This delicious slow cooker pulled pork in plum sauce is juicy and tender. This recipe requires very little effort and time to make, but will taste like it took you hours! There are so many ways to use this versatile meat, so you may want to double the recipe.
Why You Will Love This Pork In Plum Sauce
This recipe elevates a typical pulled pork tenderloin with an unforgettable sauce. You will love not only how tender the meat is, but also the mouth-watering aroma and sweet and tangy notes.
Plus, you can use this pulled pork in so many different recipes all week long. This is one of those make once and eat twice meals!
This slow-cooker pulled pork is perfect for when you know you’re going to be busy or tired the next day because all you need to do is throw the pork in a slow cooker overnight and the next day it’ll be deliciously warm and juicy and ready for you to eat, which saves you from having to cook anything!
Plus the slow cooker does all the work for you. All you need to do is put the pork and some other ingredients into the machine and your work is done!
You can just enjoy the deliciously soft and tender meat, which goes great on its own or in a sandwich or wrap. And if you have a little time you can whip up some tasty Japanese plum sauce that pairs perfectly with the tender pork. It’s absolutely worth the effort!
What Is Pork In Plum Sauce?
This is a super-easy recipe that gives you fork-tender pulled pork. Then, you will drizzle it with a sauce sweetened with plums.
The pork tenderloin slowly cooks all night long. By the morning, it is completely cooked and melt-in-your-mouth tender.
The sauce is made from the cooking liquid that is leftover in the slow cooker. I sweetened it with a little sugar and then drizzled it on the pork right before I served it.
It’s a dish that is easy enough to eat for lunch and fancy enough for a formal dinner.
Ingredients
I used a combination of sweet and spicy ingredients. As the pork cooks all night in these scrumptious spices, every bite is infused with powerful flavor.
Prunes and Ginger
You can either use fresh plums or dried prunes. Either choice has the same sweet taste.
Then, slice some ginger root nice and thin. Real ginger root tastes so much better than dried ginger from your spice rack.
Garlic And Celery
Take an entire clove of garlic and mince it. If you really enjoy the taste of garlic you can add another clove.
Chop up some celery stalks and add them to the slow cooker too.
Star Anise
I think the star anise is what gives my sauce the unique flavor that stands out from other pulled pork recipes. It has a rich and nutty flavor that enhances the bold spice of ginger and garlic.
Liquid
Use a white wine with high acidity – this will help your pork tenderize all night. My favorite white wine to cook with pork is either Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
Add a few cups of either chicken or vegetable stock. Stock is a bit thicker than broth, but you can use broth if you don’t have any stock on hand.
Tips And Tricks
I often don’t have the time or energy to cook both dinner and lunch so this slow-cooker pulled pork is perfect for me. Sometimes I will put chuck the pork into the slow-cooker in the morning so while I’m working, the slow-cooker is working too and my dinner is ready when I get home.
Or sometimes I like to have it for lunch so I’ll put the pork in overnight so it’s ready and warm in the morning. Then all I need to do is put in a lunchbox and take it to work. It’s much easier than buying some pork chops and having to stand by the grill and cook them! With this method, while the pork is in the slow-cooker you can still be working and doing what you have to do.
To save yourself time, pre-cut all your ingredients and store them in the refrigerator. Then, all you have to do is place all of them in the slow cooker and turn it on.
How To Use Pork In Plum Sauce
The pulled pork can be used in so many ways: you can put in a sandwich, a wrap, a salad, a hamburger, anything! I really enjoy using it as the meat in my pork bao buns.
What To Serve With Pork In Plum Sauce
Serve this tender pulled pork on top of some fluffy white rice or with your favorite fried rice recipe. You can also serve some California rolls or simmered kabocha squash on the side with it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pulled Pork
Yes, pork is surprisngly good for you. It gives you a great dose of protein and is a great source of vitamins and minerals like zinc, iron, and B12!
Store leftover pork without the sauce in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for about 5 days.
If you want the pork to be spicier, splash a little bit of Sriracha sauce in it. You could also add some ginger paste too.
I used pork fillet because it has less fat, but you can use whatever type of pork you like. This recipe works great for pork loin or pork tenderloin.
More Pork Recipes
Here are some more pork recipes that are just as tasty and easy to make.
- Miso Katsudon
- Ginger Pork Shogayaki
- Tonkatsu Panko Breaded Pork
- Chashu Ramen
- Rafute Okinawan Braised Pork Belly
Stay Connected
If you liked my recipe for pork with plum sauce, please rate it and leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Youtube, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest happenings on Chopstick Chronicles. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ChopstickChronicles so I can see your wonderful creations!
Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Tenderloin Japanese Plum Sauce
Ingredients
- 400 g Pork fillet
- 16 Dried prunes
- 3 cm Ginger thinly sliced
- 1 Clove of garlic thinly sliced
- 4 Small stalks of celery with leaves on it the end bits of celery
- 2 Star anise
- 3/4 cup White wine
- 2 cups Vegetable stock
- 2 tsp Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Sauce
- Leftover liquid from slow-cooker after meat is done
- 1 tsp of sugar
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a fry pan and lightly brown the outside of the pork.
- Put the pork into the slow cooker along with all the other dry ingredients.
- Pour the liquid (wine and stock) over the top of everything.
- Cook it in the slow cooker for about 7-8 hours overnight on the low setting.
- Once it’s cooked, take the pork out and pull it apart.
Sauce
- Pour the leftover liquid from the slow cooker into a small sauce pan along with 1 tsp of sugar.
- Bring the sauce to boil then turn the heat off and beat the sauce with an electric hand mixer/beater.
Notes
Nutrition
*Recipe serves 4 people. Nutrition doesn’t include the sauce.
AJ Daniels says
Love this recipe! I made it a fusion meal by making a cabbage and apple (wanted plums but they’re out of season) vinegar cole slaw. Served this on small slider buns and topped with the plum sauce! It was delicious!! Thank you for sharing this recipe ❤️❤️❤️❤️
April says
Can’t wait to try this! What would be a good substitute for star anise? Or can I also just leave it out altogether? Thanks!
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Chinese 5 spices or small amount of fennel seeds?
Deborah says
Mmm…mmm…good.
I did brown the meat… mixed everything else together and tossed it all into the crock pot. 8 hours later I watched my sons eat with complete joy.
Served over mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. It’s very cold here right now so I needed comfort food.
Next time I will serve in lettuce cups.. once we’re about 19 degrees outside.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Deborah it is my winter comfort food too. I am glad that your family loved it too. Thank you for trying this recipe and comment 😀
Pablo says
I have to try this right now ! 🙂
Chopstick Chronicles says
I hope you enjoy it! 😀
Vicky @ Avocdo Pesto says
I absolutely need to make this asap! Need to get my hands on some dried prunes and then I’m all set : ))
Shiho@ChopstickChronicles says
Yes! Get the dried prunes and chuck all the ingredients in a slow cooker and you’re done! 😀