Tastebud Orgasm: Thai-Style Pork Stew

[lsdesign]

This is what my husband had last night when I served this to him. He is generally just so-so but appreciative of what I cook but this sent him into orbit. This was posted by lindarusso early in November of this year.

[Lauren]

I can't wait to try this recipe. Isn't this the one which is made in a crockpot? I imported the recipe last night. A crockpot is on my holiday list. I just figured out how to import recipes in to MC and have been going gangbusters on old threads. I'm so excited! I figured out how to file recipes into categories, i.e. main dishes, veggies, crockpot, etc. My husband was less than enthused, but always enjoys the new dishes I put in front of him!

[Beth]

Thanks for the review. I also copied the recipe and am thinking I may get a crock pot for b-day or Christmas. That me be the first thing I try in it.

[luv2cook]

What are you guys talking about? Pasting messages into MC? What am I missing?

[kwormann]

Where is this recipe located???? ANything that produces any kind of "orgasm" is worth trying! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Lauren]

Here is the recipe:

Thai-Style Pork Stew

Stew:
2 pounds boned pork loin, cut into 4 pieces
2 cups julienne-cut red bell pepper (I'm doing half pepper, half green beans)
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Remaining ingredients:

6 cups hot cooked basmati rice
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped, dry-roasted peanuts
8 lime wedges

1. To prepare stew, trim fat from pork; discard fat. Place pork, bell pepper, and next 4 ingredients in an electric slow cooker. Cover with lid, and cook on low-heat setting 8 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker, and coarsely chop. Add peanut butter to liquid in slow cooker; stir well. Stir in pork.
2. Combine stew and rice in a large bowl. Top each serving with onions and peanuts; serve with lime wedges. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup stew, 1 tablespoon green onions, about 1/2 teaspoon peanuts, and 1 lime wedge).
3. Calories 412 (30% from fat); Fat 13.6g (sat 3.6g, mono 6.2g, poly 2.5g); Protein 28.9g; Carb 42.3g; Fiber 2.1g; Chol 64mg; Iron 2.9mg; Sodium 425mg; Calc 37mg.

luv2cook,

MC is the MasterCook software mentioned quite often on this board. It's made by Sierra. There are several versions of MasterCook, but one of them is from Cooking Light. It's a great way to organize your own recipes, as well as have access to previous years of CL recipes.

[Teresa]

This is the nicest and most successful recipe I have made in the crockpot. Wonderful stuff. I have made it with lamb instead of pork also, and added other veggies. Always a hit.

[PENNYNIKKEL]

I'd sure like to know how to cook without a crockpot too! My co-worker says that it could probably be done in a large dutch oven in the oven on low. Would this work?

[Linda in MO]

I have a friend that doesn't have a crockpot and has successfully cooked crockpot recipes, that I've passed on to her, by cooking slowly in the oven. Might be worth a try.

[JJ40]

Wow! I would like to have a tastebud orgasm! Unfortunately, I don't have a crockpot...how would I make this recipe without a crockpot???

TIA,
Julie

[andrea]

this is one of my top 5 all-time CL favorites!!! i have mentioned it on the board about 5 times... i'm glad to finally know that others are enjoying it, too!

[Grace]

Just to let you know that I have this going in my crockpot right now! Anything that brings about an "orgasm", has my curiousity piqued, so I felt I had to try this one! I'll give my review of it tonight after we've eaten, but it does indeed smell good. I haven't used my crock pot either since last year, and I am home today because of the big blizzard we had here in Chicago, so it's a perfect comfort food, I think! Thanks for the suggestion - I sure do love this board!

[LenaS]

Just a quick question, I too am making this wonderful smelling dish right now - does one mix the stew and rice before serving or serve on top of rice - if mixing before - does it not get mushy?

Thanks Beth! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by LenaS (edited 12-12-2000).]

[BethR]

I've served it both ways, and much prefer serving the stew over the rice rather than mixing it. We thought it became rather mushy when it was all mixed together. --B

[This message has been edited by BethR (edited 12-12-2000).]

[CrystalB]

I would like to try this recipe but I would like to cut the recipe in half, would this change the cooking time in the crock pot? I know this is probably a stupid question but I have never used my crock pot!! I am determined!

