Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Pulled Pork with Filipino Asado BBQ Sauce by Mia P. Manansala @MPMtheWriter

I love my cooking gadgets. As someone who loves to eat and feed people, but doesn't love the act of cooking itself, appliances like my slow cooker and Instant Pot that allow me to set it and forget it are the absolute MVPs of my kitchen. Not only do they make it easy to cook large amounts for parties and/or leftovers for the week, they can take cheap, tasty, but tough protein sources and cook them down until they're nice and tender.

Pulled pork with asado sauce, mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli drizzled with toyomansi

This pulled pork recipe is one of my picky husband's favorites--the sauce is what makes it. I based it on the Filipino asado sauce, which in turn is loosely based on the Chinese char siu. It's sweet and savory and absolutely addicting. You'll want to drizzle it over everything, trust me.

Pulled Pork Ingredients:

  • 3-4 lb pork butt/shoulder 
  • 2 cups pineapple juice
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns 

Pulled Pork Directions:

  1. Put all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook for 6 hours on high (or 8-10 hours on low) OR cook in an Instant Pot using the Meat/Stew setting. 
  2. Check that the meat is tender enough to shred with two forks. If not, cook until it reaches that level of doneness.
  3. Remove meat to a large clean bowl, then make the sauce while it cools a bit.

Filipino Asado BBQ Sauce Ingredients and Instructions:

Take 2 cups of the liquid (strain it, if you'd like) and add it to a medium sauce pan along with:

  • 1 - 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 TBSP garlic (or more)
  • 1 tsp onion powder 
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 cup ketchup 
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste

  1. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 10-15 minutes. Add a slurry of 1:1 TBSP cornstarch and water to the pot, stir to combine, and simmer a few more minutes to thicken. 
  2. While sauce is cooking, shred the meat and remove excess fat.
  3. You can add the shredded meat to the sauce and mix to coat thoroughly or serve the pork with sauce drizzled on top or on the side.
  4. Enjoy!
Pulled pork ingredients: pineapple juice, pork shoulder/butt, black peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon sticks

Put all the pulled pork ingredients in a slow cooker or Instant Pot--slow cook on high for 6 hours/low for 8-10 hours OR set Instant Pot to Meat/Stew setting.

Check that meat is tender enough to shred with two forks. If not, cook until it reaches the correct level of doneness. When ready, remove the meat to a large, clean bowl to cool a bit.

Measure out two cups of the pulled pork cooking juices.

Add the juices to a saucepan with all the other sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Mix 1 TBSP cornstarch with 1 TBSP water and pour the slurry into the saucepan. Stir and simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking.

Shred the pork. You can mix the shredded meat into the sauce or serve with the sauce drizzled on top or on the side. Enjoy!

What's your favorite "set it and forget it" recipe? Let me know in the comments! Also, I'll be at Left Coast Crime next week where my debut novel, ARSENIC AND ADOBO, has been nominated for Best Debut! If you see me there, make sure to say hi!

If you liked this recipe, make sure you sign up for my newsletter! I include a Filipino-themed recipe every month, as well as giveaways and book recommendations!
 
Death at a beauty pageant turns Tita Rosie’s Kitchen upside down in the latest entry of this witty and humorous cozy mystery series by Mia P. Manansala.
 
Things are heating up for Lila Macapagal. Not in her love life, which she insists on keeping nonexistent despite the attention of two very eligible bachelors. Or her professional life, since she can’t bring herself to open her new café after the unpleasantness that occurred a few months ago at her aunt’s Filipino restaurant, Tita Rosie’s Kitchen. No, things are heating up quite literally, since summer, her least favorite season, has just started.
 
To add to her feelings of sticky unease, Lila’s little town of Shady Palms has resurrected the Miss Teen Shady Palms Beauty Pageant, which she won many years ago—a fact that serves as a wedge between Lila and her cousin slash rival, Bernadette. But when the head judge of the pageant is murdered and Bernadette becomes the main suspect, the two must put aside their differences and solve the case—because it looks like one of them might be next.

Order from The Book Table or Centuries & Sleuths for signed, personalized copies!

10 comments:

  1. My favorite set it and forgot it recipe is our crockpot Chuck roast.
    Kitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've never made pot roast before, but it's on my list since it's also one of my husband's faves (he's a big meat and potatoes guy).

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  2. I like to do pork ribs with BBQ sauce using the Instant Pot as a pressure cooker & using the Instant Pot as a slow cooker my favorite is roast with carrots & potatoes. I love the Instant Pot! Congratulations on Arsenic and Adobo being nominated for Best Debut. Sending vibes for it to win! Arsenic and Adobo and Homicide and Halo-Halo are both great mysteries. I've enjoyed getting to know Lila Macapagal and her interesting family. I'd love to have dinner at Tita Rosie's Kitchen. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooh, I've never tried ribs in the Instant Pot but I'll definitely add it to a future meal plan.

      And thanks so much, Linda! I really appreciate it.

      Delete
  3. Pulled pork just loves tasty sauces! Well done.

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    Replies
    1. I love how versatile pulled pork can be just by switching up the sauce. Thanks, Libby!

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  4. My favorite forget it recipe is roast with carrots and potatoes in my crock pot!

    jarjm1980(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I need to try a roast sometime, I can't believe I've never made one before.

      Delete
  5. Hi Mia! My husband loves pulled pork and I bet he would enjoy this recipe.

    ReplyDelete