Slow Roasted Pork Zoodle Bowl

For All Stages of the ITG Diet Plan

Difficulty
Category:  Main Dishes  - 

Ingredients

For 4 people ()

Recipe

  • 1 pound(s) Boneless Pork Shoulder (Or any lean meat of choice, shrimp, chicken, etc.)
  • 1 tablespoon(s) Olive Oil
  • 2 Garlic Cloves
  • 0.5 Inch Piece of Fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 5 cup(s) Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 1 Leek, halved lengthwise and coarsely chopped - use both white and green parts
  • 1 Package of Mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
  • 4 cup(s) Fresh Zucchini Noodles (spiralized zucchini)
  • 2 Large Eggs (optional)
  • 2 Green Onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon(s) Tamari
  • 2 pinch(es) Sea Salt

Slow Roasted Pork Zoodle Bowl Directions

  1. Season the pork with sea salt
  2. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and warm until hot. Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, add the pork pieces and sear them on the first side without moving them until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the pieces and sear on the second side until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  3. Discard any fat from the meat and return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the leeks  and sear, without stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and 1/2 cup of the broth, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, then let simmer for 1 minute. 
  4. If you have included the browning step, transfer the to the slow cooker, add the leek, mushrooms, and the remaining 4 1/2 cups of broth, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low-heat for approximately 4 hours.
  5. If you are starting here, combine the pork, leek, garlic, ginger, leek, mushrooms, and broth in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on the low-heat setting for 8 hours. The pork should be very tender and the broth should be fragrant.
  6. To assemble:
  7. Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Using 2 forks, break the pork into bite-size chunks, removing and discarding any large pieces of fat. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard the solids. Using a large spoon, skim off and discard any fat from the surface of the broth. Return the pork and broth to the slow cooker and season to taste with Tamari. Cover and cook on the low-heat setting for about 30 minutes to warm through.
  8. Partially boil the zucchini noodles (2-4 minutes is key, in order for them not to be soggy). If you want to top each bowl of zucchini ramen with an egg, put the eggs into boiling water and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water, let cool until they can be handled, and peel them.
  9. To serve:
  10. Divide the noodles evenly among individual bowls. Ladle the broth and pork over the noodles, dividing them evenly, then sprinkle with the green onions. If desired, top each bowl with a halved soft-boiled egg and serve right away.
  11. *Can use any desired lean meat*
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