[JJ40]

Any thoughts on what temperature and how long you'd cook it in the oven?? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Kayaksoup]

I made this tonight and instead of serving over rice, I served over stirfried veggies and udon noodles. Really simple, tasty meal. My only complaint - the meat was a little dry on its own, but with teh sauce and veggies, you never would have noticed:)

[slawrence]

I LOVE when foods are described like this! It's on the list of ones to try, but it is on top now. ;) Sue

[Peaceandquiet]

JJ40, I have read in two places that crockpots/slow cookers "low" temperature is between 170 and 280 degrees. Maybe you could choose something inbetween for the oven, and let your experience by your guide. I'm sure others will be interested in your results!!

P&Q

[Gecko]

Just wanted to say I love the description! I will have to try this and see if I get the same reaction. Well, not exactly THAT reaction, I'm blushing here, well heck maybe I DO want that kind of reaction (but i ususally only get it from eating "real" Cadbury's chocolate).

[stacie99]

I was just wondering what size crock pot you would cook this meal in?? I can't wait to try it!

[Kayaksoup]

I used a big crockpot, but I think really any size would work.:)

[rinsav]

Do you use a store bought teriyaki sauce or make your own? I'm eager to try this recipe too!

[Kayaksoup]

The place I work at makes a teryaki sauce, so I used that. I think store bought is fine. It is a time saver recipe. Or, if you know how, homemade would be good too:)

[yorkshirepud]

Is the meat used for this dish a pork tenderloin? Or one of those bigger loin things (obviously I've never bought one before).

Sounds good.

[layla14]

A single tenderloin wouldn't be 2 pounds, and they don't have bones. Seeing as it says boned in the recipe, I would think that they mean one of those big pork loins.

Although I'm sure you could use a tenderloin. I would think that you would need to adjust the cooking time, because it isn't as thick of a piece of meat.

Maura

[yorkshirepud]

Thanks Maura, I had a feeling it wasn't as I know cooking a tenderloin for that long would not give me a tastebud orgasm! :D

[DebMG]

I spotted this thread this morning and am making it for tonight. I don't have a crockpot so I just used a cast iron dutch oven. I bought one of those big pieces of boneless pork loin. I cubed it as though I were making beef stew. Don't know if that was necessary, but I was afraid it might not be tender enough if I just cut it in four pieces.(Since I wasn't using a crock pot)

I did brown the meat in a bit of oil for a few minutes, and then added the other ingredients (except for the PB) and put it in the oven at 300. After an hour or so, it was really steaming so I reduced it to 250. It's been cooking for a couple of hours and is really tender. I was able to just break it apart gently with a fork.

Here's my question: Is there supposed to be any sauce? (I wasn't sure if using a crock-pot sort of makes a sauce??) Mine is pretty much just the pork and peppers. Not that it's dry, but I am just used to seeing some sauce. I wonder if I should add a little chicken broth when I add the PB. For those who have made it, what do you think?

Anyway, it looks and smells wonderful!

Debbie

[Lisa W]

I made this last night and DH and I had leftovers for lunch today. It was amazing!!

[greysangel]

is this a cl recipe?

[Terrytx]

yes, Sept-99

[Rottlover]

I have this going in the crockpot right now. Knowing very little about pork and having read this thread after putting the whole thing together 2 hours ago - I realized I bought boneless pork loin ribs :confused: Not sure I even know what that is, but I'm gathering its not what the "boned pork loin" the recipe calls for.

Do I need to reduce the cooking time? I'm suspecting I should, as these are relatively thin cuts of meat. It's supposed to cook on low for 8 hours - if I take it out in 6 will it be overcooked? Undercooked?

ARUGGGHHH !!!

(I need more pork experience :rolleyes: )

[colleency]

I made this the other night. We really enjoyed it. It came out kind of dry, probably because it cooked for more than 8 hours. I threw some teriyaki sauce and orange juice in the crockpot with the peanut butter, and it was fine.

