Pork… Asian Flair, Easy in a Slow Cooker

I admit it. When I’m grocery shopping I tend to overlook the pork section at the meat counter. It seems, to me at least, that pork always tends to come out a little bit tough. Even that little sample they give every now and then of pork tenderloin. It’s like you have to chew forever.

I was at an event a while back that served bbq sandwiches. The sandwich meat was so tender and flavorful and I was totally surprised to find out it was pork.

Knowing that pork could really be tender….and not that chewy sample from the tasters at the store…. or the cooked to death pork chops I grew up with… made me look for a way to recreate the tenderness that I’d tasted that day.

Found it.

The below recipe for a pork roast has a bit of Asian flair to it due to the pineapple, soy sauce and sesame oil in it. (If you don’t have sesame oil get some. Sesame oil really impacts the flavor and makes your recipe closer to the Asian taste we all love.) Because of that… I like to serve it with rice of course (I like jasmine rice.) and pork egg rolls. (Sams has some great frozen pork rolls…)

Print Recipe

Spicy Pineapple Pork Butt Roast

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Asian

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

3-8 hours

Servings

Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 16 oz pineapple chunked
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2-3 cloves fresh garlic minced
• 2 teaspoon 5-spice powder
• 1 medium red bell pepper cut into 1” chunks
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper finely diced
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1 4-5 lb pork roast trimmed
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 T. fresh cilantro chopped optional

Course Main Dish Cuisine Asian Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 3-8 hours Servings Ingredients 1 small yellow onion diced 16 oz pineapple chunked 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2-3 cloves fresh garlic minced 2 teaspoon 5-spice powder 1 medium red bell pepper cut into 1” chunks 1 medium jalapeno pepper finely diced 2 tablespoons peanut butter creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup pineapple juice 1 4-5 lb pork roast trimmed Salt and black pepper to taste 3 T. fresh cilantro chopped optional

Instructions

1. Add onion, pineapple chunks, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, sesame oil, garlic, five-spice powder, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, and peanut butter to a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker crock. Stir to combine thoroughly.
2. IF you have time and IF you want a roast with a browned rim then brown in a skiller before putting in the slow cooker. Deglaze with the pineapple juice. Otherwise just put the roast in the slow cooker with the prior ingredients and the pineapple juice.
3. Cover and cook over high heat for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8. When finished, stir in fresh cilantro and transfer pork and pineapple mixture to a serving platter with a slotted spoon. Cover and keep warm.
4. Optional: If desired, create a thickened sauce by combining a little flour and a quarter cup of the juices which you then add back to the slow cooker for the last 15-20 minutes. Optionally you can remove the juices and thicken on the stovetop.
5. To serve, spoon warm pork and pineapple mixture over a bed of rice. Top with the juices or thickened sauce, if desired, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes