Last week my friend Robin from Robin’s Bite emailed me about participating in a recipe contest for Welch’s 100% grape juice. I couldn’t say no for two reasons: 1. We are fans of grape juice in our house and usually always have some on hand and 2. I just had a craving for pork tenderloin and figured pork + grapes sounded like a tasty combination. So there you have it, the reason behind my recipe for the Welch’s recipe contest: balsamic grape pork tenderloin [in the slow cooker nonetheless].
I don’t think any busy family can have too many slow cooker or crock pot recipes. As much as I love grilling or roasting pork tenderloin, I’ve always wanted to try pork tenderloin in the slow cooker. The verdict? DELICIOUS! And of course, super simple to make and easy to clean. The pork becomes so tender that you can either shred it with a fork or slice it carefully if you’d rather eat medallions. Joey thinks shredded pork is easier for dipping so we went that route.
Fruit Juice in a Marinade? You heard RIGHT!
When I started this blog last year, I wrote a post with my viewpoint on Fruit Juice and Your Child’s Health. The takeaway? I’m OK with giving kids juice if it’s given in proper amounts and fresh fruit is still offered as an option as well. All fruit, whether it’s fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and 100% juice, offer important nutrients. 100% fruit juice [like Welch’s] is a nutritious beverage when used in all forms of cooking—- not just drinking!
- 1½ pound pork tenderloin
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¾ cup 100% Welch’s Grape Juice
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- Place pork tenderloin into the insert of your slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix together all of the remaining ingredients. Pour over pork and set the timer for your slow cooker, 6 hours on low.
- Once pork tenderloin has cooked, remove from slow cooker with tongs onto a serving dish. Shred meat lightly with two forks and then ladle ¼ cup of the remaining sauce over pork.
Balsamic vinegar + @welchs grape juice makes an easy, delicious marinade for #pork tenderloin! Share on X
Now I know this recipe might not have the best curb appeal, but don’t judge a book by it’s cover! Or the pork tenderloin by it’s dark color! The mixture of the balsamic vinegar + Welch’s 100% grape juice gives the meat its deep purple color— from Concord grapes found in Welch’s grape juice. And here’s a fun fact you might not know about Concord grapes: Concord grapes have a lot of the same heart-health benefits as red wine. Mom will cheers to that! I hope you enjoy this balsamic pork tenderloin as much as my family and I did. I’d also recommend trying it alongside a glass of your favorite red [for the adults] and a small glass of grape juice for the kiddos.
Recipe contest details can be found here. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.
Erin @ Mouthful says
This looks so tasty!!! Such a creative recipe! And I think the curb appeal is great…exactly what I want my pork tenderloin to look like! 🙂
Katie says
Thanks so much Erin!!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
This sauce sounds awesome and it looks like Joey was loving it- way to go momma! Good luck with the contest!
Katie says
He was loving the dip. I’m pretty sure he bathed in it!
Amber Roeder says
This was super good. Did not expect to like it, but really wanted to try something different & use up some grape juice.
Really glad I took the chance.