Slow Cooker Asian Pulled Pork

I’m finally getting around to posting this slow cooker Asian pulled pork recipe. I truly believe slow cooking meat in a crock pot is one of the best and easiest ways to cook for a group (or have plenty of leftovers). All you need to do is to leave the meat in the slow cooker as you go on your day. I’ve already posted my slow cooker Korean beef and bourbon bbq chicken recipes. And this recipe is almost a cross between the two – with an Asian-inspired bbq sauce made of a chili garlic sauce (Sriracha in my case), ketchup and hoisin sauce.

Preparing the sauce

Start by mixing the following ingredients together for the sauce in a medium bowl:

• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 7 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 5 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 green onions, white and green parts diced
• 3 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup honey or brown sugar
• 1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4-1/3 cup Sriracha or other hot chili garlic sauce, adjusted to your spice preference
• 3 teaspoons five spice powder
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce

As noted, many of these ingredients can be found in the Asian/international aisle of your local grocery store, but I include Amazon links in case they are not available.

Reserve a third of the sauce in another bowl. Cover and refrigerate for later.

Cooking the Asian pulled pork

Start with a 4-5 pound roast of pork shoulder – also known as pork butt. Trim the pork shoulder of any easily accessible excess fat. Clearly the pork will have some fat within so only trim the exterior.

Dice a large onion – white or yellow will work. Spread the chopped onion on the bottom of the slow cooker. Add a few spoonfuls of the sauce on top of the onion – make sure you’re taking from the original 2/3 of the sauce (the non-reserved part). Place the pork on top of the sauced onions. Pour the remainder of the sauce over the pork (again, not touching the reserved bowl).

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 10-11 hours (or on high for 5-6 hours). The pork should shred easily with a fork. If the pork is still tough to shred, continue cooking longer until it softens and pulls apart easily.

Remove the pork from the slow cooker and place on a cutting board or large plate. Skim excess fat from the top of sauce. Shred the pork with two forks then return to the slow cooker. Add in the reserved third of the sauce. Cook for another 30 minutes, uncovered, on low to soak up all the sauces.

Serving the Asian pulled pork

I recommend serving the pulled pork with my sweet and spicy Asian inspired slaw on slider or hamburger buns. The fresh crunch really helps balance the sweet and savory flavors of the Asian-style barbeque sauce. You can also serve with my quick Asian cucumber pickles. Garnish with fresh sliced jalapenos, cilantro and sesame seed, if desired.

These Asian pulled pork sliders are perfect for game days or when you’re having a group over for dinner. Leftovers keep well for up to 5 days.