Category Archives: Pork

Bibimbap Tacos with Slow Cooked Asian Pulled Pork.

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I’m in love.

 

With a new appliance.

 

And it’s a slow cooker.  I feel like I’m cheating . . . on my beloved stand mixer. Will she find out? (yes, it’s a SHE) Has she noticed her shiny, new neighbor on my kitchen counter?

 

There’s just something about appliances that do all the work for you.  Who doesn’t want that? And with slow cookers, that’s what they do.  I absolutely love it. You pop in some meat, chicken or pork and voilà! about 6-8 hours later, you have a hot meal ready for you. I love that you can get things set-up in the morning (before you leave for work or take the kids to school) and just let the food cook for hours.  And if you have a good recipe, your kitchen will smell amazing when you get home.

 

 

KitchenAid® 6-Quart Slow Cooker with Easy Serve Lid with 4 temperature settings

 

This one-of-a-kind 6-Quart Slow Cooker does it all. It has 24-hour programmability and 4 temperature settings. I love the dual lid opening and the fact that it is so big. In the past, when I’ve wanted to slow cook something for a party or when we had guests coming over, I couldn’t because our crock pot was too small. This bad boy allows me to cook up enough food for a small army.  And like most slow cookers, it has a removable 6-quart ceramic insert which makes cooking and cleaning more convenient.

 

This new relationship is serious. I know we haven’t known each other for very long but we’ve already been talking about future recipes. .  and I’m hopeful this will lead to introducing my slow cooker to my friends, which will then progress to entertaining together, parties and cooking for holiday get togethers.

 

We were meant for each other.

 

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And every great slow cooker needs a great recipe. If you like Asian food, pork and Korean tacos, look no further. This is YOUR recipe. 

 

This recipe was inspired by the great Food Truck Revolution going on in America. I love this new curbside cuisine. Not only are Food Trucks providing damn tasty food to people, but they are allowing some people to fulfill their dreams as owners and chefs, who might not otherwise have the opportunity to get their food creations out to people.

 

I’m from Los Angeles and I feel like when the Kogi BBQ Truck hit the streets with their Kogi Tacos, people went crazy. Many people say that Roy Choi “single-handedly kicked off the explosive food truck craze in Los Angeles (and America, for that matter)”.  Kogi BBQ also started a mini-Korean food fusion revolution which I love too.

 

So, I’m bringing you my version of Korean Tacos today: Bibimbap Tacos.

 

If you like Korean food, you’ve certainly had Bibimbap before. This is just putting some of your favorite Bibimbap ingredients into a taco. How wonderful is that? I could have used bulgogi or even ground beef in here but that would have been too easy. I just love slow cooked pulled pork too much.

 

These bibimbap tacos are delicious. The Asian flavored tender and juicy pulled pork, along with the Korean vegetables and topped with a Kogi BBQ sauce created by Roy Choi himself! These seriously rock.

 

This recipe takes some time, obviously, with the slow cooked pork. But remember these two things:    1) It’ll taste freaking amazing and 2) Your awesome slow cooker will do all the work for you. Also, while your pork is slow cooking and the kitchen smells amazing, you can prepare your Korean veggies. I know the recipe card below looks long and intimidating but – I promise you- the Korean side dishes (banchan) are super easy to make and once you boil the veggies and add a few key ingredients, you are finished.  These korean side dish staples are good to have in your Korean food repertoire!

 

I hope you enjoy!

 

Bibimbap Tacos with Slow Cooked Asian Pulled Pork.
 
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Prep time

Cook time

Total time

 

If you don’t want to make the Korean BBQ sauce below, simply combine gochujang with some sesame oil and honey for an equally great sauce!
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Korean
Serves: 4

