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5-Spice Pork Stew. There are dishes that frankly intimidate me because of their complexity, and this was definitely one of them until this past week ……
Even though this 5-spice pork stew tastes ridiculously good, I’d only seen it at Asian wedding banquets. For some reason, my mom rarely made it at home.
Recently, though, I got a pressure cooker that changed my mind.
I used the instant pot this time to prepare this seemingly complex dish. It took about only 35 minutes to make roughly 2 lbs meat soft, tender, and flavorful.
If you use a slow cooker, I have a version of the recipe for you (below the instant pot recipe). It will take about 6 to 8 hours to make the meat fall apart.
One important thing to note is that this is not a Western braise or stew. When you make it at home, you’ll have extra stewing liquid left. This is good because this liquid will become your master sauce for your next braise. The other way to utilize the stewing liquid is to use it as soup base. Just add more water to the soup base, and you’ll have a bowl of delicious soup in a few seconds.
In Asia, people are pretty keen on putting a balanced meal with some rice, protein, and vegetables, all on one plate.
I braised a few hard boiled eggs in the soup broth for extra yum. I also used sauerkraut – instead of asian pickled cucumbers/cabbage – as side dish because I think sauerkraut works perfectly with this savory and meaty stew. .
The wine and honey on the recipe below are in extremely small quantities in comparison to what you’d use for a 5-liter pot stew. The wine mostly will evaporate during the cooking process and you aren’t likely to taste the honey. If, however, you are on Whole30, skip the honey and cooking wine below.
This 5-spice pork stew also goes perfectly with sweet potato/yum or breakfast tacos/burritos. I can think of quite a few variations. More on that later.
Follow the instructions below for a more detailed explanation.
A Short Cut To Thai 5-Spice Pork Stew (Instant Pot Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless organic pork butt
- 2 tbsp olive oil to sear the pork
- pinch of sea salt
- 6-8 boiled chicken eggs
- chopped cilantro leaves and stems decoration
Aromatic base:
- 1 tbsp dry coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp ginger grated, (Alt. Thai ginger galangal)
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp garlic cloves slice lengthwise
Pork stew combo:
- 2 tbsp 5 spice powder
- 1 ½ cup coconut aminos or 1 cup gluten free tamari
- 4 tbsp Chinese rice wine *skip this if whole30 or Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 tbsp organic raw honey *skip this if whole30
- 1 ½ tbsp ginger sliced, (Alt. Tahi ginger - galangal)
- 1 cup chopped cilantro include leaves, stems, and roots (if possible)
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 1 in whole garlic head peeled and sliced half (place them in a cheesecloth or disposable tea filter bags - dispose after stew)
- 8 cups tap water for a 5-liter size instant pot
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
Instructions
To make aromatic base:
- Place ingredients under “aromatic base” in a mortar and pestle. Pound the ingredients until they are mixed well. (Alt. blend them in a small food processor). Set aside. (You should smell an amazing aroma coming from this combo).
To sear the pork:
- Press the “Sauté” function key.
- Select a temperature with the “Adjust” key for “Normal”.
- When Instant Pot reaches the given working temperature, it displays “Hot” add 2 tbsp of olive oil and you can start sautéing/browning meat.
- We are looking for a light golden brown color (not dark brown) so it should take you about 5 minutes total to sear the meat. Season a pinch of salt on each side of pork.
- Set the pork aside in a large size bowl/plate.
- Keep the “Saute” function on for next step.
To stew the pork:
- If the pot is dry, add another tbsp of olive oil and saute the “aromatic base” from step 1 until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Turn off Saute function key.
- Add the pork back to the pot. Add all ingredients under “Pork stew combo”.
- Carefully Seal/Lock the pressure cooker. Select “Meat/Stew” function key. 35 minutes.
- In the meantime, boil 6-8 chicken eggs on a stovetop. When cool, peel and set aside.
Final touch:
- When the pork is done, spoon off the top layer of fat on the surface.
