Chinese Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder

Ingredients

• 3 pounds trimmed pork shoulder
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup dark soy sauce
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 4 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 garlic head, halved
• 1 (2-inch) knob unpeeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 8 dried shiitake mushrooms, optional
• Hot cooked Chinese egg noodles, for serving

Directions

Rub the pork all over with the five-spice powder and salt. Add thechicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and red pepper to the slow cooker. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the scallions,garlic, ginger, the mushrooms, if using, and the meat, turning it a few times to coat. Cover the cooker, set it on HIGH, and cook for 4 hours. Set the cooker on LOW and cook until the meat is very tender, at least another 2 hours (6 hours total).

Transfer the pork to a platter, cover lightly, and let rest 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the cooking liquid into a measuring cup and skim off and discard the vegetables and fat that rise to the surface. Slice the meat and serve warm or at room temperature with noodles and the sauce on the side.

Chinese braised red cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 large red cabbage , finely shredded
• 3 red chillies , halved, deseeded and chopped
• large piece fresh root ginger , peeled and finely sliced
• 4 star anise
• 4 garlic cloves , chopped
• 75ml rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 50g caster sugar
• 4 spring onions , finely sliced
• toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

1. Tip all the ingredients, except the spring onions, sesame seeds and oil, into a large pan with a lid, and bring to a simmer. Cook over a low heat for 25-30 mins until all the liquid has evaporated and continue to cook, stirring regularly, until the juices become really sticky and glaze the cabbage.
2. Stir through half the spring onions and sesame seeds and pile into a bowl. Serve scattered with rest of the spring onions and sesame seeds and drizzled with the sesame oil.