Slow-cooked keto pork roast with creamy gravy

Slow-cooked keto pork roast with creamy gravy

Let time do the cooking instead of you! Slow-roasted meat gets all the love in this recipe. Succulent garlic, savory rosemary, and even the humble bay leaf create a mélange of flavors that melt in your mouth. And the pan drippings make the base for an out-of-this-world cream gravy.

Slow-cooked keto pork roast with creamy gravy

Let time do the cooking instead of you! Slow-roasted meat gets all the love in this recipe. Succulent garlic, savory rosemary, and even the humble bay leaf create a mélange of flavors that melt in your mouth. And the pan drippings make the base for an out-of-this-world cream gravy.
USMetric
6 servingservings

Ingredients

Pork roast
  • 2 lbs 900 g pork shoulder or pork roast
  • ½ tbsp ½ tbsp salt
  • 1 1 bay leafbay leaves
  • 5 5 black peppercornblack peppercorns
  • 2½ cups 600 ml water
  • 2 tsp 2 tsp dried thyme or dried rosemary
  • 2 2 garlic clovegarlic cloves
  • 1½ oz. (713 tbsp) 45 g (110 ml) fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp paprika powder
  • ½ tsp ½ tsp ground black pepper
Creamy gravy
  • drippings from the meat
  • 1½ cups 350 ml heavy whipping cream
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Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to low heat: 200°F (100°C).
  2. Place the meat in a deep baking dish and season with salt. Add water to cover 1/3 of the meat. Add bay leaf, peppercorns, and thyme. Place the baking dish in the oven for 7–8 hours, covered with aluminum foil.
  3. If you're using a slow cooker, do the same thing in step 2 but only add 1 cup of water. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
  4. Remove the meat from the baking dish, and reserve the pan juices in a separate pan.
  5. Turn the oven up to 450°F (220°C).
  6. Grate or finely chop garlic and ginger in a small bowl. Add oil, paprika, and pepper and stir well to combine.
  7. Rub the meat with the garlic/herb mixture.
  8. Return the meat to the baking dish and roast for about 10–15 minutes, or until golden brown.
  9. Cut the meat into thin slices and serve with the creamy gravy and side dishes of your choice.

Gravy

  1. Strain the reserved pan drippings to remove any solids. Boil and reduce to about half the volume.
  2. Pour into a pot with the whipping cream and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes or to your preferred consistency.

Tip!

Let the recipe work for you! There are a few different ways to use the long-cooking time to your advantage. You can either start it early in the morning and put the finishing touches on in time for dinner. Or you can start in the evening: slow-cook it overnight, and just set the roast aside in the fridge during the day. Make the sauce and do the final cooking when you get home.

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What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

52 comments

  1. 2 comments removed
  2. Hugh
    This sounds good and I may try it. But I'm puzzled by the title "Slow-cooker Pot Roast."
    To me, a "slow-cooker" is a specialty appliance. A standalone electric pot designed to be plugged in and left to safely (and slowly) cook unattended on the counter all day, or sometimes overnight. It seems like it might work for this recipe.

    But, unless I'm missing something, the recipe text specifies setting a regular oven to a low temperature (sometimes called a "slow oven" temperature) and cooking the dish that way all day or overnight. Though it should be okay, I would hesitate to leave my oven on that long completely unattended, even at a very low temperature.

    Can a slow cooker (electric pot) be used instead of an oven for this recipe, at least until the final steps?

    And thanks for all the new recipes. I'm really enjoying them.

    Reply: #4
  3. Inger Swanberg Team Diet Doctor
    Hugh,

    Thank you for your comment!

    To clarify things, I changed the title to "Slow-Cooked..." – no specialty appliance required, but if you have a slow-cooker it would be useful, and then finish up with the final steps in the oven. We don't recommend leaving the oven on unattended.

