Slow Cooker Vietnamese Pulled Pork Sliders and The Slaw Throw Down

Slow Cooker Vietnamese Pulled Pork Sliders

This recipe was originally posted Sundaynitedinner.com as an oven roasted version, it was further modified on sloblogs.thetribunenews.com where Larissa and Chrissy first introduced the slow cooker modification.  And now I have further modified the recipe with respect to some of the seasonings and the quantity of the delicious Lemongrass Caramel Sauce.  The bottom line I doubled it.  

This recipe seems time consuming but the individual steps take very little time and the crock pot does most of the work.  Given that the pork butts needs to marinate overnigth, cook for 8 to 10 hours in the crock pot and be basted half way through the cooking with the Basting Liquid.  Plus, it will need some cooling time before you can shred it.  The only tricky part is making the Caramel Sauce that is a component to the Lemongrass Caramel Sauce, there can be some sizzling drama but if you persevere through it is well worth a few bubbles.

A key ingredient for this recipe is the Chinese Five Spice, unfortunately I was out (very bizarre) so I sourced an online recipe and think I will make my own from now on.  If you are also out here is the link Chinese Five Spice Powder .


I have to add that the leftovers I used to create a faux version of pho.  A phenomenol soup that I am going to have to measure next time so I can create a recipe.  Too pho-king crazy.

Roughly, here is my timeline:

Evening Day 1: 

• Prepare Dry Rub and marinate pork butt
• Make Basting Liquid and put aside in refrigerator

Morning Day 2:

• Put pork butt in slow cooker
• Make slaw (see recipes that follow, choose whichever you like)

Afternoon Day 2:

• Baste Pork Butt

Evening Day 2:

• Make Lemongrass Caramel Sauce
• Pull your Pork Butt
• Serve 

Dry Rub Ingredients: 
2 T Chinese Five Spice 
1 T ground black pepper 
3 T course kosher salt 
2 t cayenne pepper 
2 T dark brown sugar

Basting Liquid Ingredients:

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

3/4 chicken stock

1 T dark brown sugar

2 T fish sauce

2 T Chinese five spice

1 t sambal olek

Lemongrass Caramel Sauce Ingredients:
5 tablespoons canola oil
6 medium stalks lemongrass , mince in a food processor
10 cloves of garlic, minced
4 large shallots, minced
12 T caramel sauce
5 T fish sauce
3 Thai chili peppers or Serrano pepper, minced
1/2 t pepper
1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock

1 (5 to 7 lb) bone-in pork butt, shoulder or Boston Butt
14 - 16 hamburger buns

Remove fat cap and trim excess fat from pork butt. Mix dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Apply dry rub evenly over pork butt, wrap in Saran wrap and place in a ziploc bag, refrigerate overnight.  The next morning place the pork butt in the slow cooker and set the crock pot on low.  Cook for 8 to 10 hours or until the pork shreds easily with a fork.

Halfway through the estimated cooking time baste one side by spooning the the Basting Liquid over the pork butt.  Flip the meat over and baste the other side.  Repeat the basting process one more time, halfway through the remaining cooking time.

Meanwhile, prepare the Lemongrass Caramel Sauce.  In a saucepan, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add the lemongrass, garlic, shallots, stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in caramel sauce, fish sauce, chili peppers, and black pepper. Gently simmer for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, return to a simmer for 3 minutes and then set aside.

When the pork is fork tender, remove from the cooker and place in a bowl. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and rest for 30 minutes. Shred pork by using two forks and pulling apart the meat and discard fat. Put shredded pork in a large bowl. Pour sauce on shredded pork and mix well.

Serve pulled pork on a hamburger bun with a side of either Hao Long Dragon Slaw or Asian Slaw My Way(recipes below).

Basting Liquid Recipe

In a saucepan, heat chicken stock, vinegar, brown sugar, fish sauce, five spice, pepper and cayenne over medium high heat.

Simmer gently, stirring for 5 minutes until sugar dissolves. The basting liquid will thicken slightly when removed from heat.

Caramel Sauce Recipe
Caramel sauce (nuoc mau, pronounced "nook mao") is one of the cornerstones of Vietnamese cooking. The color and flavor of caramel sauce are transformative, making food not only look beautifully amber but also delectable. 

1 C sugar

1/4 C water, plus 1/2 C

Fill the sink with enough water to come halfway up the side of a 1-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place the sugar and 1/4 cup of the water into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, about 2 to 3 minutes.

As the sugar melts, the mixture will go from opaque to clear. Small bubbles will form at the edge and gradually grow larger, moving toward the center of the pan. Eventually, bubbles will cover the entire surface. After about 15 minutes, the sugar will begin to caramelize and turn in color. You’ll see a progression from champagne yellow to light tea to dark tea.

