Crock Pot Asian Pork with Mushrooms
Try this over cilantro lime cauliflower rice or brown rice.
I’m liking my crock pot more and more lately because I am understanding how to make it work and what not to do from some crock pot disasters in my past. Food cooked in the crock pot is blander than dishes made on the stove. To compensate, I learned to boost the seasoning and I usually have to add more at the very end to taste. Fresh herbs should always be added at the end of cooking. Searing the pork before adding it to the crock pot is a must, so don’t skip this step. If you want to do this the night before, you can set it all up and leave it refrigerated, then turn it on in the morning. Because this makes a lot, I enjoyed this two nights with leftovers to spare. The first night we enjoyed it over rice noodles, soba or buckwheat noodles would also be great. The second night, I reheated some of the pork and broth on the stove and threw in some handfuls of baby spinach and let it wilt. We had this over rice and my husband couldn’t stop raving. Next time I make this I will try adding chopped carrots, baby corn, or bok choy in the end for extra vegetables. A few notes about the ingredients: I always buy sesame oil with cayenne at the asian grocery, it’s infused with cayenne and very spicy. If this is something not available to you, use regular sesame oil and add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes instead. Chinese five spice is available your spice aisle, it’s an exotic combination of anise, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, great for marinades in Asian dishes. I love the rich warm flavor it adds to this dish. And since so many are asking, although I have and love my Instant Pot, I still love my slow cooker! I have the 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker (affil link). I love it because you can adjust the time you want it to cook, and it automatically turns to warm when it’s done. It also has a probe for meat that automatically shuts off when done. I hated my old crock pot, it burnt everything and my food had a weird taste. This slow cooker is so great, I actually own several!
