National Pork Board contest looking for next ‘Crock-Star’

For all those who’ve been cooking along since January, when this monthly “Slow Ono” Crock Pot feature began, it’s time to demonstrate what you’ve learned. There could be some money in it.

The National Pork Board is offering a $2,000 prize in its slow-cooker contest, “America’s Next Pork Crock-Stars.” Besides cash the winner gets a six-month supply of pork. (I wonder how they measure that? If you win, let me know.)

Enter a recipe in one of these categories: chili, soups and stews; pulled and barbecue pork; roast pork; or pork inspiration (this covers anything else — I suggest pigs’ feet).

Enter through www.PorkBeInspired.com by Oct. 16. Get your friends and family to vote for your recipe; this process will narrow the field to 20 finalists for the judges.

The criteria: Must use fresh pork (obviously) and no more than eight other ingredients (not including common items such as salt and pepper). It must take no more than 30 minutes to get the ingredients into the pot and no more than eight hours to slow-cook.

If coming up with a recipe is too much trouble but you’d still like to win something, the pork board is giving away a slow cooker and $25 worth of pork every day this month, because it’s crock-tober, get it?

You must be a social networker, though. Enter through Facebook.com/PorkBeInspired or follow @AllAboutPork on Twitter.

To promote the contest the pork board offers this Asian-style stew from a new Good Housekeeping cookbook. I like it because it meets the “Slow Ono” goals of minimal fussiness and maximum local-style flavor. For more recipe ideas visit the website.

SIMMERING PORK SHOULDER

“The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen Cookbook: Essential Recipes for Every Home Cook” (Hearst, 2011, $29.95)
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
2-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 strips orange peel (3 inches long by 3/4-wide each)
1 cinnamon stick
1 whole star anise
1 pound baby carrots
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
2 10-ounce bags frozen broccoli florets, thawed

Combine brown sugar, sherry, vinegar and 1/4 cup soy sauce in 6-quart slow-cooker. Stir in onion, ginger, garlic, orange peel, cinnamon, star anise and carrots. Top with pork; do not stir. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours, until meat is tender.

Stir in broccoli. Cook until broccoli is heated through, about 10 minutes.

Discard cinnamon and star anise. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Serves 10.

“Slow Ono” continues on the first Wednesday of each month. The next installment, on Nov. 2, will be a Thanksgiving edition.

Reach Betty Shimabukuro at bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.