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Two people - One Pork Loin on Sale

Every now and then the grocer has a huge pork loin ridiculously cheap. But what to do when it is only two of you?

1: Slice off a couple of cutlets and grill with just salt and pepper.

2: Slice of a few more cutlets and freeze that with a roast size loin

3: Make slow cooked pulled pork with loin and make sandwiches with cole slaw mix dressed with apples, celery and fennel.

4: This is gross but delicious, layer finely sliced potatoes, onion and leftover pulled pork and top with a can of mushroom soup and a pour of milk and bake. It is junk food at its best. All the spices of the pulled pork merge with the potato and onion and milk and condenced soup.

And you?

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  1. I wasn't aware that pork loin, versus pork TENDERloin, was an appropriate meat for slow cooking. Little or no fat.

    10 Replies
    1. re: c oliver

      Don't know. I wasn't in the mood for a pork roast, so threw together a dry rub including smoked salt, and let it hang in a pan covered tightly with foil in a 275 degree oven for a few hours. Plenty of liquid when I pulled it out and pulled the pork with two forks.

      1. re: Bellachefa

        Plenty of liquid in the pan = dry meat.

      2. re: c oliver

        It works fine. My Dad does it all the time with the residual heat in his pizza oven.

        1. re: c oliver

          I haven't had good results with pork loin in the slow cooker. I prefer to go the cutlet route and grill or cook in my CI skillet.

          1. re: c oliver

            I don't think either cut works well w/ slow cooking. Not enough fat or connective tissue.

            1. re: chowser

              chowser, I was clearly having a senior moment! Or maybe just visions of the pork shoulder we recently smoked are still dancing in my head. Agree that neither would be my choice.

              1. re: c oliver

                Pork shoulder. Now we're talking!

              2. re: chowser

                I agree. It's better for dry high heat, otherwise it's so dry.

                Shoulder is a better braising cut.

              3. re: c oliver

                Pork Loin is great slow cooked.....in the oven dry roasted on a rack. @ 225*. For my tastes, it is not a preferred cut to be braised regardless of recipe....instead, pork shoulder is preferred.

              4. I also cut some thin slices and pounded them even thinner for Pork Milanese.

                1. Use left overs for sandwiches and pork fried rice.

                  1. I would do Marcella Hazan's pork loin in vinegar and Bay leaves with a big chunk of it, then turn the leftovers into pulled pork sandwiches with a homemade BBQ sauce, using the vinegar left in the pan.

                    1. I do not slow cook pork loin because it is so lean but I buy the absurdly large but cheap shoulder cuts now and then even though there are just two of us. I make pulled pork and freeze it in two person bags (juice separately to help reheat it). It can be used for sandwiches with or without BBQ sauce, pork fried rice, pork tacos, etc. It is pretty easy to get rid of the fat after cooking if that bothers you.