Cider-Braised Pork Loin

So this week I tried something a bit different. This Working Mother Cookbook that I'm going through has these things called "master recipes" wherein you make a bunch of one thing, usually a meat, and then make a few recipes with that meat for the rest of the week. This one was a bit more complicated that my usual fare, and required more meal planning than I usually do, but I was pleased with the results. One thing I will say is that I bought a cheaper cut of meat than what the recipe called for, and wish I hadn't, because it was quite fatty. These recipes were all good for this time of year--kinda fallish--since it uses cider. Okay so I will post the master recipe first, then the 3 recipes that branch off of it.

Master Recipe: Cider-Braised Pork Loin
8 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp dijon mustard
4 lb boneless pork loin
2 cups apple cider

In a small bowl combine garlic, salt, and mustard; mash with a fork into a paste (this is easy if you have a Pampered Chef garlic press). With your hands, spread all over the pork (I admit that I used a tool, not my bare hands. Nothing bad happened). Cover with plastic; refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400. In lg roasting pan, roast pork, fat side up, 40 minutes. Reduce heat to 350. Pour cider over pork; cook 35 minutes, until internal temperature is 155, basting occasionally. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes. Strain roasting pan juices into small plastic container (you should have about 1 1/4 cups). Add to container juices that accumulate as pork rests. Wrap roast in foil; refrigerate overnight. Cover and refrigerate roasting liquid.

The next day, slice off 1/2 of the roast and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Reserve for Spicy Chorizo Chili. Cut off just over half of remaining piece and finely shred; reserve for North Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Slice remaining pork into thin strips; reserve for Pork and Beans.

So just doing this step took 2-3 days. That seemed weird, like I'm investing all this time and still have to make supper that night. But by the time I made the recipes, they were really good. So like I said, get the actual pork loin. It's a difference of probably $5 so it might cost you $13-$15 or so, but you are getting 3 meals out of it so I think it's worth it. I'll write what I think of each individual recipe, but I will say that I think I will do this again, probably not until next fall, and I will get the pork loin cut.