Ingredients
FOR THE PORK:
  • ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • ½ cup hoisin sauce
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1½ teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
  • 2 pounds of boneless Boston butt pork roast or pork shoulder; cut into large chunks
FOR THE VEGGIES (or banchan):
SPINACH:
  • about 4 bunches of fresh spinach
  • salt
  • 1-2 teaspoons of soy sauce + more if needed
  • 1-2 cloves of minced garlic
  • sesame oil
BEAN SPROUTS:
  • 2 bags of fresh bean sprouts
  • salt
  • 1 clove of minced garlic
  • sesame oil
SHREDDED RADISH:
  • 4 cups shredded Korean radish (or Daikon)
  • ½ tablespoon course sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons red pepper powder
  • 1½ tablespoons brown rice vinegar or you can use apple vinegar
  • 1½ tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
FOR THE KOREAN BBQ SAUCE:
  • 2 tablespoons Korean fermented hot pepper paste (aka: gochujang)
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
FOR THE TACOS:
  • 1 bag small corn tortillas
  • green onions; diced for garnish
  • sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions
FOR THE PORK:
  1. Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add the pork (cut up into large chunks) into the slow cooker, add the sauce and toss to coat. Cover and slow cook the pork on low for about 6-8 hours. Start checking the pork at about the 4 or 5th hour if possible.
  2. During the last hour of cooking, prepare all of the Korean veggies and the sauce.
FOR THE VEGGIES:
SPINACH:
  1. Put your spinach in a pot of boiling water and stir it for about a minute or 2. It will wilt very quickly. Then, rinse it in cold water a few times, cut it and squeeze it to get all the water out. Mix it with a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 clove of minced garlic and drizzle about a teaspoon of sesame oil. Taste and add more sesame oil and soy sauce if needed.
BEAN SPROUTS:
  1. Bring a pot with about a cup of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the bean sprouts and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Drain the water and mix with 1 clove of minced garlic, some sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Taste and add more of any of the ingredients if needed.
FOR THE SHREDDED RADISH:
  1. Using a mandolin, shred up all the radish and place into a bowl. Mix in ½ tablespoon of salt. Let sit for about 3 minutes. Rinse the shredded radish in cold water. Drain the water and place into a mixing bowl. Add in the rest of the ingredients for the seasoning and combine well until everything has blended well together.
FOR THE SAUCE:
  1. Whisk all of the ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
WHEN THE PORK IS READY:
  1. When the pork is ready, remove it from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and place it on a cutting board. Shred the pork by pulling the pieces apart with two forks.
TO ASSEMBLE YOUR TACOS:
  1. Lightly warm your corn tortillas in a pan on the stove over medium high heat. Please tortilla on your plate, top with some of the shredded pork, then the spinach, then the bean sprouts and last with the shredded radish. Drizzle the BBQ sauce over the entire taco and garnish with diced green onions and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.

 

Pulled pork recipe adapted from Spoonful.  Shredded radish recipe from Aeri’s Kitchen.  If I’ve enticed you to want to try bibimbap, visit Maangchi for a great bibimbap recipe.

 

 

 

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Disclosure – KitchenAid provided my family with the slow cooker featured, all opinions expressed here are my own.

 

 

Comfort Food Rewind: Mini Mac n Cheese Cups with Pork Shoulder Ragù for #SundaySupper

 

Ah, comfort food. .  when I think of comfort food, two things immediately come to mind: 1) wearing loose pants and 2) forgetting all the calories, and just eating, enjoying the food and relaxing. Isn’t that what comfort food is all about?  Who cares if you eat that entire bowl of mac n cheese! The stress and the worry or whatever it is will be there tomorrow. What’s life without a little indulging anyway? For me, comfort food is best when enjoyed with others. .  so cook up something warm and gooey and enjoy, my friends. Life is too short to be counting those freaking calories all the time.

 

When I found out this week’s Sunday Supper theme was Comfort Food, I knew I had to bring back my absolute favorite of all time. Pairing two of my favorite things: Macaroni and Cheese and Pork Shoulder Ragù. I would have just prepared a baked mac n cheese but these are so much cuter and fun to eat + they add the wonderful Pork Shoulder Ragù which – seriously-  takes these mac n cheese cups to the next level.

 

If you like mac n cheese, you simply must try this one. .  now, I know this isn’t a simple, under 30 minutes recipe. .  BUT you’ll remember this first bite forever. It’s that good.

 

I hope you enjoy!

 

Mini Mac n Cheese Cups with Pork Shoulder Ragù
 
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NOTE: For the Pork Shoulder Ragù, please note the braising time required. I highly recommend making the pork a day ahead just to make the cooking time easier.
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Serves: 8

Ingredients
For Mac n Cheese Cups:
  • 1 and ½ cups Ritz crackers, crushed (I placed all the crackers in a big ziploc bag and used a rolling pin)
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated and divided
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 and ½ cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces uncooked)
  • One 5.2-ounce container of Boursin Garlic and Herb cheese (or The Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb spreadable cheese)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Pinch red pepper flakes (optional; for a little heat)
  • Fresh Parsley, for garnish
For Pork Shoulder Ragu:
  • 1 pound boneless pork shoulder roast
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 small onion; chopped
  • 1 garlic clove; minced
  • 1 – 28 oz can whole tomatoes or diced, with juice
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4-5 sprigs fresh oregano
  • Small handful of fennel seeds (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce, for smokiness (optional)
  • Fresh Parsley, for garnish

