Crock Pot success! I swear, I just do not “get” a Crock Pot. It’s too easy. You’re telling me you just throw some things in, put the lid on and it’s done in 6-8 hours? Psh. Give me a kitchen full of grease splatters, oven spill-over and a bunch of dishes and I’ll believe you.
But finally, I saw this great recipe on Pinterest. If you haven’t joined Pinterest yet, you must immediately! Check out my pin boards to get your juices flowing. It’s basically a digital pin-board application that allows you to easily keep track of all the cool things you see on the web every day. It’s my favorite new social media community and has served up tons of inspiration from weddings to food and fashion. GET ON IT. I think it’s still in beta, so you’ll have to request an invite, but that takes less than a day.
So this yummy pork dish came from Pinterest and Skinny Taste. I like it because it’s healthy but so RICH in flavor. Searing a pork butt and then bathing it in a pool of soy sauce, sesame oil, chili flakes, garlic, balsamic vinegar and ginger…reveals a most succulent butt of pork. It doesn’t seem like enough liquid to keep the roast from drying out, but do not fear! (Note: Grant says he dumped a bottle of beer into it, which I cannot confirm, but the liquid was still low when I finished).
Fabulous over rice, I could practically drink the juices (that fat solids of which nicely solidify in the fridge for you to scoop out the next day).
Crock Pot Asian Pork
Ingredients:
- 2 lb lean boneless boston butt pork roast (or pork center rib roast, pork center loin roast)
- kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
- 2 T canola oil
- 1 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
- 1/2 cup good soy sauce
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
- 3 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger root
Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat large skillet with canola oil. When hot, sear pork on all sides, until nicely browned, then set aside.
In Crock Pot, combine remaining ingredients. Place pork in pot, cover, and put on low for 8 hours.
Remove pork – it will be so soft, you can barely hold it with tongs – and shred with two forks. Add meat back to sauce. If you like, add some mushrooms and greens.
Serve up over rice and top with chopped cilantro and green onions.
I mean wow, I can’t stop talking about this! The next night, we used the leftovers in pork tacos.
If you are a Crock Pot novice, I highly recommend this recipe. Not only is it easy and delicious, but you will go crazy smelling those smells all day long! I cooked mine on a Sunday where I didn’t have time to do much cooking – had the roast in by 10:30 a.m. and it cooked away. Just fabulous.
Enjoy, friends! xoxo
Seasoned to Taste 
I no longer have a crock pot living in Asia but seeing this dish makes me want to have more space in my kitchen for one.
Been meaning to make this for months now, and I finally got around to it this week. . . sort of! I’d bought my pork roast, and had a day where I was flying out the door to spend the day in Greensboro. So I skipped the browning (after a Cooks Illustrated article that pointed out that with lots of other flavoring, and a long braise, that good caramelization is lost) Then I started throwing in ingredients, and realized I didn’t have Asian 5-spice on hand. What to do?!? Improvise! I added pink and black peppercorns, cinnamon, clove, and (for that touch of anise) a few sprigs of fennel from my yard. The results were outstanding. Even Angus, who has a deep seated Fear of Crockpots and a slight suspicion of pork, said it was Dee-licious! (and for further proof, he had leftovers for dinner last night and I saw him sneaking it into a burrito for lunch.
Jennifer, that is so good to hear! The beauty of Crock Pots, in my opinion, is the ability to improvise. I’m so glad your results were Angus-approved. He’s a tough critic! Good idea on the burrito, too – wish I had thought of that. 🙂