-cranberry-sauce-100314

Yum, Lyban, that looks wonderful!

To expand on the topic of creamy corn substances, I just made Ottolenghi’s fresh corn polenta with eggplant. The puree / polenta was incredibly sweet (just corn, butter butter, and cheese. He uses feta cheese but that would be a no-go at my table so i used some cream cheese to enrich and bind ). Mine was not as stiff as mashed potatoes, I probably could have simmered a bit more moisture out of it. The omitted feta would probably have been yummy with the very sweet corn.

Something I learned: the corn husks and silk as well as cobs can all be used when making corn stock.

I did microwave the cubed eggplant for a total of 10;minutes before browning in oil. I was able to use about 1/2 the recommended quantity of oil.

https://food52.com/recipes/18519-yotam-ottolenghi-s-sweet-corn-polenta-with-eggplant-sauce

Ok, I made a test meal today. YUM. It's a go.

As expected, I loved the "apple slaw" (misnomer, no cabbage in it). I did not bother to cut matchsticks just for us, but this is the gist of it:

The SL corn pudding? Oh my, where has this been all my life? So good and not too sweet. It is subtle though (i went very easy on the fresh thyme). I am not sure i would like it as much if the fresh corn we found were not so delicious. I was impressed that the corn did not sink or float but was well distributed. I didn't think to halve the recipe. I might try to freeze and, when I serve it, cut it into rounds?

The pork was also a win. My fave stone ground mustard is at home; I think it would be a tad bit better with that mustard; I had only honey mustard.

I substituted apple cider jelly for the honey. It was not too sweet and the apple was subtle. Adding vinegar to the gravy at the end is key.

After it cooked, i trimmed the fat and shredded it. My 1.8lb roast (the butcher cut a small one) netted 2-3 servings.

I’m so glad you liked the corn pudding! The whole meal sounds like a fall season winner!

It all looks wonderful!

I really need to make the apple slaw -- yum!

Yes, the apple slaw is on my to-do list, too!

Interesting about adding the vinegar to the gravy--I can see how it would temper the cooked pork.

So many good ideas in this thread!

the pork loin is the nearly 25-30-inch loin from the back - the tenderloin ... bigger/longer if it's a larger swine. It's just called the loin at the store, informally. I usually have it cut in three pieces at the grocery store meat dept. I cut it at home to give me a three-fold piece, in which, when laid out flat gets stuffed [i usually use the boxed stuffing mixes], adding some mushrooms and the like. It gets rolled back up and fastened with cooking twine; I cook it, low and slow, in the oven, fat side down to start, and then flip it after about 45 minutes. And rub the bejeesus out of it with a rub, always homemade ...Also used the boxed au gratin potatoes fixing three pans of it for 60 peeps, and a monster vat of green beans [3 no. 10 size cans, draining one can of the juice] and adding italian seasoning, fried up bacon bits and shrooms, cooking it on the stovetop.The pork lloins range from 1.99 to $3.00 per pound with an 8-12 lb average. The pork loin is similar in size as a ten pound tube of ground beef.

Lots of good info here, so I added it to the Meta thread...

$1.99 per pound? is that a recernt figure?

My pork roast was a shoulder, organic and local. It was $10.99/lb.

PS Update. Last night I had heartburn. Right now, I never want to see corn pudding or pork again, LOL. Still a fan of the salad.

oh no -- sorry to hear! I am a big baby when I get heartburn-- I don't get it often, but when I do, it is almost always from green peppers or pork fat (bacon or gravy) :(

ETA organic pork shoulder is $10.59 here (just checked).

Thanks, @Funkyart, for checking the price!

It was not that bad, but did keep me up a bit.

I think it was mostly the pork fat but honestly right now I am rethinking the menu.

(Ducking)

Sorry everyone!

That is why I like pork loin, it has much less fat than shoulder or boston bu**. The corn, I would just make off the cobb with butter or Smart balance margarine (Original). Earth Balance margarine is also good.

ETA: I like the Boston and the shoulder a lot. It just doesn't like me.

Did you by chance eat late and go to bed too soon after eating? I have learned not to do that. I'm sorry it bothered you, I really liked your menu!!

Funky, my husband is like you with green peppers. We no longer get them on pizza : (

Thankfully red peppers don't bother him - they are my fave!!

Did you by chance eat late and go to bed too soon after eating?

Not really. I think the richness of the corn dish was too much with the fattiness of the pork pan juices. It might just sub in fresh broiled fish for the pork dish and leave the rest of the menu as is. I can't make it in advance, but it only take 10-12 minutes to broil fish.

I don’t eat more than 2 oz of pork shoulder (bbq or plain pulled pork) at a meal, Mtn, it’s so heavy! At our house corn pudding is usually a side to a smoked ham or turkey, and with it I eat very little of the former and just the lean breast of the latter. I have had acid reflux just a handful of times in my life and will do almost anything to avoid it. I have a small hiatal hernia that poses no problems as long as I keep meals light, either in quality or quantity. You may want to experiment with whole milk in the corn pudding, or replace it with roasted butternut squash 😳

Thought of you today...we went to nyc, lunch at bryant park grill and they served us a potato leek soup that was not what I expected. The potato was yam instead of white, couldn't taste the leeks, but it was jazzed up with smoked paprika...delish. Real comfort food.

Tina.. same. I have no issues with red or yellow peppers... just green. I do a little better with them when they are cooked but mostly I stick to the red and yellow peppers. It started in my mid 40s... had no issues before then.

Mtn .. I am sure your revised meal will be delicious!

Unrelated but I had a bite of a friend's corn risotto when we were out for dinner recently. Wasnt a fan even with in-season corn. I think it was just too much starch. I am intrigued by corn ice cream though!

JMO - Corn is a carb and I always try to go light on carbs at dinner regardless of what they are. Pork is a lean meat so I wonder why it was an issue for you. If Im serving pork i keep it simple - a pork tenderloin stuffed with apples and dried cranberries that have been plumped up.

Pork loin, tenderloin. and chops are usually lean. Pork Boston Bu+t and pork picnic or ham are not.

And, if you are using a slow cooker method, you should not use lean meat

I think is called "Da*ned if you do and Da*ned if you don't.