Slow Roasted Pork with Carrots and Winter Melon

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I felt adventurous during the Thanksgiving weekend and whipped up a couple of items I never tried cooking before.  This is a typical Chinese slow roasted meat dish that I love, from it's tender "melt in your mouth" meat to the combination of spices that makes the drippings a "must-spread" on a pile of hot white rice.  I was inspired to make this dish while doing some winter cleaning of my kitchen cabinets when I found packets of spices received from my dad awhile back on his trip from Taiwan.  At the time, I just took whatever he tossed my way, not knowing what it was or what to do with it.  I gave a call to my mom to ask what I can do with these packets, and she informed me that I can use it to slow cook any kind of meat!  "Well, why not!" I said, since I have a whole Sunday to myself.  And thanks to my green-thumbed friend EH, I was able to add winter melon freshly picked from her garden just the day before.  The melon made the dish that much more delicious. 

Slow Roasted Pork with Carrots and Winter Melon

Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. of pork shoulder pieces, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp rice wine (can use sake)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 cups of water
- 1 packet of "spice pouch" (contains cinnamon, star anise, fennel, clove, and zanthoxylum. Although this packet was brought back from Taiwan, I am pretty sure you can find it at a Chinese supermarket here in the States.)

- 2 carrots, peeled, roughly cut into cubes
- Half of a winter melon, peeled, roughly cut into cubes

Tools
- iron cast pot

Steps
1. Heat olive oil in the crock pot and toss in pork shoulder pieces.  Saute for 5 minutes until meat is lightly browned on the outside.  Add both soy sauces, rice wine, salt, and sugar and saute for a couple of more minutes.

2. Add in water and the spice pouch.  Bring the pot to boil and then simmer for an hour.  Stir meat once in awhile during this time.

3. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add in carrots and winter melon.  Stir meat and vegetables until all vegetables are covered in sauce.  Cook for another 15 minutes, or until the carrots and winter melon are semi-soft.  If needed, salt to taste.