  4. Sherri
    I tried this last weekend and it was delicious - I actually made 2 roasts so we would have leftovers for other meals. My husband loved it and he is not a fan of gravies! Slow cooking is not new to me, we do it quite often but I had never used an herb mix like this.
    Like Hugh, thanks for all of the new recipes; they are great. I am going to try the egg wraps with crispy shrimp salad next.
  5. Rasmus
    Gravy option.
    We often do the same kind of gravy whenever we make roasts.
    Sometimes we fry some quartered mushrooms on the pan first then add the reduced drippings and cream.
    Best mushroom sauce ever.
  6. Melinda
    Is the pot covered for the long slow part of the cooking?
  7. 1 comment removed
  8. Michael
    Is the rind meant to be crispy? We did this and the rind came out all soggy.
  9. Yvonne van der Westhuizen
    For how long will you keep it in a slow cooker?
    Mine is still unused but really eager to start using it!
    Anymore slow cooker recipes please!
    Appreciat.
  10. Karen
    Cooking with herbs is new to me. How do you know what kind of herbs to use with this dish?
  11. Nancy
    I have the same question. I don't see a specific "herb mix" listed in the recipe? I'm not sure what Sherrie from Feb is referring to. Does anyone know?
    Replies: #15, #16
  12. Shelly
    Lid ON or OFF? Please?
    Reply: #14
  13. Stephen
    Always on
  14. Stephen
    Would be the salt, pepper, thyme or sage and paprika mix together and rub on the roast
  15. Sandra
    I assume it's:
    2 teaspoons dried thyme or dried rosemary
    2 garlic cloves
    40 g fresh ginger
    1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
    1 tablespoon paprika powder
    ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    As per the recipe (the phase II part of cooking the meat)
  16. Kevin
    Made this and it is terrific. Used a crock pot and slow cooked for 8 hours.
    Added a little rosemary to the sauce after adding in the cream. Also added some truffle oil and later seared some mushrooms and added the sauce to it then reduced further. Would like to try it with some sherry next time. The meat pulled apart when trying to remove it from the pot and was a little dry. Wondering if searing would prevent that a little. The ginger seemed in excess, but was not!
  17. Michelle
    Instead of pouring the drippings into the hwc, can I do it the opposite way?
  18. Susan
    Fat side up or down? Am slow-cooking this now in a roasting pan with lid with the fat side up so it will drip into the meat. Thinking to flip it to fat side down when roasting later. What did you do?
  19. ReginaLynn
    I didn't read the instruction the day before and got home to realize it said 8 hours! Thank the goodness I have a instant pot! The gravy was also a pain in the bunda. Didn't have enough time for it so I added some Xanthan Gum. Let me tell you, only use like a tsp and a half or you get runny snot gravy, lol. I will definitely make this again and retry the gravy to get it exact.
  20. Daniela Dimech
    How many grams per serving
    Reply: #22
  21. Peter Biörck Team Diet Doctor
    Hi Daniela!

    Choose one serving and metric in the menu on the left hand side and you will get the answer...

    How many grams per serving

  22. Hanna
    Seems a bit long for pork in a slow cooker? It does not get dry ??
  23. Jarod
    Anyone know how to thicken the gravy? I followed all the steps but still get very runny watery gravy. Thank you
  24. Nikita
    This is the first recipe I’ve tried in a slow cooker. I seared the meat a bit before I put it in the cooker. It was delicious!! Thanks for sharing this
  25. Shamara
    Can i do this with a beef roast?
  26. Gaylen
    I cooked this in the slow cooker for 7 hours. As I added the salt to the pot at the beginning of cooking I knew that 2 tsp sounded like too much. But I thought that maybe pork shoulder required salt to break down the tissue. The meat turned out nicely if a bit too salty but the real tragedy was that the pan dripping reduction was WAY TOO salty and ruined the cream gravy. Bummer. I'll use 1/2 tsp salt the next time.
  27. Aly
    I want to try this recipe this week and was wondering if 2 or 3 slices was 3g of carbs. We are trying hard to stick to 20g a day so I'm trying to figure out the correct portion size of this before I serve it in a few days.
    Replies: #29, #39
  28. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    That is going to depend on how thick or thin your slices are. The whole recipe as written makes 6 servings.
    Reply: #46
  29. Zane
    Hey, we are just doing our shop with our custom meal plan and noticed that the brussel sprouts pictured are not in the recipe, and therefore don't shop up in the shopping list. Just as well Wifey is on the ball!!
  30. Sally
    This recipe needs some assistance. It really is not easy to follow. Crock pot? Everything in first? Paprika when? Fresh ginger how? Some of us need a bit more guidance!
    Reply: #32
  31. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    This recipe needs some assistance. It really is not easy to follow. Crock pot? Everything in first? Paprika when? Fresh ginger how? Some of us need a bit more guidance!

    Step 6 addresses the ginger as well as adding the rest of the herbs in that step.

  32. Vicki Goudie
    Do you put Algol on th roast in the slow cooker?
    Reply: #35
  33. Vicki Goudie
    Do you wrap the roast in alfoil before putting in slow cooker?
  34. Vicki Goudie
    Do you put Alfoil on the roast in the slow cooker?
  35. Christine
    This recipe is now in my family repertoire. It's delicious and so easy.
  36. Barbara
    Anyone know how long you would cook this for when using an Instant Pot?
    Reply: #38
  37. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Anyone know how long you would cook this for when using an Instant Pot?

