We all love pulled pork but this Asian version infuses the pork with soy, ginger and garlic… it’s soft and super fork tender and bursting with flavour. And it’s so easy to make. They make for the perfect summer sandwich when topped with sesame coleslaw and Asian pickled cucumbers. Of course you can have it with rice, in breakfast hash or in a bun, Chinese bao, taco or burrito… So many options!
Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients
For the Pulled Pork
2½ pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
6 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
¼ cup chicken broth (for slow cooker only)
For the Coleslaw
½ head cabbage, core removed and shredded
¼ cup Japanese mayonnaise
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 green onion, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon roasted sesame
Asian Pickled Cucumber
2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup Japanese rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
Kosher salt
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
For Assembling
brioche or soft hamburger buns
Instructions
- Put the cucumber slices in a large colander. Sprinkle salt over the cucumber. Using your hands, toss the cucumber until the salt is evenly distributed. Let sit for 20-30 minutes. Gently squeeze out the moisture.
- In a medium mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar in the Japanese rice vinegar. Add crushed red pepper flakes.
- Add cucumber slices. Mix well.
- Cover the bowl and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Follow cooking instructions below.
- Before serving, make the coleslaw. In a medium mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, rice vinegar, sesame oil and brown sugar.
- Add the shredded cabbage, cilantro, green onion and sesame seeds. Toss well.
Electric Pressure Cooker
- Place the meat in the inner cooking pot of a pressure cooker. Add onion, ginger and garlic.
- In a small bowl combine soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, brown sugar and liquid smoke. Pour over meat and mix.
- Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam knob is on Sealing/Locked. Pressure cook on high for 45 minutes.
- Once the pressure cooking is done, quick or natural release the pressure.
- Remove the pork pieces into a large bowl.
- Skim and discard some of the fat from the sauce, if desired.
- Press Sauté, adjust it to high heat and reduce the sauce by half until thickened, approximately 5-10 minutes.
- Using two forks, shred the pork. Stir in enough sauce until meat is nicely covered but not drowning in sauce.
- Serve pulled pork on brioche buns or soft hamburger buns, topped with coleslaw and Asian pickled cucumbers.
Slow Cooker
- Place the meat in the inner cooking pot of a pressure cooker. Add onion, ginger and garlic.
- In a small bowl combine soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, brown sugar, liquid smoke and chicken broth. Pour over meat and mix.
- Cook on low for 7-9 hours.
- Remove the pork pieces into a large bowl.
- Skim and discard some of the fat from the sauce, if desired.
- Transfer the sauce to a saucepan and reduce the sauce on medium high heat by half until thickened, approximately 5-10 minutes.
- Using two forks, shred the pork. Stir in enough sauce until meat is nicely covered but not drowning in sauce.
- Serve pulled pork on brioche buns or soft hamburger buns, topped with coleslaw and Asian pickled cucumbers.
Asian Pulled Pork Sandwiches
We all love pulled pork but this Asian version infuses the pork with soy, ginger and garlic… it’s soft and super fork tender and bursting with flavour. And it’s so easy to make. They make for the perfect summer sandwich when topped with sesame coleslaw and Asian pickled cucumbers. Of course you can have it with rice, in breakfast hash or in a bun, Chinese bao, taco or burrito… So many options!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the Pulled Pork
- 2½ pounds pork shoulder cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger grated
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- ¼ cup chicken broth for slow cooker only
For the Coleslaw
- ½ head cabbage core removed and shredded
- ¼ cup Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 green onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame
Asian Pickled Cucumber
- 2 English cucumbers thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup Japanese rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- Kosher salt
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes optional
For Assembling
- brioche or soft hamburger buns
Instructions
- Put the cucumber slices in a large colander. Sprinkle salt over the cucumber. Using your hands, toss the cucumber until the salt is evenly distributed. Let sit for 20-30 minutes. Gently squeeze out the moisture.
- In a medium mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar in the Japanese rice vinegar. Add crushed red pepper flakes.
- Add cucumber slices. Mix well.
- Cover the bowl and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Follow cooking instructions below.
- Before serving, make the coleslaw. In a medium mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, rice vinegar, sesame oil and brown sugar.
- Add the shredded cabbage, cilantro, green onion and sesame seeds. Toss well.
Electric Pressure Cooker
- Place the meat in the inner cooking pot of a pressure cooker. Add onion, ginger and garlic.
- In a small bowl combine soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, brown sugar and liquid smoke. Pour over meat and mix.
- Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam knob is on Sealing/Locked. Pressure cook on high for 45 minutes.
- Once the pressure cooking is done, quick or natural release the pressure.
- Remove the pork pieces into a large bowl.
- Skim and discard some of the fat from the sauce, if desired.
- Press Sauté, adjust it to high heat and reduce the sauce by half until thickened, approximately 5-10 minutes.
- Using two forks, shred the pork. Stir in enough sauce until meat is nicely covered but not drowning in sauce.
- Serve pulled pork on brioche buns or soft hamburger buns, topped with coleslaw and Asian pickled cucumbers.
Slow Cooker
- Place the meat in the inner cooking pot of a pressure cooker. Add onion, ginger and garlic.
- In a small bowl combine soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, brown sugar, liquid smoke and chicken broth. Pour over meat and mix.
- Cook on low for 7-9 hours.
- Remove the pork pieces into a large bowl.
- Skim and discard some of the fat from the sauce, if desired.
- Transfer the sauce to a saucepan and reduce the sauce on medium high heat by half until thickened, approximately 5-10 minutes.
- Using two forks, shred the pork. Stir in enough sauce until meat is nicely covered but not drowning in sauce.
- Serve pulled pork on brioche buns or soft hamburger buns, topped with coleslaw and Asian pickled cucumbers.