Slow Cooker Asian Pork
These are very hot little firecrackers from the orient. They can be used to add spice to almost any oriental dish. They dry very easily and can be stored and used this way for a long time.
Ingredients:
1.5 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
1 (2.5 lb.) center cut pork roast
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 (2″) knob ginger, peeled and grated
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
6 scallions, sliced, white parts separated from green
1 oz. dried shiitake (or other) mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
3-4 Thai chiles
1 cup snap peas, halved
cornstarch slurry, optional
Instructions:
In a small bowl, mix together the 5-spice, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt. Rub over the pork, wrap rightly, and refrigerate overnight.
In the bowl of a slowcooker, mix together the soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, chiles, and red pepper until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the ginger and garlic. Place the pork roast into the slowcooker, and place the mushrooms and white parts of the scallions around it. Cook on low for 8-9 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Shred the pork into large pieces.
Forty minutes before serving, add the pepper strips and continue cooking on low.
During the last 5 minutes, add the snap peas and, if desired, the corn starch slurry. Cook on high, with the lid off, for 5 minutes. Top the pork with the green parts of the scallions before serving.
Adapted from ellysaysopa.com