Slow Cooked Asian Five-Spice and Ginger Pulled Pork, with Lettuce wraps and Sesame Soy Slaw

Famous partnerships work great together and can always be relied on.  That’s why they got famous in the first place right? John and Paul, Laurel and Hardy, Brangelin…. oh wait maybe that theory doesn’t work everywhere. In the world of cooking however you can always rely on famous partnerships, if they work in one recipe, they work in them all.

… lamb and apricots are one of those combinations which exist together in a relation that is not just complementary but that seems to partake of a higher order of inevitability – a taste which exists in the mind of God.  These combinations have the quality of a logical discovery: bacon and eggs, rice and soy sauce, Sauternes and foie gras, white truffles and pasta, steak-frites, strawberries and cream, lamb and garlic, Armagnac and prunes, port and Stilton, fish soup and rouille, chicken and mushrooms; to the commited explorer of the senses, the first experience of any of them will have an impact comparable with an astronomer’s discovery of a new planet.’

John Lanchester, The Debt to Pleasure

One of the famous partnerships in Asian cuisine is aromatic pork or duck with sweet hoisin sauce.   This twist on using the American style for slow cooking and shredding pork with Asian flavours is cookin’ awesome!

I feel the best way to create your own recipes is to take knowledge of existing flavour combinations, and then try them with a little twist.  When I decided to create this recipe it was based on a desire to be creative with some leftover American style pulled pork.  I created something similar to this using the BBQ flavours already in the meat (salt, pepper, paprika etc…) and adding Hoisin sauce instead of the BBQ sauce and it worked great!  I would still go ahead like this to use up some leftovers as it tastes really good, but to make it from scratch with the Asian five spice flavours already cooked into the meat takes the idea to another level!

The dish is fun to eat, and for a social event it’s great to stick everything on the table and allow your guests to build their own wraps.  It would work equally as well with tortillas, but I prefer to use lettuce wraps for this, add the pork, hoisin sauce and top with the flavorful Asian slaw!  The partnership of American slow cooked pork, and Asian hoisin sauce is an absolute taste explosion!

Print Recipe

Slow Cooked Asian Five-Spice and Ginger Pulled Pork, with Lettuce wraps and Sesame Soy Slaw Yum

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Asian

Prep Time

20 Minutes

Cook Time

6-8 Hours

Servings

People

Ingredients

Five-spice and ginger Pulled Pork

• 1 Pork Shoulder
• 4 tbsp Five spice powder
• 2 tbsp Light Brown/Muscovado Sugar
• 2 inch Ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• 5 tbsp Soy Sauce

Sesame and Soy Slaw

• 0.5 Red Cabbage
• 2 Carrots
• 4 Spring Onions (Scallions)
• 1 Red Onion
• 1 inch Ginger
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 bunch Fresh coriander
• Salt and Pepper to season
• 2 tsp Chilli Flakes (optional)

To serve

• 1 Romaine Lettuce
• Hoisin Sauce
• 1 bunch Fresh coriander

Course Main Dish Cuisine Asian Prep Time 20 Minutes Cook Time 6-8 Hours Servings People Ingredients Five-spice and ginger Pulled Pork 1 Pork Shoulder 4 tbsp Five spice powder 2 tbsp Light Brown/Muscovado Sugar 2 inch Ginger 2 cloves garlic 5 tbsp Soy Sauce Sesame and Soy Slaw 0.5 Red Cabbage 2 Carrots 4 Spring Onions (Scallions) 1 Red Onion 1 inch Ginger 1 tbsp Sesame Oil 1 tbsp Soy Sauce 1 bunch Fresh coriander Salt and Pepper to season 2 tsp Chilli Flakes (optional) To serve 1 Romaine Lettuce Hoisin Sauce 1 bunch Fresh coriander

Instructions

Five-Spice Ginger Pork

1. Thinly slice the Ginger and Garlic then mix all the ingredients together in a bowl for the marinade. It should be a thick paste.
2. Remove the string and rind from the Pork Shoulder. Open if rolled, and massage the paste into the Pork. Leave to marinade overnight in the fridge.
3. Put the Pork in the slow cooker on low for up to 8 hours if leaving all day, or high for 4 and low for 2 if you'd like it finished quicker.

Sesame and Soy Slaw

1. Finely slice the Red Cabbage, Carrot and Onion, or use a spiralizer to make it even easier. Add to a bowl. Add grated Ginger and the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until needed.

To Serve

1. Cut the bottom of the Romaine Lettuce and roll out the lettuce to separate the leaves and wash. To serve pack the leaves with the Pork, Hoisin and top with the Sesame and Soy Slaw.