Crockpot Caramelized Pork Ramen Noodle Soup with Curry Roasted Acorn Squash
Easy and flavorful recipe for a comforting and satisfying meal
Easy and flavorful recipe for a comforting and satisfying meal
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2-3 pounds pork shoulder roast (or butt)
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth plus more of needed
- 1/4-1/2 cup + 2-4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce *use low sodium
- 1/4 cup + 2-4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (optional)
- 2 tablespoons thai red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (chili paste) (or to taste)
- the juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon chinese five spice
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cups wild mushrooms left whole - or button mushrooms, sliced
- 4 packs ramen noodles seasoning packets discarded
- 4 soft boiled or fried eggs for serving
- chopped carrots sliced jalapenos, cilantro + green onions, for serving
- curry roasted acorn squash:
- 1 medium acorn squash seeded + diced
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1 tablespoon curry powder (i use spicy curry)
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- Carbohydrate 22.7618646291593 g
- Cholesterol 1.596 mg
- Fat 15.7926327731471 g
- Fiber 2.58611177272641 g
- Protein 9.5681502091989 g
- Saturated Fat 7.45538324838874 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (330g)
- Sodium 1137.92455293288 mg
- Sugar 20.1757528564329 g
- Trans Fat 0.912659060957413 g
- Calories 257 calories
Step-by-step
- Add the pork to the bowl of a crockpot. Pour the chicken broth, 1/4-1/2 cup soy sauce (depending on your taste), 1/4 cup rice vinegar and fish sauce over the pork. Add the thai red curry paste, ginger, sambal oelek, juice of 1 lime, Chinese five spice powder, black pepper and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours (I recommend going low and slow).
- About 40 minutes before you are ready to eat, roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl mix together the melted coconut oil, curry powder, miso, brown sugar and a good pinch of pepper. Add the cubed squash to a greased baking sheet and pour the curry mixture over the squash. Toss well. Bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing a couple of times during cooking. You want the squash to be lightly browned and crisp.
- Meanwhile, remove the pork from the crockpot and add the mushrooms. Cover the crockpot and crank the heat up to high. Lightly shred the pork with two forks or your hands.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame oil. Once hot, add enough pork to cover just the surface of your skillet, do not over crowd the skillet. Sprinkle a little brown sugar over the pork, add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, toss. Allow the pork to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Stir and allow the pork to continue to caramelize, about 3-5 minutes total. Remove the pork from the skillet, repeat with the remaining pork. Keep the pork warm.
- Add the Ramen noodles to the crockpot and allow them to cook 5 minutes. Once the noodles are cooked, stir in only half of the pork. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with extra caramelized pork, curry roasted acorn squash and an egg. Season the egg with salt and pepper, Add the carrots, jalapeños, green onions and cilantro if desired. Happy slurping!
How do you coordinate a seven-hour slow cooker roast with dry noodles and a high-heat squash pan without dirtying every dish in a small kitchen? The secret lies in managing the final forty minutes while the pork rests off the heat. Setting the oven to 400 degrees F allows the cubed acorn squash to achieve a browned, crisp exterior on a greased baking sheet while the liquid in the slow cooker shifts to high. Wild mushrooms or sliced button mushrooms require about ten minutes to soften in the simmering broth once the meat is extracted. Pork shoulder must be shredded thoroughly before hitting a hot skillet with sesame oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Crowding that skillet stops the browning reaction entirely, so caramelizing the meat in batches is mandatory for proper color and texture. Ramen noodles require only five minutes in the hot broth to reach an ideal chew before assembling individual bowls. Leftover components store separately in sealed containers for up to three days, though the noodles should be boiled fresh during reheating to prevent complete breakdown in the broth.