- Add the eggs and let them soak in broth. (p.s. the eggs will be even more tasty next day)
- Ladle a few spoonful of stew liquid over steamed rice and stewed pork. Slice one egg. Sprinkle some cilantro and serve with pickled cabbage/cucumber/ or plain sauerkraut.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A Short Cut To Thai 5-Spice Pork Stew (Slow Cooker Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless organic pork butt divide into 4 equal parts
- 2 tbsp +1 coconut oil
- pinch of sea salt
- 6-8 chicken eggs boiled
- Chopped cilantro for final decoration use
Aromatic base:
- 1 tbsp dry coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp garlic cloves slice lengthwise
Pork stew combo:
- 2 tbsp 5 spice powder
- 1 ½ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 ½ tbsp sliced ginger
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 whole yellow onion quartered
- 1 whole garlic head peeled and sliced half (place them in a cheesecloth - dispose after stew)
- 8 cups water for a 5-liter size slow cooker
- 1 tbsp sea salt
Instructions
Make aromatic base + sear the pork:
- Place ingredients under “Aromatic base” in a mortar and pestle. Pound the ingredients until they are mixed well. (Alt. blend in a food processor).
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan, saute the “aromatic base” until fragrant (about 2-3 min.). Pour in the slow cooker.
- Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a large size cast iron over high heat. When hot, brown the pork until light golden brown (about 5 mins). Season with a pinch of salt.
Make the stew:
- Add the pork to the slow cooker with aromatic base.
- Add all ingredients under “Pork stew combo”.
- Cover the pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs. until the pork is tender & begins to fall apart.
- In the meantime, boil 6-8 chicken eggs on a stovetop. When cool, peel and set aside.
Final touch:
- When the pork is done, add the eggs & soak them in the broth.
- Ladle a few spoonful of stew liquid over mixed leafy greens w/ 1 egg & some cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious meal! My kids really like this. I really enjoy making all types of Asian cuisine. This is one of my favorites. It’s an umami bomb. You have got to make this!
Ha! You found an older recipe of mine! 🙂
Love this recipe! Easy and delicious.
I made this last night and it was *amazing*! I could drink the broth all day long. The pork butt in my freezer had a bone in it, so the meat may have over cooked a bit, it didn’t shred very easily. But it was all delicious.
I was wondering if I could use the same recipe but use a 3-4 lb whole chicken instead of the pork. I would love your opinion, ChihYu. Thanks.
Thank you, Tess. So happy to hear that. I have yet to try it with chicken. I usually prefer chicken thighs for stews because the texture will be more moist.
After the stew cooks in the instant pot do you los a natural release or quick?
Hi Tracey, if you have time, personally I prefer natural release.
I’ve made this stew at home in my slow cooker and both my husband and I loved it! Thank you for this recipe!! I have one question, though… do you know if this stew freezes well? I’d like to make it for a friend recovering from surgery (something tasty to stick in her freezer that’s not a typical casserole). Thank you!
I’m so excited to make this on the weekend, I just got some pork collar butt. Just a question, do you dice the pork first or just pop it in whole? And do you think this would go well with kelp noodles? Thanks in advance!
Dear Ashleigh,
Thanks so much for your question. :))
I put an entire whole pork to my instant pot (pressure cooker). If you use traditional stove top, I’d dice the pork first before cooking.
Instant pot breaks down big chunk of meat quite efficiently. Stove top takes time to break down the tissue, flavor, and tenderness.
Kelp noodles sound great. I haven’t had opportunity to use them lately but they’ll go really well with this lovely pork stew !
Another thing is that if you want to drink the broth (i.e. noodle soup), you might need to dilute the broth with a bit water. People drizzle the broth over pork, vegetables, and some rice (if you like) as a thin sauce in Thailand. Taste it and decide how much water you’d prefer to add before drinking it !
Let me know how it goes.
Again, thank you for reaching out!
ChihYu :))
Thanks so much for the quick reply, ChihYu! I might do this in my slow cooker – I have a very ‘fast’ slow cooker, I did a piece of pork last weekend and it was falling apart after 7hrs, so I might try it in there. I’ll let you know how it goes! Could I add chicken broth instead of water, or do you think the flavours would be too strong/wouldn’t work? I usually make my broth with chicken and pork. Thanks again, and sorry for all the questions! Can’t wait to make this x
Dear Ashleigh,
So sorry for my delayed response. Chicken stock should work, thought I’ve never tried it before. Let me know how it goes !
ChihYu 🙂
This soup is amazing! I shared with some non-Paleo friends and they absolutely loved it. (I didn’t tell them. 😉 I left the yolk on the soft side for the boiled eggs, and after a day in the soup….they’re delicious. Typically, I find stews better the second day, but this is delicious straight out of the pot. Thanks for this awesome recipe!!
I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks so much, Racheal. :))
This is a dish that let’s you celebrate the joy of cooking. Fabulous!
Thanks so much Robyn! Totally agree with you. Love a good pot of stew, very versatile, especially in the winter. 🙂