Sticky Asian-style Pulled Pork (Slow-cooker, Oven and Pressu

• servings: 8 servings
• total time: 4 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 kg pork Scotch roast (pork butt roast) or boneless pork shoulder, rind removed if required (see note 1)

185 ml hoisin sauce

80 ml light soy sauce

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

60 ml oyster sauce

55 g brown sugar

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

6 garlic cloves, julienned or roughly chopped

1 large piece ginger (about 8 cm/3¼ inches), finely sliced or roughly chopped

250 ml reduced-salt chicken stock

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 tsp Chinese five spice

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 2 tbsp water

2 x 130 g (4½ oz) packets (20 wrappers) frozen Peking duck pancake pastry (see note 2)

2 Lebanese (short) cucumbers, cut into thin strips lengthways

2 carrots, julienned

3 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced into long thin batons

¼ bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), leaves picked

½ red onion, finely sliced

Fresh red chilli, finely sliced (optional)

Sriracha mayo (optional)

Sesame seeds

Directions

Oven method

Preheat the oven – Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) (140°C/275°F fan-forced).

Prepare the pork – Pat the pork dry with a paper towel and place it in a large heavy-based ovenproof pot or Dutch oven with a lid (see step 4 if you only have a baking dish).

Make the sauce – In a large bowl, stir together all the sauce ingredients, except the star anise and cinnamon, until well combined.

Add the sauce – Pour the sauce over the pork. Add the star anise and cinnamon stick. Cover with the lid (or tightly cover with a double layer of foil if using a baking dish), ensuring it is well sealed so no steam can escape.

Cook the pork – Cook for 4 hours, turning the pork halfway through, or until it easily pulls apart with two forks. If needed, continue cooking in 30-minute intervals until tender.

Caramelise the pork – Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the pork is lightly caramelised around the edges.

Thicken the sauce – Stir the cornflour mixture into the cooking liquid until well combined. Transfer the pot to the stovetop over medium heat and simmer for 2–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened into a rich, sticky glaze. Ladle 185 ml (¾ cup) of the sauce into a small bowl and set aside for serving.

Shred the pork – Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and star anise. Shred the pork directly in the pot using two forks, gently tossing it through the remaining sauce in the pot as you go, until well coated.

Serve – Prepare the pancakes according to the packet instructions. Arrange the pancakes, sticky pulled pork, reserved sauce, cucumber, carrot, spring onion, coriander, red onion, fresh chilli, sriracha mayo and sesame seeds in the centre of the table and let everyone build their own pancakes.

Slow-cooker method

Prepare the pork – Pat the pork dry with a paper towel and place it into the base of a slow-cooker.

Make the sauce – In a large bowl, stir together all the sauce ingredients, except the star anise and cinnamon, until well combined.

Add the sauce – Pour the sauce over the pork. Add the star anise and cinnamon stick.

Cook the pork – Cover and cook on Low for 8–10 hours or High for 5–6 hours, or until the pork easily pulls apart with two forks.

Shred the pork – Carefully transfer the pork to a tray. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and star anise if they have come out with the pork. Shred the pork using two forks, then loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

Thicken the sauce – Skim any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Ladle 500–750 ml (2–3 cups) of the cooking liquid (or whatever remains if there is less) into a saucepan (see note 3). Transfer to the stovetop over medium heat and simmer for 8–10 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Stir through the cornflour mixture and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened into a rich, sticky glaze. Ladle 185 ml (¾ cup) of the sauce into a small serving bowl and set aside for serving.

Combine the pork and sauce – Return the shredded pork to the slow-cooker. Pour over the thickened sauce and gently toss until well coated.

Caramelise the pork (optional) – For extra caramelised edges, transfer the pork to a baking tray, spoon over a few tablespoons of the sauce and grill (broil) on high heat for 5–8 minutes, or until lightly caramelised around the edges.

Serve – Prepare the pancakes according to the packet instructions. Arrange the pancakes, sticky pulled pork, reserved sauce, cucumber, carrot, spring onion, coriander, red onion, fresh chilli, sriracha mayo and sesame seeds in the centre of the table and let everyone build their own.

Pressure cooker method

Prepare the pork – Pat the pork dry with a paper towel and place it into the pressure cooker.

Make the sauce – In a large bowl, stir together all the sauce ingredients, except the star anise and cinnamon, until well combined.

Add the sauce – Pour the sauce over the pork. Add the star anise and cinnamon stick.

Cook the pork – Secure the lid and cook on High pressure for 90 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure. The pork should easily pull apart with two forks. If needed, cook on High pressure for a further 10–15 minutes.

Shred the pork – Carefully transfer the pork to a tray. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and star anise if they have come out with the pork. Shred the pork using two forks, then loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

Thicken the sauce – Skim any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Ladle 500–750 ml (2–3 cups) of the cooking liquid (or whatever remains if there is less) into a saucepan (see note 3). Simmer over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Stir through the cornflour mixture and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened into a rich, sticky glaze. Ladle 185 ml (¾ cup) of the sauce into a small serving bowl and set aside for serving.

Combine the pork and sauce – Return the shredded pork to the pressure cooker. Pour over the thickened sauce and gently toss until well coated.

Caramelise the pork (optional) – For extra caramelised edges, transfer the pork to a baking tray, spoon over a few tablespoons of the sauce and grill (broil) on high for 5–8 minutes, or until lightly caramelised around the edges.

Serve – Prepare the pancakes according to the packet instructions. Arrange the pancakes, sticky pulled pork, reserved sauce, cucumber, carrot, spring onion, coriander, red onion, fresh chilli, sriracha mayo and sesame seeds in the centre of the table and let everyone build their own.

Nutrition

• Calories: 666 kcal
• Total Fat: 25 g
• Saturated Fat: 8 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
• Sodium: 2572 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 53 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 38 g
• Protein: 57 g