Instructions
For Mac n Cheese Cups:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Generously spray 8 cups of your muffin pan with cooking spray.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the crushed Ritz crackers, 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and the melted butter, mixing well until the mixture holds together and resembles coarse sand. Divide the mixture among the 8 muffin cups and, using your fingers, press the crust firmly into the bottoms and up the sides of each muffin cup.
  4. In another large bowl, combine the cooked (and still hot) macaroni with ½ cup of the shredded cheddar, the garlic & herb cheese, and the butter. Mix well.
  5. In a separate small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) and mix well. Add the egg/milk mixture to the cooked macaroni, mixing until all of the ingredients are melted and smoothly combined. Place about 2-3 tablespoons of the macaroni mixture into each muffin cup.
  6. Top each muffin cup with the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake the mac and cheese cups until lightly golden on top, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly before removing from the muffin pan. Use a fork to gently remove from the muffin pan.
For Pork Shoulder Ragù:
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Liberally salt and pepper the pork roast. Add olive oil and butter to large Dutch oven and heat over medium-high until butter melts, but does not burn. Add pork roast to pan and brown on all sides, about 8-10 minutes in all.
  2. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, thyme, oregano, fennel and hot sauce (if using) and bring to a boil. Cover, and put in oven. Braise for about 2 hours, turning every hour or so. Add more liquid (water, wine, or tomato sauce) if needed. I recommend adding more tomato sauce if you need to. (The liquid should come to about ⅓ of the way up the pork.) Meat is done when it’s practically falling apart. Put on a cutting board and pull it apart with two forks, then add back to the pot and stir.
To Assemble your Mac n Cheese cups with the Pork:
  1. Top your mac n’ cheese cups with some pork shoulder ragù and top with fresh parsley. Serve while still hot.

Mac n Cheese Pie Recipe adapted from The Curvy Carrot.

 

 

Comfort Food Around the Family Table #SundaySupper

This week’s Sunday Supper is being hosted by the lovely Isabel Foodie, with special guest Lee Woodruff.  Check out all the delicious comfort food dishes that will be served around our Sunday Supper table today!

 

#SundaySupper Comfort Food |Soups

#SundaySupper Comfort Food  | Main Dish

#SundaySupper Comfort Food | Desserts

Pairing Wine with Sunday Supper Comfort Food Favorites! by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog 

 

We would be honored to have you join us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper.  We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm (Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper  live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite Comfort Food Recipes.

 

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat. We’d also love to feature your easy go to recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.

 

 

 

 

 

Baked Mezzi Rigatoni with Pork, Kale and Mushrooms

 

So, today’s post is about comfort food but still trying to be good. Is that even possible?

 

We hosted some friends in town recently and they stayed with us for one night so I wanted to cook up a nice, home cooked meal. These guys had just in fact climbed Mount Rainier! Yup, you heard me right. They were out there for ONE week. 5 days climbing up that bad boy and coming down. They went with professional mountain climbers and a group so they were in great hands. .  but they were there for one week, with no running water, no shower, no bathroom (well, not what we would call a bathroom) and they were carrying everything they needed for that week, on their backs (40 lbs I think)!

 

The first thing I asked John when they got to our house- after, “Wow! Congrats! You freakin’ climbed Mt. Rainier” – was: “Dude, what have you been eating this entire week?”  and “so, this means you haven’t showered in a week huh?”

 

So, when it was confirmed they were coming over for dinner I started cooking. .  John and Tae were tired, hungry and had just spent a week eating dried food and  nuts ..  so I had to whip out my specialty. .  to me, this dish says home cooked at its best. .  and it makes the kitchen smell amazing.  I made my Pork Shoulder Ragù. . . and I was going to make Mac n Cheese to go with it. .  because I’m thinking these guys would love some Mac n Cheese right about now, right? Wrong! Well, at least one of the guys. . .

 

John comes into the kitchen and comments on the amazing smell of the pork cooking and asks me what’s for dinner. .  so I tell him Pork Shoulder Ragù. .  and he politely asks me to not put any cheese, especially not Parmigiano-Reggiano on his . . . Well, I am floored because I have never before in my life met anyone who doesn’t like Parmigiano-Reggiano! Come on!!! Are you freakin’ kidding me? It’s freakin’ wonderful. How can you eat any pasta dish without  freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano?  And while I am pulling myself together mentally. .  I say, “OK but you like Mac n Cheese right?” Well, friends. Seems I met the first person I know who does not like mac n cheese. Well, other than my 5 year old daughter. He doesn’t eat cheese at all. No cheese. Nothing. He can barely eat pizza with mozzarella cheese on it. .  the smell bothers him and I think he might have even said it kind of makes him want to hurl. Like, it’s that bad.

 

So, after it hits me that a non-cheese lover person is standing right there in my kitchen, I go to Plan B. Pork Shoulder Ragù with Orecchiette pasta, no cheese. At all. Usually when I cook, I am only cooking for my family so – again, thinking these guys are going to be freakin’ hungry- I cook up almost 4 lbs of pork shoulder. I know. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. Maybe I was just excited to cook up a larger quantity, I don’t know.

 

Needless to say, we had left overs. And lots of it.

 

Which brings us to this lovely Baked Mezzi Rigatoni dish that I made tonight. I successfully used up the rest of the pork shoulder ragù. And I must say, this Baked Mezzi Rigatoni was freakin’ delicious. I just had to say “freakin” one more time in this post.

