Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

Recipe from Allrecipes.com; Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

I made this quick and tasty dish in my slow cooker one day when I had lots to do and didn't have time to be in the kitchen. I made it exactly as written with a couple of modifications. First, I browned the tenderloin in a skillet with a bit of oil. This I did because I wanted the tenderloin to have a nice brown crust. I then deglazed the skillet with the red wine. I poured the juices from the skillet into the slow cooker. The other modification I made was to make a "slurry" with flour and water after removing the tenderloin at the end of the cooking time. This thickened the sauce just a bit after a few minutes of cooking. You could also use cornstarch and water or even minute tapioca to thicken the sauce. Jim and I actually thought the whole thing tasted much better the second day, so this is a great main dish to make in advance. Be sure to serve this with something to soak up the flavorful sauce such as brown rice, mashed potatoes, couscous Couscous with Pistachios Easy Tasty Couscous Dish or other grain Bulgur Pilaf with Cranberries and Almonds (recipes on this blog.) To round out the meal, steam, saute or roast some broccoli, asparagus or carrots.

1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
3/4 cup red wine
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste
(a bit flour and water to make a "slurry" thickener is optional)

*Read the note above for modifications. Then, place pork tenderloin in a slow cooker with the contents of the soup packet. Pour water, wine, and soy sauce over the top, turning the pork to coat. Carefully spread garlic over the pork, leaving as much on top of the roast during cooking as possible. Sprinkle with pepper, cover, and cook on low setting for 4 hours. Serve with cooking liquid on the side as au jus.