Monday, March 31, 2008

Char Sui Pork Roast

Okay. The truth is out. I must admit that there are several areas of cooking in which my skills could greatly use some improvement. One of these areas is the preparation and cooking of meat, and more specifically, higher-quality cuts of pork and beef. So that's why, if I'm going to cook a dish that calls for pork or beef, I prefer to choose recipes that have a "fail-safe" method built in. Rather, I choose recipes where it would be difficult for me to screw it up. And what could be more fail-safe than the tried and true slow-cooker?! Oh faithful crockpot, you have never failed me yet.

This recipe had been calling my name for several years now, as it is on the same page in a Cooking Light issue as another one of my favorite slow-cooker recipes. I finally tried it a few weeks ago and it was, to say the least, deeee-lish!! Little effort to put it together, huge return on the taste. Also, don't be intimidated if you've never heard of a few of the ingredients; they are all available in your regular grocery store, in the Asian section. Here are the menus that I put together for 2 meals for my family. And I still had some pork leftover after those 2 meals, so keep reading to find out another creative way to use the leftovers. (Sorry--no pictures this time!)

Suggested Menus:

Slow-Cooker Char-Sui Pork Roast
Oven-roast Red Potatoes
Steamed Vegetables or Green Salad
or
Slow-Cooker Char-Sui Pork Roast
Prepared Asian Noodles (I used "Simply Asia" brand)
Asian-style Vegetables (from frozen foods)

Slow-Cooker Char-Sui Pork Roast
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 2 pounds boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed
  • 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Place pork and marinade in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker using a slotted spoon; place on a cutting board or work surface. Cover with aluminum foil; keep warm.
Add broth to sauce in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Shred pork with 2 forks; serve with sauce.

Suggested Use for Leftovers: After we had 2 meals, I froze the pork that was left. Then, when I was ready to use it, I thawed it, shredded it a bit more, and served it on buns as "Char-Sui Shredded Pork Sandwiches."

3 comments:

Bethany said...

Sounds delicious! The only way I've been brave enough to make pork so far is in the crock pot, as well.

Mickey said...

I'm going to make this Friday--got the ingredients (just the pork roast, as I already have everything else on hand) today. Did you trim off any excess fat before you put it in the crock pot, or do you just let it cook, then remove the fat after cooking (when it's easy to just separate it all, since the meat should be SOOO tender)? I'm making it an "Asian" meal, w/Asian side dishes.

Sarah said...

Mom--to answer your question, no I did not trim off any excess fat before cooking. And mostly because I'm lazy!! Hope you like this dish!