Crockpot Pulled Pork

This recipe ratio turned out tasting very good. There were a few changes to how I did this. The first being the lack of apple juice (one cup). I substituted one cup of unsweetened apple butter (made from winesap apples) plus one cup of water. Also, I didn't toss the cooking liquid from the crockpot, instead I reserved it to a pot and simmered it until it had the consistency of barbecue sauce again. This yielded 2.5 cups of sauce. The cut of pork that was used is called "country pork rib", and you can get this in a large multipack from Costco. It's the same cut style of pork that I use for my kimchi pork soup. The only onions in this batch is what is in the BBQ sauce.

Total prep/cooking time: 8 hours
Yields: 1 quart pulled pork (for 2 lbs of meat)

TheFoodening Blog - pulled pork

Ingredients

2-3 lbs boneless country pork rib

1 c unsweetened apple juice, or 1 c unsweetened apple butter plus 1 c water

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 c BBQ sauce (I used Trader Joe's Kansas City BBQ sauce)

Directions

In the crockpot, place pork on the bottom. Cover with cloves, apple butter, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and barbecue sauce. Add the water to the bottom (don't wash off the stuff on top of the pork).

Set the crockpot to high for 2 hours. Then, set the crockpot to low for 4 hours. After the 6 hour mark, drain the crockpot of its liquid to a separate pot, leaving a half inch of liquid at the bottom of the crockpot. Cook pork for an additional hour. Turn off heat and use two forks to shred the pork.

In the separate pot with the cooking liquid, simmer the liquid on low heat until it has more than reduced by half of its liquid volume. It should be somewhat runnier than the barbecue sauce that went into it but thick enough that it isn't watery.

Take a half cup of the reduced sauce and pour it over the shredded pork. Stir to combine. 

If you made the hamburger buns from the previous post, split those in half and place a good amount of pulled pork on the bottom bun and cover it with the top bun. Enjoy!

TheFoodening Blog - pulled pork on a homemade bun

Note: If you don't have a crockpot or slow cooker, you can also use a dutch oven and bake the pork until tender for 4 hours at 325 F. 

Asian BBQ Pork Spare Ribs

This recipe tasted OK. How the pork gets cooked probably needs some work and/or tweaking as they came out a little tough to eat. Overall, from an aesthetic perspective, they looked great and social media post-worthy. I was looking to do something different than how pork spare ribs are traditionally served up, e.g., as dim sum small plate (steamed with black beans) or as grilled ribs with an Asian-flavored sauce slathered onto it.

The Foodening Blog: Asian BBQ Short Ribs

While I had a jar of hoisin sauce in the pantry, for once, I made hoisin sauce from scratch for this dish. You can get these short ribs at any Asian grocery store butcher counter. These were already cut to 1" - 1.5" size, and if you were going to make the dim sum short ribs recipe, you'd need these cut to the 1" size. Onward.

Ingredients

2-3 lbs pork short ribs

1/4 c white vinegar

2 tsp sea salt

Marinade Ingredients
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 c light soy sauce
1/2 c unbleached cane sugar
1/2 c ketchup
1/4 c lemon juice, or fresh juice from 1 lemon plus its zest
3 tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp fresh garlic, finely chopped

Garnish

2 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted
green onion, white part (optional)

Directions

Start by bringing a large pot of water to boil with salt and vinegar. Add pork ribs, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sugar, ketchup, lemon juice, honey, ginger, and garlic. Whisk to combine.

Place cooked ribs in a large ziplock bag (or food storage container with a lid). Pour on the marinade and marinate for up to 6 hours or overnight.

Grill ribs until the ribs are slightly charred. -or- if using an oven broiler, broil meat until slightly charred

Slow Cooker: Stewed Pork Hocks

One way to add depth to any soup is to cook meat bones for a long time, say more than 6 hours. My parents would just cook this stove top for a couple hours, but I find that in these modern and subsequently lazier times, I would much rather start this in the morning and have it ready by dinner in the slow cooker.

It's quite a simple recipe and it makes a few things: a hearty meat stock that can be a base for other soups, a bone broth, and the pork itself can be chilled, sliced and served up with hot or cold noodle dishes. But, for me, I just like the meat and marrow part of the pork.

