PUNCHED-UP PORK. Pictured are bites of Miso-Gochujang Shredded Pork, a recipe found in COOKish. (Milk Street via AP)

From The Asian Reporter, V32, #3 (March 7, 2022), page 11.

By Christopher Kimball

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street

Pulled pork is a great staple for many reasons, including that it’s a hands-off meal that can feed a lot of people with little effort.

Simply cut tough and chewy pork shoulder or butt into chunks and toss it into a Dutch oven with seasonings. Cooked low and slow for several hours, it emerges succulent and tender enough to shred. Once the pot is in the oven, it requires almost no attention.

Many cooks will brown the pork in batches before braising it, but we found this step unnecessary if you use the right seasonings. In our book COOKish, which limits recipes to just six ingredients without sacrificing flavor, we make an Asian-inflected take on pulled pork with a trio of high-powered ingredients.

The Korean red pepper paste called gochujang adds loads of umami-rich flavor with the right amount of spice. Hoisin and white miso offer a sweeter, balancing depth.

We like the pork piled onto soft buns with pickled jalapenos on the side. It also is great with a crisp cabbage slaw, which adds a cooling crunch that contrasts with the succulent meat.

* * *

Start to finish: 3 3/4 hours (30 minutes active)

Servings: 6 to 8

3 to 4 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

3/4 cup gochujang

1/4 cup hoisin

1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

1/4 cup white miso

Heat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit with a rack in the lower-middle position. In a large Dutch oven, stir together the pork, gochujang, and hoisin. In a bowl, toss the onion with the miso, then distribute over the pork. Cover and cook for 2 hours. Uncover and cook until the pork is fork-tender, another 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring once or twice. Skim off and discard the fat, then shred the pork.

Optional garnish: Thinly sliced scallions or toasted sesame seeds, or both.