Following this particular recipe for Chinese Shredded Pork will give you mild, delicious shreds of pork with Asian flavors coming from soy sauce, ginger and garlic. This Pork provides so much versatility, just refer to the “Uses for Chinese Shredded Pork” section for ideas and suggestions.
Cooked in a slow cooker, Chinese Shredded Pork can be quickly assembled in the morning and enjoyed later that day. This recipe does not have a domineering flavor, so it is a good base for lots of Asian Shredded Pork recipes. Adding a particular sauce, such as Hoisin to the finished Pork will take the Pork in a Cantonese direction, whereas adding Teriyaki sauce to it will make it more Japanese in taste. Also, there is no requirement to add anything to it, I enjoy it as is!
Ingredients
- Pork butt: preferably natural, bone in.
- Chicken broth: preferably organic.
- Soy sauce.
- Garlic: fresh.
- Ginger: fresh.
- Sugar: brown.
Instructions
Place the pork, soy sauce, sugar, and stock into a slow cooker. Peel the ginger, this means remove the outer layer. A spoon or grater are good tools to use for for this. Remove the peel from the garlic bulb and separate the cloves from each other. Using a fine grater, grate both the ginger and garlic. Add to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 9-10 or until meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
Once the meat has finished cooking, (internal temperature of 205 degrees F., bone slides out effortlessly, meat shreds easily,) transfer the pork to a large bowl (to catch juices.) Remove any large lumps of fat. Remove the bone and shred the meat by hand or using a hand mixer.
Once the meat has been shredded, you can add it back to the slow cooker along with the meat juices / stock. Feel free to thicken the liquid using 1 tsp of cornstarch blended with water to make a slurry. Add it and then repeat as necessary to get the desired consistency. I did not thicken my sauce.
Some Info on Pork
The USDA requires pork to reach a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F., but recommend 165 degrees F as being preferable. This recipe requires an even higher temperature to be reached. This is because the pork meat (muscle) has to shred and this will only happen with prolonged cooking in order to reach a higher internal temperature (205 degrees F.)
I recommend using natural pork. The USDA describes pork as being natural if it does not contain ‘any artificial flavor or flavoring, coloring ingredient, chemical preservative or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient.”
The difference between organic pork and natural pork is how the pigs are raised. Organic pigs are raised outdoors and typically don’t receive antibiotics. Conventionally raised pigs often live inside climate controlled barns and, if needed, can receive antibiotics prescribed by a veterinarian.
Organic pork ranges in price. Buying in bulk will bring the cost per pound down. The going rate currently is around $11 – $12 per lb. Natural pork for the same cut, costs around $3 – $4 per pound.
The cut known as ‘Pork Shoulder’ is either ‘Picnic Shoulder’ or ‘Boston Butt.’ If you see any of these terms on a hunk of fresh, vacuumed sealed pork, then you will have the right cut for any type of recipe that requires shredded pork.
Flexibility
Any changes to the original recipe will alter the nutritional value, calorie content, overall flavor and possibly the appearance of finished dish.
Pork used for this recipe can be pork shoulder, picnic shoulder, Boston butt or pork butt.
Stock can be beef stock if chicken is unavailable.
Use teriyaki sauce if you don’t have soy sauce. When using teriyaki sauce, omit the sugar.
Honey or any other natural sweetener can be added instead of brown sugar.
Use 3 tsps of granulated garlic in place of fresh garlic.
About 4 tbsps of dried ginger will replace the fresh ginger in this recipe.
Uses for Chinese Shredded Pork
Serve it with rice and garnish with an Asian Style Crisp Vegetable Salad (recipe below.)
Wrap the Chinese Shredded Pork in egg roll wrappers, then air fry them to create Pork Egg Rolls. See my recipe for Reuben Egg Rolls. Substitute the corned beef, cabbage and caraway seeds and add the Chinese Shredded Pork. Brush the egg roll wrapper with olive oil and air fry them for 7 minutes at 350 degrees F. Turn once, halfway through.
