crock pot pork tenderloin, sandwiches, and nachos

How To Make crock pot pork tenderloin, sandwiches, and nachos

• Step 1
  Place carrots, onion, and garlic in the bottom of a large Crock Pot. Add the chicken broth over the vegetables. Add the pork tenderloins and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover.
• 
  Step 2
  Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours. Pork is done and safe at 145 degrees F. However, after it has cooked through, I like pork to be fork-tender, so I take a dinner fork and twist it in the pork to see if it will shred easily. If it doesn’t, I cover the Crock Pot and cook the pork for another 30-60 minutes and try again, however long it takes. A lot depends on the thickness of the tenderloin and/or the exact temperature of each Crock Pot.
• 
  Step 3
  Remove the pork to a bowl to shred, if desired, while the carrots and onions go into a separate bowl.
• 
  Step 4
  TO MAKE GRAVY: Strain all of the liquid from the Crock Pot into a saucepan. Remove about 1/2 cup of the strained liquid into a mug and stir in 2 tablespoons of corn starch to make a slurry, and set this aside. Cook the liquid in the saucepan over medium heat to a boil, then whisk in about 3/4 of the slurry. Stir for a few minutes to see if the gravy is thickening up. If not, add more of the slurry. This is normally a thinner gravy, so cook it down to the consistency you prefer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (My family prefers gravy gently flavored with just onion and garlic, so this is finished for me.) But if you prefer a stronger flavored gravy, consider adding some dried herbs (oregano, basil, red pepper, or paprika, etc) or a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce or Kitchen Bouquet. These seasonings could also be used while cooking in the crockpot next time. Your call.
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  Step 5
  Serve gravy over pork, carrots, or a helping of mashed potatoes.
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  Step 6
  FOR SANDWICHES: Mix shredded pork and some of the cooked onion with your favorite barbecue sauce and pile onto a sandwich bun. Serve with cole slaw, if desired. In my family, some like REALLY SPICY barbecued pulled pork, so I sometimes use one of the pork tenderloins for each version.
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  Step 7
  FOR PULLED PORK NACHOS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put parchment paper or a silicone mat on a sheet pan, or lightly spray the sheet pan with cooking spray. Mix shredded pork with your favorite barbecue sauce, like for sandwiches. Set aside. Spread a layer of tortilla chips on a baking sheet. Top with refried or black beans (if desired), shredded cheese, and the pulled pork mixed with barbecue sauce.
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  Step 8
  Bake at 350 degrees F for around 8-10 minutes, or until everything has heated through and the cheese has melted.
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  Step 9
  Remove the nachos from the oven and top with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, black olives, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream, as desired. Enjoy! =^..^=
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