When smoke starts rising, remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly swirl it around. Watch the sugar closely as it will turn darker by the second; a reddish cast will set in (think the color of a big and bold red wine) as the bubbles become a burnt orange. Pay attention to the color of the caramel underneath the bubbles. When the caramel color is that of black coffee or molasses, place the pan in the sink to stop the cooking process. The hot pan bottom will sizzle upon contact and the bubble action will subside.
Add the remaining 1/2 cup of water (there may be a small dramatic reaction) and place the saucepan back on the stove over medium heat, stirring until the caramel has dissolved into the water. The result will be slightly viscous; flavor-wise, it will be bittersweet. Pour the caramel sauce into a small glass jar and let it cool; it will thicken further. Store indefinitely in your kitchen cupboard.

The Slaw Throw Down
The first recipe I sourced from a Washington Post article that featured Hao Long Dragon Slaw This cabbage-free slaw is served atop Vietnamese pulled pork sliders at Social Restaurant in Columbia Heights, wherever that is.  Nevertheless since I STILL have zucchini it seemed perfect.  After a few hours of thought, it came to me that I might prefer something with a bit more onion, to cut the richness of the pork.  So I decided since I was going to be inside for the whole day, due to the weather, I might as well go for a second slaw and have a showdown.
Both of these slaws should be made several hours ahead and refrigerated.
In the end it was a draw, I preferred my version and Scott preferred the Hao Long Dragon Slaw.  Obviously we need to make this again.
Hao Long Dragon Slaw

• 2T unseasoned rice wine vinegar
• 2 T sesame oil
• 1 T soy sauce
• 2 T sugar
• 1/2 lb carrots, peeled and cut into julienne
• 1/2 lb zucchini, cut into julienne
• 1 apple, cored and cut into julienne
• leaves from 2 large sprigs of mint, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Combine the vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar in a large bowl, stirring to dissolve much of the sugar.  Add the carrots, zucchini, apple, mint and scallions; toss to coat evenly.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate several hours before serving.

 Asian Slaw My Way
I made this up using the flavours that I was craving to go with the Vietnamese Pulled Pork Sliders, plus I really wanted to give cabbage another try.  It is pretty basic.

• 2 C shredded Savoy cabbage
• 1 large carrot, cut into julienne
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 C cilantro, minced
• 3 T mint, minced
• 1/4 C rice wine vinegar
• 2 T sugar
• 1 T sambal olek

In a bowl mix together the rice wine vinegar, sugar and sambal.  Add the vegetables and toss to coat.  Refrigerate for several hours and serve with Pulled Pork Sliders.

Home Sick - Healing Food Number 1

Okay, so Brig had been in school for 2 months and brought home a cold at the same time my mother-in-law (Lucia) came to visit.  She brought with her a cold she caught from my niece Abi whom she had been visiting before us.  The upshot was we all got sick - a coughing, runny nose kind of winter cold.  So we needed some healing foods to kick those bad bugs out of our bodies and here is what I am making this week.

Hot and Sour Soup

I modified this recipe from A Spoonful of Ginger by Nina Simmonds, a highly recommend this cookbook as an addition to your library.  I also make a vegetarian version with a vegetable stock and omit the chicken.  To make this a quick supper, marinate the chicken in the morning and it will be seasoned in time for supper.  If you don't like tofu(how could you not?) you can omit it.  My kids love tofu, they think it is a kind of chicken and Reidar, my non-meat eater, could easily go through 6 oz of tofu in a broth all by himself.  Two comments regarding the seasonings:

1) I like my hot and sour soup on the sour side, you can always start with only 4T of chinese black vinegar and increase to taste.

2) With only 1t sambal olek to start with this is a kid friendly recipe, for Scott and I we typically augment the heat individually so I pass some extra sambal to the table.

6 C chicken stock

1/3 C rice wine

6 slices fresh ginger, about the size of a quarter, smashed lightly

8 whole scallions, ends trimmed

10 oz ground chicken breast

Chicken Marinade

• 3 T rice wine
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 t sesame oil
• 1T chinese black vinegar
• freshly ground black pepper

1 lb firm tofu, excess water pressed out and cut into small square

1/2 sliced shiitake mushrooms

2 C julienned leeks

2 1/2 T cornstarch

Seasonings

5 1/2 T Chinese black vinegar

3 T soy sauce

2 T kecap manis

2 t minced fresh ginger, or to taste

1 t sesame oil

1 t salt or to taste

1 t sambal olek, or to taste

Bring the stock, rice wine, ginger and scallions to a boil - reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Set aside, when cool remove the ginger and scallions.  Meanwhile mix together the ground chicken, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and black pepper.  Let the chicken marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, heat 1 T oil until hot.  Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently to break it up until no longer pink.  Add the chicken broth, mushrooms,tofu and leeks and heat until boiling.  Boil for about 2 minutes, skimming the surface to remove any impurities.

