This is one of our absolute favorite slow cooker recipes.  It is so flavorful and strangely addictive.  You know you should only have one serving, but your fork just keeps dipping back into that crock pot as you’re “cleaning the kitchen.”  It’s originally from the magazine Real Simple and to be honest we keep it pretty close to the original recipe, but we have made a few adjustments.  Mostly adding more bok choy and increasing the seasonings a tad.  The recipe also indicates that it only serves 4, but we stretch it to at least 6 servings if not 8.  With the rice it is a bit filling so you really don’t need much.  But as I said, addictive…so you’ll eat more than you should, beware!

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce (my go-to brand that can be found in major supermarkets is X)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 ¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
kosher salt and black pepper
2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch pieces
3-4 medium heads bok choy, thinly sliced
2-3 scallions, sliced
1 cup cooked brown rice

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In a slow cooker, combine the soy sauce, sugar, chili-garlic sauce, ginger, five-spice powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the pork and toss to coat. Cook, covered, until the pork is tender, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.

Skim off and discard any fat from the pork. Gently fold the bok choy into the pork and cook, covered, until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve with the rice and sprinkle with the scallions.

**Bonus, with the leftovers we like to lightly blacken some corn tortillas over our open gas flame burners with a bit of cheese, add the sweet & spicy pork with a bit of the broth, fold and eat up like Asian tacos.  Seriously delish leftovers.

 

For nutritional information, see the original recipe here.