Slow Cooker Pork & Bok Choy Congee

I’ve written before about how congee is one of my all-time favourite comfort foods because it’s so versatile and so easy to make. You can use just about any meat or seafood to flavour it and all you need are a few super basic ingredients (rice, ginger and water) to whip it together. I love my gingery chicken congee and make it all the time, but sometimes I like to change it up with this pork tenderloin and bok choy version. It’s the same basic recipe, it just involves marinating the pork in advance and adding in a little bok choy towards the end. I like the marinade because it gives the pork a lovely dark, rich colour, the adding in the bok choy is an easy way to get more veggies into my routine.

INGREDIENTS

For the congee:

• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 8 cups water
• 4 (1 inch-thick each) chunks fresh ginger
• 1 pork tenderloin
• 6 heads baby bok choy, washed and trimmed

For the pork marinade:

• 2 tablespoons dark soya sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soya sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Optional toppings:

• Roasted peanuts
• Minced fresh ginger
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Finely chopped scallions
• Spicy dried pork
• A splash of sesame oil and soya sauce
• Sriracha
• Chinese century eggs, quartered
• Soft boiled eggs, halved
• Everything but the bagel seasoning
• Sambal oelek

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Thinly slice pork tenderloin and marinate in dark soya sauce, light soya sauce, and sugar for at least 15 minutes (you can marinate for up to 12 hours). Once you’re ready to prepare your congee, pat the pork dry to remove excess marinade.
2. Place the rice, water, ginger, and patted dry pork in a large slow cooker. Cover and cook until very creamy and the rice is completely broken down, 8 to 10 hours on the LOW setting or 5 hours on the HIGH setting.
3. Add in bok choy and continue to cook on LOW setting for an hour, or HIGH setting for 30 minutes. Stir the congee with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape against the bottom and sides of the slow cooker to incorporate congee that’s sticking there.
4. Top congee with your choice of optional toppings before serving.