Slow Cooker Honey-Soy Braised Pork With Lime and Ginger
Updated March 5, 2020
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Total Time
- 8 hours 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
3 to 4 pounds boneless, skinless pork shoulder, trimmed of big hunks of fat and cut in half
8 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (from one 3-inch piece)
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest and 2 tablespoons juice (from 1 lime), plus more lime wedges for serving
1 cup tamari or low-sodium soy sauce (see Tip)
1 cup honey
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Cooked rice, noodles or lettuce cups, for serving
Toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions and chopped cilantro, for topping
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)
48 grams carbs; 141 milligrams cholesterol; 695 calories; 17 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 39 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 1286 milligrams sodium; 39 grams protein; 36 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place the pork in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Scatter the garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes and lime zest over the top. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the tamari, honey and sesame oil, then pour it over the pork. Using tongs, turn to coat all sides of the pork in the sauce, and spoon some over the top so that some of the garlic and ginger is on top of the pork. Cover and cook on low until the pork is very tender and shreds easily with a fork, 8 to 9 hours; it will hold well on warm. (If you are home and able to flip the pork once during cooking, that will help the flavors distribute evenly on the meat and make the color uniform. If not, it will be fine.)
- Step 2
Using tongs, transfer the pork from the slow cooker to a serving platter or large, shallow serving bowl. Using a ladle, skim excess fat off the surface of the cooking liquid, if desired. Carefully pour the sauce into a large pot. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and let it simmer until reduced and slightly syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsely shred the pork using two forks.
- Step 3
Sprinkle the lime juice over the top of the meat. Drizzle about half the sauce over the top of the shredded meat, tossing to evenly combine. Serve over rice or noodles or in lettuce cups. Top with sesame seeds, scallions and cilantro. Pass the remaining sauce at the table, if desired, as well as extra lime wedges and red-pepper flakes.
Tamari, a gluten-free Japanese fermented soy product similar to soy sauce, is generally a little less salty than grocery store soy sauce, and it works slightly better in this recipe.
Private Notes
Comments
To make this on the stove instead of a slow cooker: heat high heat oil in a Dutch oven. Cut meat in 2-3 pieces, season with salt and pepper, and sear on all sides until golden brown. Will probably take 15 mins. Meanwhile, chop your ginger and garlic. Remove the meat from the pan. Sauté aromatics. Add sauce to the pan, scrape up the burnt bits of pork, bring to a boil. Put meat back in the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and put in a 250 oven for 4 hours (for about 4 lb of meat).
The sesame oil should be added after cooking (at the end) or it turns bitter.
This kind of dish is why people love slow cookers: very low effort, max yum. My 5 and 7 yos love it over jasmine rice with sliced avocado and cucumbers on the side. I've made this with fresh or jarred garlic and ginger. Either works.
After reading all the comments I made this in my oven at 275 for four hours. I used low sodium tamari but used only 1/2 cup and the other half cup was water. I live in New England so I normally have maple syrup on hand so I used half honey and half maple syrup. I cut the meat in half and browned it first. Every hour I turned the meat in the pot. I left out the lime juice and zest and sesame oil until the meat was cooked. I thought it tasted divine and not salty or bitter. I’ll definitely make this again. Leftovers were equally flavorful.
Delicious! Made this with pork butt, about half the amount of tamari and honey, and no garlic (had garlic powder though) or red pepper flakes. Added lime juice. Totally yummy! I think the sauce would’ve been too salty and dank with more tamari.
Marinated overnight before cooking Used low setting for temp on Instapot for 9h, needed another hour on normal - someone else used normal for 6h and said it worked Added some fresh mint and crushed peanuts as garnish Might add a little fish sauce, maybe a sprinkle of 5 spice next time Will reduce only 1/2 of the sauce at the end to save time This was AMAZING as is!!!