[bluestocking]

Lauren, I PM-ed you about mastercook, but your mailbox is full. Can you check it when you have time? Thanks! :)

[Kuvy]

I just have to bring this old thread back up again, since it really is TO DIE FOR good (and the o-word just like they said
:blushing: )

I made this Sat. to serve Sat. night for 8 of DH's old high-school buddies before Trivial Pursuit. In general, these folks don't much like to cook, don't really care about food, and are not the most adventurous of eaters (I'm being polite here!). As you can imagine, I fit right in!! Not! ;)

Anyway I chose this because I knew I wanted something in the crockpot so I wouldn't be rushing around at the last minute cooking (I finally learned my lesson). Of course, I did leave the prepping of- and making of- the Stir Fried Sweet and Sour Vegetables to the last minute (gosh this is good!!!!!! Every time I make it we can't believe how good it is!! but I digress) so sure enough I was still chopping away like mad while everyone was arriving :mad: :rolleyes: .

I made the stew with one of those GIANT 6-lb pork tenderloins from CostCo ($15!!!) -spent hours removing all the fat - then cut it into 12 thick slices. I used a store-bought teriyaki sauce and subbed 1 tsp of Thai Red Curry paste for one-third of the crushed red pepper flakes. I julienned four red bell peppers and left them on the top.

8 hours was too long for this. My crockpot runs high as it is; I should have reduced cook time to more like 5-6 hours at most I bet. The meat was ever-so-slightly dry (although there was plenty of sauce.)

Anyway THIS WAS AMAZING. Every single person, including the women, had seconds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The flavors are just incredible. The freshly-squeezed lime juice on top is KEY (as it usually is, I notice). People got a kick out of the three garnishes for the Thai stew (green onions, dry roasted peanuts and lime wedges) and then the garlic and red chile strips for the veggie dish (I was accused of being Martha-Stewart-ish!!)

I'm hoping I reduced the calories and fat a little with my pork tenderloin and reduced-fat peanut butter, since 9 points is a lot for one 1-cup serving!!!

Anyway thanks again for posting this and making our Game Night such a success.

[claire797]

Thanks for the review, Kuvy. I've never done pork loin in the crockpot and like yours, mine runs pretty hot. I'll remember that to cook it for 5 or 6 hours.

Also, what kind of Teriyaki sauce did you use? How is Teriyaki different than soy sauce? Is it just sweeter?

And finally, would this be any good with chicken instead of pork?

What's the texture of crockpot pork like anyway?

[patissac]

I love thai food so this one caught my attention not to mention the title of the post! Can anyone suggest maybe a different type of pork cut, reason being I usually don't use pork loin due to it being on the pricey side and I've read mixed reviews on the member rating, so maybe there is a different type cut from pork I could substitute?

[colleency]

Kuvy, the first time I made this, I cooked it too long, and it was a little dry. I just poured in some orange juice, and it was perfect!

[Kuvy]

Claire797 (hello! long time no speak!! ;) )

I had trouble finding straightforward "teriyaki sauce" in the BBQ sauce/ketchup/etc area. I ended up buying KC MASTERPIECE "Honey Teriyaki" Barbecue Sauce. Now that I think of it, I probably should have looked in the Asian section...
:rolleyes:

I would definitely try it with chicken. And beef!!


The texture was... like BBQ meat... kinda sloppy, like sloppy joes... falls COMPLETELY apart so you don't want to stir it too vigorously or it starts to turn into a mash!!!

Colleency I guess I used the wrong word when I said "dry". It's not dry per se - there's plenty of sauce. But the meat itself (remembering I used pork tenderloin and went to great lengths to cut off most of the fat) was somehow slightly dry...as in, not as moist and succulent as I would have liked. I'm sure it's because I overcooked it. Anyway no-one else noticed, I was just looking for something to improve for next time.
:D

[Robyncz]

Thanks for bringing this thread back up, since I completely missed this recipe the first time around.

This is in my crockpot as I type, however, unless I have completely misunderstood something, I think the cooking time is way too long! I have followed the recipe exactly as it is written. I used two pounds of pork loin (the big ones) almost exactly. Cut them into four pieces. Set the pot on low. I checked the meat at 5 hours, and it was definitely done. So I can see how some people may have ended up with really dry meat. Even assuming that "low" may actually be a little bit lower on different slow cookers, I just don't see how 8 hours would work!

