Crock Pot Asian Pork with Mushrooms

Boneless pork roast slow cooked in Asian spices creates a aromatic pork dish with mushrooms and broth, perfect over noodles or rice with fresh chopped green onions, cilantro and sriracha.^[1]

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 noodlesÂ would also be great.

The second night, I reheated some of the pork and broth on the stove and though in some handfuls of baby spinach to it 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.

Crock Pot Asian Pork with Mushrooms
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 7 â€¢ Size: about 3 oz pork + mushrooms â€¢ Old Points: 6 pts â€¢ Points+: 6 pts
Calories: 224.1 â€¢ Fat: 8.5 g â€¢ Protein: 25 g â€¢ Carb: 11 g â€¢ Fiber: 0.4 g â€¢ Sugar: 7.3
Sodium: less than 854 mg, since you don't use all the liquid

Ingredients:

2 lb lean boneless pork sirloin roast (aka pork center rib roast, pork center loin roast)

kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Non-stick oil spray (I used Smart Balance spray)

1 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth

1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (for gf use gf tamari)

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp agave (or sugar)

1 tsp hot sesame oil (aji oil)Â ^[2] (or use sesame oil + pinch red pepper flakes)
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice (I used McCormick)
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger root
8 oz sliced mushrooms (I used baby bella)

For topping:

1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

Season pork on all side with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat, spray with a little oil and brown the pork on all sides for about 7 - 8 minutes.

In the crock pot, combine the broth, soy sauce (or Tamari), balsamic, agave, sesame oil, Chinese five spice, garlic and ginger; add the pork and set the slow cooker to 8 hours on low.

Thirty minutes before the timer goes off, remove the pork and set aside to rest a few minutes; add the mushrooms to the crock pot, cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, shred the pork using two forks.

When the mushrooms are tender, remove about 1 cup of the broth and reserve if needed. Add the shredded pork to the crock pot and mix well. If adding baby spinach, add at the end and cover a few minutes until it wilts.