So fall is here and I have pulled down and washed the slow cooker.  This is the time of year I use the slower cooker the most.  I have a girlfriend who uses hers all year round, but that’s not me.  I seem to start out strong in September, fade a bit by the time December rolls around, and then, like clockwork, it becomes one of those new year’s resolutions to dig it out and go hard again in the new year. 

One thing I find easy to make in the slow cooker is pulled pork. But don’t you find making the same thing over and over again so monotonous?  I spend my Saturday morning coffee searching recipes and making grocery lists, looking to be inspired by something new (that’s my ritual, a quiet hour or two of inspiration before the weekend begins).  And that’s when I stumbled across something that made me sit up – an Asian twist on pulled pork.  I thought, wow, that would be sooo good.  On a bun, over rice or like I saw it in some fancy Asian wrapper as a taco.   

I love Asian food.  I am also using the word “Asian” very loosely here as Asia is comprised of about 50 countries including Russia, and to be honest, that is not part of the Asia I am referring to here, specifically as it relates to cooking.  Ah… as usual….I digress. 

So about a month ago I came across an Asian pulled pork recipe and thought hmmm I like the sound of that.  It feels versatile, warm and an easy meal in a slow cooker.  So last weekend I frequented the local butcher for a pork collar roast to experiment.  I am not going to lie, I made this today and it is still bubbling away in the crock pot, but it certainly smells delicious.  I did a quick taste of the sauce, and it looks like this one is going to be a keeper!  

So if you’re in the mood to experiment with some pulled pork, give this Asian version a try.  Right now, its simmering away, filling the house with that sweet and savory aroma that promises comfort in every bite.  The only thing that concerned me was the Chinese Five Spice as I am not a real lover of anise.  But none the less, I added it in and it did not overpower the sauce.  

Here is the recipe.  Give it a pulled pork try – I have a feeling you won’t be disappointed.