For those of you (like me) who had to look up what part of the pig the "hock" is, it's the part of the fore or hindquarters above the hoof and below the pig equivalent of the knee/elbow; as illustrated in this Wikipedia stub.

Ingredients

1-2 tbsp olive oil (if cooking by stovetop)
1 lb pork hocks
1 star anise
2-3 slices of fresh ginger, peeled
2-4 tbsp soy sauce
filtered water

To cook this by stovetop:

Brown the hocks in 1-2 tbsp olive oil (or any vegetable oil), add one star anise, a few slices of peeled ginger, 2-4 tbsp of soy sauce (depending on how salty you like it) and an amount of water that covers the hocks. Bring to a boil then simmer covered until the meat is tender, 1-2 hours. Be sure to check on the pot every so often so that the water does not boil all away.

To cook this by slow cooker / crockpot:

Place pork hocks (about a pound) in slow cooker, preferably in a single layer. Add a star anise (one is plenty of flavor per pound of meat), 2-3 slices of peeled ginger, 2-4 tbsp soy sauce, and enough water to cover the hocks. Cook on LOW for 8 hours.

If putting raw meat into a slow cooker is a concern, you can also brown the hocks before putting them in but this is not necessary and it means more stuff to wash.

Kimchi Pork Buns

I have made these twice now with two different dough recipes, both of which can be left to rise overnight, if needed. Typically, dough for steamed bao is ready in about 2 hours, from mix to proof to prepare and steam. At some point I'll write a kitchen note about the many different ways you can make the dough for steamed buns and what the differences, if any, there are.

TheFoodeningBlog - Kimchi Pork Buns

Dough (from Maangchi)

1 c warm water + 2 tsp active dry yeast + 1/2 tsp salt + 1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
3 c unbleached all purpose flour

For this dough, dissolve the dry yeast in warm water with or without the sugar and let it bubble into action for 10 mins before stirring in the rest of the ingredients. You should sift the flour and salt together before adding the yeast because direct contact with salt will kill the newly awakened yeast, or so I've read.

Let the dough rise in a warm spot in the kitchen, covered, until double in volume. Then gently knead and roll into a log and divide into 16 equal portions; or 8 portions to make really large buns.

Makes: 16 buns

Filling Ingredients

1/2 c homemade kimchi, finely chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp homemade vegan oyster sauce (optional)

Mix filling ingredients together. Use 1 heaping tablespoon of filling per bun.

Roll dough portions out into a 4" diameter circle. Put the filling in the center, and bring the edges of the dough circle to the center and pinch at the top. You can pleat the folds at the top if you want to; but it all tastes the same.

Stuffed Shitake Mushrooms

This is one of my mom's recipes and it came out looking and tasting quite nice.

Ready to eat: Stuffed Shitake Mushrooms

Ingredients

1 lb fresh shitake mushrooms
1/2 lb ground pork
8 large raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing red rice wine
3 stalks green onions, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F.

0. Wash and remove stems from the shitake mushrooms. Reserve stems for later.

1. Chop raw shrimp into small pieces. Mix together with ground pork, green onions, ginger, cornstarch, Shaoxing rice wine, and soy sauce.

2. Fill each mushroom cap with a tablespoon of the mixture.

3. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle some olive oil on top, and return to the oven for another 3 minutes.

Steamed Bao with Pork and Nappa Cabbage

This is a different bao dough recipe than the other one (uses milk) or this one (uses milk powder) posted on this blog; the primary difference is that it doesn't call for dairy. For wrapping meat dumplings, it is very pliable and easy to work with. It's tastes ok. Though, it'll take a lot more tries to get the pleats to look "normal" at the top.

Steamed Bao, looks pretty ugly, tastes okay

Because it's autumn, it's about 60 degrees in the kitchen. I used a double boiler with a covered bowl insert to create a warm, dark environment for the yeast to rise. It's really quite clever. I didn't even have to crank the oven.

Braised Boneless Pork Butt

Despite the name of the cut, pork butt does not come from the rear of the pig; instead it is the upper part of the shoulder. The companion cut, called a pork picnic, is the lower part of the shoulder. Either cut can be used as BBQ meat. Tonight's dish will be braised, meaning the meat gets seared on med-high heat on the stove, then slow cooked in broth in a Dutch oven (an oven-proof heavy-bottomed pot with a lid). 