Mix the cornstarch with a little water and slowly add the slurry to the soup, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.  Add the Seasonings and stir.  Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.  Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.

My Mum says Tomahtoes I say Tomaytoes

However you pronounce the name of this wonderful fruit, it is time to man the jars.  Canned tomatoes are useful all winter long, for your bolongese, marinara, soups and stews.  Your garden or the farmers market has gifted you with tons of tomatoes, what to do with them?  My first suggestion is don't make sauce with all your tomatoes, I raw pack 1 case of  jars, can 1 case of tomatoes in quart size jars, make sauce for a case of pint size jars (or you can freeze) and put up Oven Dried Tomatoes in Oil in another a half case of jars.  But could I really get all of this done, while celebrating the twins fourth birthday (two parties), the house, a boy in first grade who still makes me walk him to his line and the usual chaos of three boys who can climb, jump and fly off everything.

The first test is would we have enough tomatoes here in Utah with a smaller than usual garden.  I planted 3 roma tomato plants (for canning), 2 sweet 100 cheery tomatoes, 2 heirloom bush style cherry tomato plants, 3 slicing tomatoes and 1 yellow pear tomato.  The cherry tomatoes we just eat as they ripen like a fruit.  The slicing tomatoes I plant every year and wonder why, my kids only like to suck the juice out of the tomatoes so the cherries work better for them, and I don't really like tomatoes on my sandwich and really the cherries make a better tomato salad than the slicers.  Next year only 1 slicing tomato plant, the Zebra heirloom was yummy and pretty. The yellow tomatoes are great in a Golden Tomato Oil as a dressing for the Stuffed Zucchini recipe in the Zucchini Blog.  So that leaves the Roma's for canning and I only planted 3 plants.  Nevertheless, even with only 3 roma tomatoes we will haul in about 50 lbs of canning tomatoes, not enough to last until the next seasons tomatoes were ripe but it would have to do.  So here is what I have done so far, I may head down to the farmers market and get more tomatoes or maybe I'll just go camping and call it all good. 

Raw Pack Tomatoes
Makes 4 pints, Courtesy Eugenia Bone
Tomatoes are safe to water bath can because they have a high enough acidity, however, because of the unknown acidity level you can ensure safe canning by adding citric acid.  I have found citric acid in the canning section of the Hood River Wal-Mart.  It is a plastic spice bottle.   You can store these tomatoes in a cool, dark place for up to a year. 

• 4-6 lbs ripe, unblemished tomatoes
• 2 fresh basil leaves per jar (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt per jar (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per jar

Have read four very clean pint jars with new lids that have been simmered in hot water to soften the rubberized flange. Halve the tomatoes and shove them into very clean pint jars (I prefer wide mouth jars for raw packing—they’re easier to get into). I usually get one and a half large tomatoes in a pint jar. Press down to release the juices. If the tomatoes aren’t juicy, add enough boiling water to fill the jar, leaving ¾ inch headroom. With a butter knife, free any air bubbles caught in the jar.  Slip two basil leaves into each jar.
Place 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon citric acid in each jar. Wipe the rims, place on the lids and screw on the bands fingertip tight.
Cover the jars with about 3 inches of water in your water bath canner. The tomatoes process a long time, and it is a problem as water can splash out during the boil. If the tops of the jars are at any point uncovered with water, you have to delete the time that the cans were not totally submerged. You must then add water, bring to a boil, and begin timing again, starting at the point when the jars were still submerged. Process the tomatoes for 40 minutes at seal level, adding 2 minutes for every 1,000 feet altitude. As soon as the 40 minutes are up, turn off the heat. Wait 5 minutes or so, then remove the jars and let them rest. After about 8 hours remove the bands and check the lids. If the seals are tight, label the jars and store them in a cool dark place. You do not need to store the jars with the screw top on. The lid is enough.

Canned Tomatoes
I wish I could offer a better recipe format for this but it is so simple you don't really need one.  This is a hand me down recipe from our Italian neighbour, when I was growing up in Richmond Hill whom I called Mrs. Doodelly, her real name is Mrs. Duni but she liked to doodle a little bit too much in my business - hence the moniker.  The process is basic.  Having washed all your plum tomatoes, make a small X at the base and then put them in a large pot, cover.  Turn the heat onto high and heat until the skins have burst open.  Remove the tomatoes to a colander and let cool.  When the tomatoes have cooled, peel them and put them into quart size jars, slip in a sprig of basil.  Leave about 1/2 inch of head room seal and process the jars for about 40 minutes.

Roasted Tomato Sauce
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
I made this sauce for the first time two years ago and it is now an important component to my tomato repetoire.  Roasting the tomatoes concentrates their flavors and makes a really rich sauce.  There is no need to can this sauce if you don't want to, it freezes wonderfully.  This recipe easily expands, for example for 15 lbs of tomatoes I use a whole head of garlic and 2 tablespoons of sugar.

