Asian Flavored Chuck Roast

As a result of my meat order this winter, our freezers are overflowing with large hunks of meat. Lots of chuck roast and pork shoulder in particular. My favorite thing to do with these cuts is throw them in the slow cooker. Dave makes a fabulous pulled pork which I hope he will post about the next time he makes it. I have a couple of go-to recipes for chuck roast. One of my favorites, chuck roast with root vegetables is from the Food Network. It has a sweet, almost barbecue taste and you can use the left overs for bi bim bap, burritos, lettuce wraps or just serve them over cous cous. Last year I discovered an Asian flavored slow cooker recipe for chuck roast. Sadly, I didn't print it out, and after about 20 minutes of searching the web, I couldn't find the one I used previously. I decided to forge ahead and make it up. I live on the edge, it's true.

In a slow cooker, add

• 1 large onion chopped
• four cloves of garlic chopped
• 2-3 inches of ginger root peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup stock (I used chicken but beef or vegetable would work fine.)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
• Hot sauce to taste
• 1 chuck roast covered in salt and pepper. The one I used was about 2 lbs.

Cook on high for 6 to 8 hours or until meat is falling apart to the touch. Shred with 2 forks, spoon some cooking liquid on top and serve with noodles, rice, stir fry etc.