By Hong and Kim Pham, The Ravenous Couple
Serves 6-8
Pulled Pork:
3 lb. pork shoulder
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut in 1/4 inch rings
1 1/2 cup char siu sauce (we made our own using recipes above)
Vietnamese Slaw:
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly shredded
1/2 head red cabbage, thinly shredded
1/2 cup of rau rau (coriander leaves) coarsely chopped
1/2 cup of mint, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup of thai basil, coarsly chopped
fried shallots
4 tbs nuoc mam cham
optional diced hot chili pepper
French baguettes, toasted
1. Line your slow cooker with the onions. Lightly rub the pork shoulder with small amount kosher salt and pepper and place on top of onions. Brush on a generous layer of char siu sauce, coating evenly. Turn the slow cooker on low and leave on overnight or high, roughly 4-5 hrs.
2. In large bowl, combine the cabbages, rau rau, mint, basil and toss well. Season with nuoc mam cham to taste. For best results, allow the slaw to marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving. The slaw can also be made a day ahead of time. The longer the slaw marinates, the more liquid it releases – toss well and just drain excess liquid before serving.
3. When the pork is done, it will easily fall apart with gentle pressure – remove the pork into a large mixing bowl and pull using tongs or forks. The pork will release a lot of fatty juices in the slow cooker which you can discard – but we like to keep a small amount to mix in the pulled pork. Now add char siu sauce, 1-2 tbs at a time and coat the pulled pork well. Don't over do it – we like to keep extra char siu sauce on the side those who want more.
4. Add the pulled pork to the toasted baguettes and drizzle additional char siu sauce if desired. Generously top with slaw and garnish with fried shallots.
Combining the finger licking sweet char siu with the crisp and clean slaw in a toasty baguette will have guests craving for more. Also, the slaw can be served as a side – many guests loved the fresh tart flavors of nuoc mam cham based slaw compared with the mayonnaise laden traditional coleslaw, so be prepared to have extra ready!
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