    While we have not tested this in the Instant Pot, most roast recipes do well with 35-50 minutes, depending on how big the roast is.

  38. Diane
    5 oz uncooked would be a serving. Weigh up the cooked meat and divide it by how many servings you're making.
  39. Claire
    I just did a slightly modified version my slow cooker, without the creamy gravy as we don’t do much dairy, and it went down very well. Easy and tasty. And complemented with crispy broccoli and cauliflower. Will definitely do again.
  40. Leslie
    This was a delicious recipe! I loved the garlic/ginger/smoked paprika combination. I didn’t find it until about an hour before dinner so I pulled out my trusty pressure cooker and made a few modifications. 1 C water in pressure cooker then a sprig of rosemary, handful of thyme, bay leaf, peppercorn. I made a paste out of the olive oil and other spices and rubbed it over the roast. Gently set the roast on the twigs, sealed it up and cooked on high for 30 minutes. Poured the juices off and made the gravy. Turned out flavorful, juicy and tender!
  41. Draven Canter
    Should the bay leaves be crushed? Leave them whole? Put them on the meat? Put them in the water?
    Reply: #43
  42. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Should the bay leaves be crushed? Leave them whole? Put them on the meat? Put them in the water?

    Bay leaves are added in step 2, they are added whole so they can be removed after cooking.

  43. fanziyi.app
    What’s the difference between pork shoulder vs pork roast used in this recipe?
    Reply: #45
  44. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    What’s the difference between pork shoulder vs pork roast used in this recipe?

    "Pork roast" is frequently a loin roast rather than the shoulder. You can use either one in this recipe.

  45. Keith

    That is going to depend on how thick or thin your slices are. The whole recipe as written makes 6 servings.

    I would instead say it depends how much gravy you put on your slices when you serve it, not so much how thick or thin the slices are as there are no carbs in the roast, but the heavy cream.

  46. Andrew
    I'm really struggling. When I first started I was able to get into Ketosis within 3 days. I was in keto for a few weeks, then two weeks ago I had a few low carb beers at a Rodeo and ever since I cant get back into ketosis. Im watching how many carbs im eating and its between 12 and 25 carbs a day. I follow the meal plans on this site, I test like 15 times a day with the pee strips but I cant get back into ketosis! HELP ME!!!!! I dont know what to do and am so frustrated I want to quit the diet, what am I doing wrong! Im exercising daily for about an hour and a half a day, I literally dont know whats wrong. Does anyone have any insight?
    Reply: #48
  47. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    I'm really struggling. When I first started I was able to get into Ketosis within 3 days. I was in keto for a few weeks, then two weeks ago I had a few low carb beers at a Rodeo and ever since I cant get back into ketosis. Im watching how many carbs im eating and its between 12 and 25 carbs a day. I follow the meal plans on this site, I test like 15 times a day with the pee strips but I cant get back into ketosis! HELP ME!!!!! I dont know what to do and am so frustrated I want to quit the diet, what am I doing wrong! Im exercising daily for about an hour and a half a day, I literally dont know whats wrong. Does anyone have any insight?

    The urine strip tests are not very accurate. You may find this reassuring.
    http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2016/01/dont-be-a-ketard1.html

  48. Mary
    I haven't made this one in a while. Without the gravy, the meat is dry and bland, although tender with the fatty cut. The next day it was even better and the gravy mixed with the ginger, chile mix made it really good. Like a bowl of delicious red chile! The ginger does it.
    Reply: #51
  49. Mary
    One more thing. I use aleppo chile,dried.
  50. Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor

    I haven't made this one in a while. Without the gravy, the meat is dry and bland, although tender with the fatty cut. The next day it was even better and the gravy mixed with the ginger, chile mix made it really good. Like a bowl of delicious red chile! The ginger does it.

    That does sound yummy! Thank you for sharing!

  51. Tracey
    I just noticed the recipe doesn't scale cooking time with increased size of the roast. I'm cooking 4.5lbs and I could get the ingredients to scale in size. But not the cooking time. Could you please provide length of cooking time required per pound of meat and also the finished meat temp to the recipe to make it more complete?
  52. Linda
    Step 2 mentions thyme and step 6 mentions herbs however the ingredients only list thyme / rosemary once. So what herbs and quantity you add to the rub?
    Reply: #54
  53. Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor

    Step 2 mentions thyme and step 6 mentions herbs however the ingredients only list thyme / rosemary once. So what herbs and quantity you add to the rub?

    Thank you for bringing this to our attention! Our team updated the recipe to remove "herbs" from Step 6.

  54. Ella Menendez
    And where is the paprika added? Thanks!

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