Crock Pot Asian Pork with Mushrooms
Enjoy a flavorful and aromatic Asian-inspired pork dish, slow-cooked to perfection in your crock pot.
Enjoy a flavorful and aromatic Asian-inspired pork dish, slow-cooked to perfection in your crock pot.
- 3 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 lb lean boneless pork sirloin roast (aka pork center pork center loin roast)
- kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
- non-stick oil spray (i used smart balance spray)1
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (for gf use gf tamari)
- 3 tbsp agave (or sugar)
- 1 tsp hot sesame oil (aji oil)â (or use sesame oil + pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp chinese five spice (i used mccormick)
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger root
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms (i used baby bella)
- for topping:
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
- Carbohydrate 19.4371400415075 g
- Cholesterol 920 mg
- Fat 184.8162 g
- Fiber 0.342999985218048 g
- Protein 229.550820001194 g
- Saturated Fat 52.8828233333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (2461g)
- Sodium 881.180666722725 mg
- Sugar 19.0941400562894 g
- Trans Fat 15.7258933333333 g
- Calories 2735 calories
Step-by-step
- Season pork on all side with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat, spray with a little oil and brown the pork on all sides for about 7 - 8 minutes.
- In the crock pot, combine the broth, soy sauce (or Tamari), balsamic, agave, sesame oil, Chinese five spice, garlic and ginger; add the pork and set the slow cooker to 8 hours on low.
- Thirty minutes before the timer goes off, remove the pork and set aside to rest a few minutes; add the mushrooms to the crock pot, cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, shred the pork using two forks.
- When the mushrooms are tender, remove about 1 cup of the broth and reserve if needed. Add the shredded pork to the crock pot and mix well. If adding baby spinach, add at the end and cover a few minutes until it wilts.
Securing Texture Through Searing and Timing
Browning the pork on medium-high heat for seven to eight minutes creates a necessary Maillard reaction before slow cooking begins. Meat placed directly into a slow cooker without prior searing lacks deeper savory depth. Mushrooms added during the final thirty minutes prevent the fungi from turning completely mushy in the liquid. Removing one cup of broth before adding back the shredded pork controls the moisture level precisely. Letting the roasted meat rest for five minutes prior to shredding keeps internal juices locked inside the muscle fibers rather than pooling on the cutting board.
Equipment Alternatives and Storage
A heavy cast-iron skillet works best for the initial sear due to its heat retention properties. Standard slow cookers operate at different wattages, so test the internal meat temperature with an instant-read thermometer to verify doneness. This dish holds well in the refrigerator for up to four days in an airtight container. Freezing the shredded pork directly in its cooking liquid maintains moisture during subsequent reheating cycles on the stovetop.