• 3lb ripe plum tomatoes, halved
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 t sugar
• olive oil for drizzling

Preheat oven to 425.  Lay the tomatoes cut side up in a single layer on a lightly oil sheet pan.  Scatter the garlic and thyme over the tomatoes.  Sprinkle the salt, pepper and sugar, drizzle with a little oil.  Roast the tomatoes for 20-25 minutes until the edges of the tomatoes have browned. Lower the oven temperature to 350 and continue to roast the tomatoes for 45 minutes, the tomatoes should have shrunk by one half.
Discard the thyme and pass the tomatoes and garlic through the food mill with the smallest disc.
Let the sauce cool and then transfer to freezer safe containers.  Chill the sauce in the fridge and then put up in the freezer.

Oven Dried Tomatoes in Oil
I can't say enough great things about these tomatoes.  They are great to have in the winter for a quick bruschetta, or served with a nice soft burrata.  The tomato flavour is so concentrated and you don't end up with those papery sun-dried tomatoes that you have to rehydrate.  Plus the residual oil is great to use as the base for a salad dressing.  Chop these up mix with a little ricotta and an egg and stuff chicken breast for roasting, delicious.   you can get a 5 L bottle of olive oil for about $18 at Costco.

• 6 lb ripe tomatoes
• sea salt
• mixed batch of herb sprigs, rosemary, thyme, basil and oregano
• 1 bay leaf per jar
• 2 1/2 cups olive oil

Preheat the oven to its lowest setting, line the bottom of the oven with tin foil to protect it from any juices that drip down.
Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and using a teaspoon scoop out the seeds.  Place the tomatoes cut-side down on a few sheets of paper towels, this will capture any additional juices that drain out.
Put the tomatoes cut side up on the wire rack in your oven and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.  Put the racks in the oven and prop the door slightly ajar - this way the tomatoes will dry out rather than just cook.
Leave the tomatoes for 6-12 hours until they tomatoes feel dry but springy to the touch, they should not become papery.  Remove the racks from the oven and allow the tomatoes to cool.
Loosely pack the tomatoes into sterilized dry jars adding the herbs as you go.  Pour the oil into cover the tomatoes by 1/2 inch.  Use a butter knife down the sides of the jar to expel any air bubbles and seal.  Store in a cool, dark place for 1 month before eating.


Spaghettini with Hot Pepper, Roasted Tomatoes and Bottarga
Adapted from Mario Battali
Bottarga (Italian), poutargue or boutargue (French), botarga (Spanish), batarekh (Arabic) or avgotaraho (Greek) is a Mediterranean delicacy of cured fish roe.  Often called the poor man's caviar, bottarga is the roe pouch of tuna or red mullet, or sometimes swordfish. It is massaged by hand to eliminate air pockets, then dried and cured in sea salt for a few weeks. The result is a dry hard slab, which is coated in beeswax for keeping.It is usually used sliced thinly or grated.  I have been able to find it at Tony Caputos in Salt Lake City and is available online from www.igourmet.com .  It is still pricey and this pasta is great without it, the kick from a habanero makes the dish too incendiary for the boys so I use a jalapeno.

• sea salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 C Oven Roasted Tomatoes in Oil
• 1/4 C Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce
• 1 lb spaghettini
• 1/4 C flat leaf parsely leaves, minced
• Bottarga for grating
• 1/4 C toasted bread crumbs

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt.
In a large saute pan combine the olive oil, chile and garlic and saute until the garlic is soft, about 3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.

Cook the pasta until al dente.  Drain and add to the tomato mixture with the parsley, toss over high heat for 1 minute.  Divide among four bowls and scatter the shaved bottarga over each bowl, sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve immediately.


Roasted Tomato and Almond Pesto

2 3/4 pounds plum tomatoes, cored, halved, seeded

7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, divided

2 unpeeled large garlic cloves

5 tablespoons whole raw almonds, divided

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place tomato halves, 2 T of olive oil and 1 1/2 t oregano in a bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and toss.  Arrange tomato halves, cut side down on a baking sheet and drizzle with any remaining juices from the bowl.  Add the garlic cloves to the baking sheet.  Bake until the garlic is tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove the garlic and set aside.  Continue to roast tomatoes until they begin to brown in spots but are still soft, about another 30 minutes.  Cool tomatoes on a baking sheet.
Meanwhile, spread almonds on a samll baking sheet and toast alongside the tomatoes until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Peel garlic.  Place in processor along with the roasted tomatoes, toasted almonds and crushed red pepper.  Pulse to a course puree.  While the machine is running gradually add 5 T of oil, season with salt.  Transfer pesto to small freezable containers.