Slow Cooker Pork Roast

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium potatoes cut into sixths (red, Yukon gold)

2 carrots cut into large chunks

3 whole peeled garlic cloves

1 small-medium sized leek, sliced, white and light green parts only

Handful of crimini mushrooms (halved or quartered if they are larger)

Fresh oregano sprigs

Fresh thyme sprigs

(Optional fresh rosemary sprigs - I forgot to put this in the first time)

3 cup chicken broth

2-3 lb pork roast 

Salt

Pepper

Dried thyme

Dried rosemary

Olive oil for drizzling

Place all large chopped vegetables into the bottom of a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Including whole garlic cloves. Leaving a place to nestle your roast. Place roast in the pot (fat side up if you're cooking a pork loin) and heavily coat the top with salt (perhaps a tsp or two- I just tried to make a decent coating as if I were making a rub). In the same spirit, only a little more sparingligly coat with pepper, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the roast, again to lightly coat. Pour the chicken broth over the vegetables, careful not to pour over the roast. Surround roast with 5-10 sprigs of thyme, 6-8 sprigs of oregano (and 4-6 rosemary sprigs if you're using it). Do a few turns of salt and pepper over the vegetables and broth. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours (or more depending on the size of your roast). Once the roast is cooked and easy to pull apart with a fork begin to prepare the pan gravy.

INGREDIENTS FOR GRAVY

2-3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp of flour

2-2 1/2 cups broth from slow cooker

1 cup of sherry (I just use cooking sherry)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a pan over medium heat warm olive oil. Once warm whisk in flour until smooth. While continuing to whisk pour in broth making sure to break up all lumps as you go. Add the sherry and turn temperature to medium-high allowing gravy to boil until the gravy begins to thicken (and alcohol has been cooked off), stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pork and vegetables.