Cooktop Cove: How to make slow cooker Caribbean pork
By Rhona Reid
This recipe is a masterclass in how to bring bold, strong flavors together in exactly the right way, to create a harmonious and utterly delicious dish that you will want to eat again and again.  The vivid, bright vibrancy of the lime is sensational alongside the peanut butter, hoisin sauce and cumin.   Just reading that list of ingredients is enough to make your mouth water! 
This dish is equally at home as a family meal (with layers of subtle sweetness, it's a great one for introducing more complex flavors to kids), or as a special occasion recipe.  You can try this with pork shoulder, or even a jointed chicken, but don't skip that browning step - it really adds to the overall flavor of the meat.  
Ingredients
1 (2-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin roast, trimmed and cut into roughly 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups chopped red bell pepper
6 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 1/2 cups hot cooked basmati rice
2 tablespoons diagonally sliced green onions
Instructions:
1.  Spritz your slow cooker with cooking spray before browning the meat in batches using the oil in a non-stick skillet, and place into your slow cooker with the bell pepper and larger green onion pieces then stir well.
3.   In a bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, peanut butter, cumin, salt, red pepper and garlic until thoroughly mixed, then pour over the pork and vegetables before gently stirring.  
4.  Cover and cook on high for 1 hour before reducing the heat to low and cooking for 5 to 6 hours. 
This is perfect served over cooked white rice and sprinkled with the sliced green onions.  You might want to offer a lime quarter to squeeze over the finished dish, but in truth, this dish needs little in the way of garnish or accompaniment.  Bold, bright and exuberant, this is a Caribbean Carnival of a recipe!  
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