Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder roast (trim off excess fat)
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup kecap manis
1/2 cup spiced coconut vinegar*
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoon pecan liquid smoke
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 habanero, seeds removed and chopped
2 large mangos, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic

for the spice rub:

1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Mix the spice rub ingredients together. Rub them on the pork. Brown the pork on all sides in a nonstick pan. Place roast in slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hrs. When done, meat should shred easily with a fork. Remove roast from slow cooker. Shred with forks and set aside. Mash any solid bits of the sauce with a potato masher**. Return the pork and the sauce to slow cooker, and toss to evenly coat. Serve on rolls.

*I used Datu Puti brand (it is the easiest one to find in the Baltimore area). Look for it at a market that sells Filipino foods. It’s coconut vinegar with a mix of ginger, chiles, pepper and onions.

**If the sauce is very thin, bring it to a boil on the stove and reduce before tossing with the pork.

My thoughts:

When I saw I had with two mangos, some pork and a pack of hamburger rolls that I had to use up before heading on a trip I knew what I had to make. Pulled pork! I used the spoils of a successful run to the Filipino grocery store to bring the flavors all together. The coconut vinegar added a lot of tang and the kecap manis a bit of sweetness. The habanero was super fresh so the mix ended up being pretty hot. If you have a big, fresh pepper, half would probably be just fine for the whole batch. It wasn’t too hot for us, but not all have our tolerance.