Ingredients

3.25 lbs boneless pork butt

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tbsp of a spice rub (this recipe uses ras el hanout)

some dry white wine (optional)

chicken or vegetable broth or water

kosher salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 bay leaf

2 organic carrots, sliced

2 organic celery ribs, sliced

1/2 medium onion, sliced

Directions

This recipe has a long prep and cook time, so it is best planned for in advance. 

1. Wash and pat dry the pork butt. Set onto a plate. Using a sharp knife, make slits into the meat and insert a garlic slice. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of kosher salt on all sides of the pork butt, followed by some freshly ground black pepper. With your fingers, apply the spices to the pork on all sides. Gently slip the pork butt into a sealable plastic bag and let it sit in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (or 300 degrees F if using a convection oven)

2. In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add pork butt (fatty side up) and sear for five minutes. Flip the meat over and sear for five minutes. Add the onions to the sides of the meat. Then, add the carrots, celery and bay leaf.

3.  Fill the pot with water or broth until two-thirds of the meat is submersed. Cover the pot with its lid and place in the oven for 1.5 hours.

Internal temperature should read 165 degrees F using a meat thermometer. There may be thicker parts of the roast that measure 160 degrees F. This is okay. The pork should rest for 30 minutes before slicing or shredding.

Roasted Pork Sirloin Roast

Seems odd to use "roast" twice in a post title. Anyhow, that's exactly what it is. The cut of meat is called a "pork sirloin roast" and I am roasting it in the oven. I am using winesap apples since they are slightly sweet and somewhat tart, an overall good baking apple, I'm told. I hope I remember all the spices I put in. Hmm, let's see...

Ingredients

One sirloin pork roast (this one was 1.4 pounds)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp each: garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried marjoram (optional)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 
pinch of nutmeg 
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
2 tart organic apples, cored and sliced
3 organic carrots, sliced into 1" pieces

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine salt and spices.

2. Core and quarter the apples. Chop the carrots into 1" pieces. 

3.  In a dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and brown the sides of the pork roast. Remove roast from pot and set aside.

4. Place the apples and carrots on the bottom of the pot. Then rest the roast on top of the apples and vegetables. Gently cover all sides of the roast with the spice mixture.

5. Cover dutch oven pot and bake for an hour. Internal meat temperature should be 145 degrees F. Remove from oven and let the meat rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Serve with apple butter or apple sauce.

Pork Fried Noodles

The best part about tasty leftovers is being able to create a tasty dish that can be enjoyed. We had leftover pork roast and leftover whole wheat spaghetti noodles from two separate meals. You can easily substitute the pork for chicken breast, beef, or shrimp.

Ingredients

cooked spaghetti noodles
1 c. pork roast, sliced or diced
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 c. garlic chives, cut into 1" slices
1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

1. In a large cast iron pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and add noodles. Fry over low heat until the noodles have browned. Flip the heap of noodles over so that the other side can brown too.

2. Add garlic, chives, soy sauce, sesame oil, and slices of pork roast. Stir into the noodles until everything is evenly distributed. Don't let the chives brown. When the chives turn a vibrant green color, they are cooked.

3. Serve in bowls or on plates. Enjoy.

Honey-Balsamic Chops

The ingredient ratio for this recipe is more like a finishing sauce than a how-to make the aforementioned title of this post. It combines the sweet, tart taste of balsamic vinegar with the smooth, silky sweetness of honey. It could be used on grilled pork or lamb chops, as well as some types of white-fleshed fish like cod or tilapia.

Makes 1 serving.

Ingredients

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp raw honey
2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 garlic clove
fresh black pepper, to taste
Himalayan pink salt (or sea salt), to taste

Directions

In a small food prep (1.5 c or 3 c), combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, honey, and freshly ground black pepper and sea salt. Spoon over cooked meat.

If you're concerned about the honey lingering on the bottom of the food prep container and having to spatula it out, you could also whisk these ingredients together in a small bowl. You'll have to mince the garlic first though.

Giadia's original recipe calls for eight grilled lamb chops (serves 6-8 people) and has the following ingredient ratio:

1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tbsp honey
3/4 c vegetable or canola oil

The chops are drizzled with 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkled with 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, then grilled for 2-3 minutes on each side.

This recipe ratio is adapted from the book Giadia at Home by Giada De Laurentiis.