Asian Pulled Pork Sandwich

You probably hear me say “Asian Style” something or another quiet a bit on this site. There is a reason for that, primarily being that “Asian Style” has some really great flavors. Typically garlic, ginger, chilies, honey, sesame oil, and other items like lime, lemongrass, and other ingredients. When you throw these ingredients together, in any combination, you typically get some pretty darn fantastic. The goal however, is to find the balance of the sweet and spicy, and once you find it, it is game on.

I have been cooking Asian style cuisine for over ten years now, so I think I have a good taste of those balance of ingredients. So not too long ago, I wanted to try something different and something that I never have made before, an Asian style pork roast.  To begin, I love a great pot roast. Slow cooked meat with onion and carrots, using the juices to form a gravy and pour over delicious mashed potatoes? Who can go wrong with that! Maybe it is the season, but I recall growing up and having this comfort food. As the weather in Wisconsin is starting to cool down in the evening hours, I thought it would be appropriate to bring out the slow cooker, and make a twist on the ordinary pot roast, however once slow cooked, to pull it (shred it), and make it into a scrumptious Asian pulled pork sandwich.

Ingredients:

• 4 lb. pork roast, trim the fat
• 1/2 cup of soy sauce
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup of orange juice (a different take on acid, instead of lime)
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp chili paste
• 1 sweet potato, quartered (optional)
• 1 onion, quartered (optional)
• Good buns
• Shredded carrots
• Fresh cilantro sprigs

Begin by adding everything but the pork, potatoes, and onion to a medium bowl, and whisk until you have a nice marinade. Place the pork into your slow cooker, or in a casserole dish (with lid), and pour the marinade over the pork, letting this sit for at least 30 minutes, at room temperature. Turn the pork over after about 15 minutes, and then get ready to set it and forget about it. This is a perfect weekend meal by the way. Place this in your slow cooker, with the potatoes and onion, on low, for 5-6 hours. If you are going for the oven, go low and slow for probably 4 hours around 300 degrees. This was done in my slow cooker though, but if you are using your oven, you know your oven best, but remember, low and slow. You want to retain a bit of moisture, but make sure this thing falls apart on you once you get your fork in there.

When the pork is cooked, you have a couple of options. Slice it now, being careful as it will probably fall apart on you,  and serve with a bit of the sauce, potatoes, and onions, or remove the pork, and begin to shred it down. I did both, and as the sliced version had a bit of a bite to it, the shred factor is where it is at.

Shred the pork down, reserving the liquid, filtering any potato, onion, or pork artifacts. Place a heaping mound on your bun, spooning on the sauce, and topping with the carrots and cilantro. Asian style pulled pork sandwich. A must try, and a serious competitor for your standard pulled pork sandwich.