Stuff Chinese scallion pancakes with Chinese Shredded Pork. This is a popular food truck offering.
Use Chinese Shredded Pork as the filling for steamed Bao buns.
Sauces that can be served with Chinese Shredded Pork, whether it is served as an egg roll, in a Chinese scallion pancake, or as the filling for a steamed Bao bun. Sauce options are sweet chili sauce, Chinese hot mustard, hot chili oil, duck sauce, and hoisin sauce.
Recipe for Asian Style Crisp Vegetable Salad
- 3 oz cucumber: pickling size (small) or a larger cucumber will work, either English or Mexican.
- 3 oz carrots.
- 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce.
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar.
- 1 tbsp sesame oil.
Instructions
- Peel the carrots.
- Slice the cucumbers and carrots on the bias (diagonally to increase the surface area of each slice), using a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife.
- Place the scallion on a chopping board and slice it on the bias using a sharp knife.
- Mix the liquids in a bowl and add all the raw vegetables to it. Mix well.
Use this simple Asian style salad as a garnish for Chinese Shredded Pork.
Storage
Store Chinese Shredded Pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 6 months, defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat the pork to 165 degrees F.
Equipment
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A Tip From Me
Have you ever wanted to have fresh ginger available at home at all times? Now you can, follow these simple steps to achieve that goal:
- We’ll start at the beginning, when purchasing ginger at the store. Choose a fresh hand of ginger. How do you know if it is fresh? First of all check the skin, it should be shiny, taut and thin enough to scratch it with your nail. It should smell pungent and spicy, and it should not have any soft spots or be flexible.
- Buy the amount you need. Ginger is typically sold loose (not in a pre-weighed packages,) so feel free to buy the whole hand or root or break off a knob. Having the right amount of ginger at home is key to having fresh ginger show up in your cooking.
- Now that you have fresh ginger and the right amount, how do you store it at home? If you intend to use ginger within the next couple of days, place it in a Ziploc bag, with the air removed. Refrigerate it in the crisper section of your refrigerator. Otherwise freeze it in a Ziploc bag with the air removed. Break off the amount of frozen ginger you need, remove the skin and grate it into you recipe. Following these steps will ensure fresh (or defrosted) ginger, in your home, at all times!
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
- How is Char Siu different from this recipe? Char Siu is a Cantonese- style of barbecued pork. Char Siu literally means fork roasted. Long strips of seasoned boneless pork are skewered with long forks and placed in a hot oven or over a fire. This recipe for Chinese Shredded Pork cooks the Pork in a slow cooker, and the Pork is not highly seasoned. Char Sui is sometimes served sliced, not shredded.
- What temperature does pork become shreddable? Food scientists have researched this very question and have found that 205 degrees F. is the magic number. The meat should be juicy and shred easily at this temperature.
- Is it better to shred Pork when it is hot, warm or cold? The hotter the better! If shredding it by hand, wear disposable gloves. That keeps the process sanitary and helps with handling hot meat (and fat!) Waiting for the Pork to cool, condenses the protein in the meat making it difficult to pull the muscle fibers apart.
Chinese Shredded Pork
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-5 lbs pork butt
- 12 oz chicken stock
- 6 oz soy sauce
- 1 bulb garlic
- 1 root ginger
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Place the pork, soy sauce, sugar, and stock into a slow cooker.
- Peel the ginger, this means remove the outer layer. A spoon or grater are good tools to use for for this.
- Remove the peel from the garlic bulb and separate the cloves from each other.
- Using a fine grater, grate both the ginger and garlic. Add to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 9-10 or until meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Once the meat has finished cooking, (internal temperature of 205 degrees F., bone slides out easily, meat shreds easily,) transfer the pork to a large bowl (to catch juices.) Remove any large lumps of fat. Remove the bone and shred the meat by hand or using a hand mixer.
- Once the meat has been shredded, you can add it back to the slow cooker along with the meat juices / stock, until it is ready to serve. Feel free to thicken the liquid using 1 tsp of cornstarch blended with water to make a slurry. Add it and then repeat as necessary to get the desired consistency.
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