Asian Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos

 

4-5 lb. pork shoulder/pork butt trimmed of excess fat

1tablespoon olive oil

 

Butt Rub

2tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil

2tablespoons ginger powder

1tablespoon garlic powder

1tsp onion powder

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

 

Slow Cooker Sauce

1/2cup coconut milk

1/2cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1/3cup sweet rice wine or mirin

1/4cup Asian sweet chili sauce

2tablespoons fish sauce

1tablespoon Sriracha

1tablespoon cornstarch

 

Caramel Sauce

1 1/4cup packed brown sugar

1/4cup water

 

1. Lightly spray a 6 qt + slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Whisk together all the Butt Rub ingredients together in a medium bowl then massage it evenly all over the pork. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Sear pork on all sides until lightly browned. Place pork in prepared slow cooker.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together Slow Cooker Sauce ingredients and pour all over pork.

Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 5-6 hours OR until pork is fall apart tender and easily shreds with a fork. At this point, remove pork to a cutting board until it is cool enough to shred.

After cooking, remove all the sauce left in the slow cooker to a measuring cup. If there is less than 2 ½ cups then add enough water to equal 2 ½ cup. Set aside. You can add shredded pork back to the slow cooker now that you have removed the sauce.

To make the Caramel Sauce, add brown sugar and water to

large skillet and boil over medium heat for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Don’t overcook or it will harden! Slowly whisk in the 2 ½ cups Slow Cooker Sauce and simmer over medium high heat, whisking constantly until reduced and thickened, approximately 7-10 minutes.

Pour desired amount of Caramel Sauce over shredded pork and toss until evenly coated. Add additional sriracha for spicier if desired.

 

For the tacos

Asian Caramel Pulled Pork

10-12 taco size flour tortillas

 

Pineapple Snow Pea Salsa

1 can chopped pineapple

6oz. snow peas, ends trimmed, julienned then cut in half

1 red bell pepper, chopped small

1/2 red onion diced

1 whole jalapeno, seeded, deveined, minced

1/2cup loosely packed cilantro finely chopped

Fresh lime juice from one lime

Sriracha Crema

1/2cup sour cream

2tablespoons mayonnaise

1teaspoon sriracha, to taste

 

1. PINEAPPLE SNOW PEA SALSA – Add all the Salsa ingredients to a large bowl. Toss to combine. Can be served immediately or even better chilled.

2. SRIRACHA CREMA – Add all the Crema ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3. ASSEMBLE tacos by layering tortilla with pork, salsa and crema. Serve with additional sriracha, lime wedges, for squeezing and cilantro.