Cinnamon-Apple Pork Roast

This is a meal you start and then forget about. You rub the pork, layer it over onion and apples, and let the slow cooker fill the house with the smell of cinnamon while you go live your day. It is exactly the kind of quiet anchor worth keeping close, 10 minutes in the morning that feeds you all evening.

Pork gives you protein and is a source of zinc, which is involved in immune regulation and gut-barrier repair, the kind of slow, steady support a body managing Autoimmunity needs. The apples and apple juice cook down sweet and tender around the meat in a modest amount, and the cinnamon and ginger warm the whole dish without any of the seed-spices this way of eating sets aside. It is real comfort food, built entirely from whole ingredients.

Source the pork from an animal raised well, and let yourself feel the small gratitude for it as you rub the spices in. When you carve it and spoon the soft apples over the top, make the plate beautiful and take a breath before you eat. The few seconds of presence are part of the medicine, not separate from it.

Ingredients

• 2 pound pork roast
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2/3 cup apple juice
• 3 apples, chopped
• 1 bay leaf

The source rub includes black pepper, which is a seed-spice that strict AIP sets aside, so this version omits it. The cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric carry plenty of warmth without it. The source also lists its cook time two ways, 8 hours in its facts and 6 hours on low in its steps; this version follows the 6-hour instruction and flags the discrepancy so you can check doneness rather than trust the clock.

Method

• Stir together the garlic, honey, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and turmeric into a rub, and coat the pork all over.
• Layer the sliced onion across the bottom of the slow cooker and set the pork on top. Pour in the apple juice, scatter the chopped apples around, and tuck in the bay leaf.
• Cover and cook on low about 6 hours, until the pork is tender and pulls apart easily. Discard the bay leaf and serve hot with the apples and pan juices.

Instant Pot variation

The Instant Pot gives you both paths. For the same hands-off result, use the Slow Cook setting on low for about 6 hours after assembling everything as above; you can sear the rubbed pork on Saute first for a deeper crust. When you want it faster, sear the pork on Saute, add the onion, apple juice, apples, and bay leaf, then seal and cook on high pressure for about 45 to 55 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Pressure times vary with the thickness of the roast, so treat that as a range to confirm in your kitchen.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*