 

When I think of baked pasta, I usually think of fattening ingredients like heavy cream and lots of cheese (like ricotta). Well, I tried to stay as healthy as possible with this one. There is no heavy cream and I added a lot of vegetables.  . just how I like it! See, that’s the beauty of a baked pasta dish- you can throw in just about anything you want.

 

Variations:  If you don’t have time to make the Pork Shoulder Ragù, just use your fave chicken sausage, ground turkey OR add no meat at all! Go vegetarian. It’s totally up to you.

 

I’m ready to curl up with a big, fat chunk of this and dig in. .  and that’s what I’m going to do! And as for John, my non-cheese loving friend. It’s all good. I’m going to let this one go. .  homeboy is scared of heights, conquered his fear and freakin’ climbed Mount Rainier. Woot Woot baby.

 

I hope you enjoy!

 

Baked Mezzi Rigatoni with Pork, Kale and Mushrooms
 
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If you want to make the Pork Shoulder Ragù, please click on the link above for ingredients and directions. MAKE AHEAD: I suggest making the pork a day ahead and then you’ll already have it ready for the baked pasta.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 8-9

Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 cups of kale, chopped
  • 1 cup of zucchini, chopped
  • 1 cup of spinach, chopped (fresh or frozen/thawed spinach)
  • 1-2 cups of mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 large sweet onion, chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • ½ pound of Mezzi Rigatoni pasta (or whatever pasta you prefer)
  • 3 cups of pork shoulder ragu (or ground turkey, or sausage; whatever you prefer)
  • 1 cup marinara sauce; jarred store bought or canned
  • about 2 cups of shredded or diced fresh mozzarella cheese; split
  • ½ cup of light (low-fat) sour cream
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish

Instructions
  1. If using, prepare the pork shoulder ragu.
  2. For the baked mezzi rigatoni, preheat the oven to 375°. In a large, deep pan, heat the olive oil. Add all of the chopped vegetables and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Meanwhile, in a pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain completely and cool under running water.
  4. After the pasta has cooled a bit, put it back into the same empty pot (trying to save some dishes here), and add the pork shoulder ragu, all of the cooked vegetables, additional marinara sauce, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and the sour cream. Mix thoroughly.
  5. Pour all of your pasta mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese if desired.
  6. Bake the pasta for about 30-35 minutes, or until golden. Let rest for at least 15 minutes. Sprinkle fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.

 

 

 

 

Welcoming Fall, New Friends and Kimchi Jjigae

 

(Update: My husband and I love Kimchi Jjigae so I make this at least 2-3 times a month. I have since updated the recipe (I improvise depending on what I have in my refrigerator) so the recipe card has been updated below. I will update the photos too. In the meantime, please excuse the sucky photos. I hope you enjoy!)

 

Moving is never easy. Moving to another city in a different state with kids is worse.

 

When my husband received his new job offer that would take us to Seattle, WA from Los Angeles, CA, Continue reading →

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Mac n Cheese Cups with Pork Shoulder Ragù

Today’s recipe is all about comfort food. When I think comfort food, the first thing that comes to my mind is macaroni and cheese. Oh yeah. .

 

I absolutely love mac n’ cheese and if I could, I would Continue reading →

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Pork Shoulder Ragù with Linguine

I recently finished reading Dinner, A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach. If you haven’t heard of the book, check it out! It’s great for helping you get started with meal planning tips with a family and Continue reading →

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Lemongrass-Barbecued Pork with Brown Rice Vermicelli Noodles

I’m always up for trying different kinds of Asian foods. There’s something about the different flavors and textures and how everything comes together. . . and I wanted to make a dish using lemongrass!

 

I Continue reading →

Kimchi Bokumbap (Fried Rice)

Kimchi Fried Rice.

So, I have something to confess. I’m Korean and I didn’t eat kimchi properly until I was in college. Yeah, I know. Embarrassing. So, obviously, my parents cooked a ton of Korean food at home (love them Continue reading →

Cumin Rubbed Baby Back Ribs (my 101st post!)

My 101st post! Hooray!

 

How do I celebrate? By grillin’ up some ribs! Of course this milestone coincides with July 4th so I had to grill something. And we are visiting my parents in Dallas, TX, so grilling Continue reading →

Spinach, Sausage & Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

Yes, here is yet another pasta recipe because there are never enough ways to make pasta. The original recipe called for jumbo pasta shells (to stuff) but I could not find jumbo shells anywhere so I made Continue reading →
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    • Meet Alice

    Hello! My name is Alice and I love to cook. I am hopelessly addicted to coffee, chocolate cake and any and all Asian inspired recipes. I hope these dishes and desserts make your mouth water and inspire you to get into the kitchen. Thank you for stopping by.


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