Can't wait for dinner. . .

[Kuvy]

Robyncz - exactly!!!!!!!

How was it??

[claire797]

Yes, how was it?

Kuvy, thanks for your input. I may go ahead and try it with chicken.

[foodfiend]

I'd like to make this tomorrow (as well as the Raspberry Balsamic Chicken). Is it possible to make this using pork chops? There might be sliced pork tenderloin at the supermarket but I doubt a whole one. As well, I'm not really experienced with Thai food. Do you squeeze the lime wedges onto the food? Is this skippable? Thanks.

[Robyncz]

foodfiend--I don't know about the pork chops. I'd think they'd cook relatively quickly, so you'd want to watch them. You definitely do NOT want to skip the garnish. The lime juice, chopped onion, and chopped peanuts take this from good to spectacular. You can also up the "authentic" quotient by adding a bit of chopped cilantro.

Aside from the fact that the pork was overcooked (at 5 hours on low!), we absolutely loved this dish. The sauce is outstanding. I think I'm going to try to work out a soup variation using much less meat but all the same ingredients and spices. I'll let you know how it goes.

Anna, I think it would be fine with chicken.

[Donna Borges]

I made this several months ago, but my husband and I both thought it was awful. We ended up throwing it in the garbage. I'm glad so many find it a worthwhile recipe to prepare, but quite frankly I thought it was one of the worst recipes I have ever made.

[CindySoCal]

This looks like something my DH would LOVE!!!
I'm going to have to try it this weekend,
Thanks for sharing......:D

[patissac]

I agree with donna I love thai and thought this one would be a winner, It wasn't :( my pork came out too dry even though it fell off when it was done cooking. It was actually bland surprisingly, I used the kikoman's teriyaki sauce which wasn't thick at all. I read the suggestion of using red curry, maybe I will try that next time.

[leightx]

Robyn - what kind of teriyaki sauce did you use?

Thanks,
Leigh :)

[Robyncz]

Originally posted by leightx
Robyn - what kind of teriyaki sauce did you use?

Thanks,
Leigh :)

Safeway select (Randall's store brand)

I also added a dash of fish sauce, because I had some on hand for another Thai dish I made recently (although, for the life of me, I can't remember what it was. . .)

If you try this, be sure to use all the suggested garnishes (lime juice, chopped peanuts, and chopped green onions). Like another reviewer, we also added chopped cilantro. The garnishes MAKE this dish, in my opinion.

[leightx]

Many thanks! :) It's on the menu for next week.

[lsdesign]

In regard to several folks who asked about using other cuts of pork, I've used pork sirloin and or whatever is on sale. I wouldn't spend the money on tenderloin in a crockpot, although I've used it if I had it on hand.

[Kuvy]

lsdesign- just curious - why wouldn't you "spend the money on" tenderloin in a crockpot?

[lsdesign]

Because less expensive cuts of meat get better and more tender cooking with that method. Tenderloin doesn't necessarily need slow cooking to be tender. Does that make sense or am I ascribing to an urban legend?

[Kuvy]

Ah ha - that's probably why my pork had a "dry" texture (even though it had plenty of sauce).
:eek:

[leightx]

Yum! I made this tonight and it was so quick and easy! And delicious! I used the Costco pork tenderloins - (2 weighed about 2.5 lbs.), cut into 4 chunks each. I checked it after 2.5 hours on low. It was already starting to dry out a tiny bit at that point, so I took the pork out and shredded it. I also served it over rice, as opposed to mixing the rice in.

[SushiGal]

In getting my grocery list together to make this, I did some research on which cut of pork to use.

From "America's Best Slow Cooker Recipes" by Donna Marie Pye:

"There are three basic types of pork roast - loin, leg and shoulder. While loin roasts are very lean and tender, they are not the best for slow cooking. A boneless shoulder butt is ideal - it has some marbling and is less tender, which makes it perfect for all-day, moist heat cooking."

Also, a recipe in this book for Roast Pork with Tangy Cranberry Sauce that uses the pork shoulder butt roast calls for 6-10 hours on Low or 3-4 hours on High.

Now if I can just get to the grocery store so I can try this recipe for myself!