Slow Cooker Chinese Pulled Pork

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 4 hours
• Yield: Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

• 3 to 3 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into very large chunks (3 to 4 inches)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of Chinese 5-spice powder*
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp dry sherry or Shaoxing cooking wine
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 12 Hawaiian dinner rolls
• 1 large scallion sliced

*To make Chinese 5-spice powder, toast 1 teaspoon peppercorns in a skillet until fragrant. In a spice grinder, grind the roasted peppercorns with 2 whole star anise, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds. Stir in 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon.

METHOD

1 Season the pork with 5-spice powder: Rub the 5 spice powder into the pork chunks, all over, and let sit while you prepare the sauce in the next step.

2 Whisk together the sauce ingredients: Whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, sherry, ginger, and garlic in a medium bowl.

3 Place pork and sauce in slow cooker: Place the seasoned pork shoulder pieces in a slow cooker, cover with the sauce.

4 Slow cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low, until the meat easily pulls apart. About halfway through the cooking, turn the meat over in the pot.

5 Ladle off excess fat: Use a ladle or a large metal spoon to remove excess fat that has risen to the surface while the meat has been cooking. Don't discard it yet, you may want to add some of it back.

6 Shred the pork: Use two forks to pull apart the pork into shreds. If the pork still seems dry, add back some of the fat.

7 Serve over sweet Hawaiian dinner buns topped with sliced green onion or cilantro.