Teriyaki Pork Bowls

This recipe is inspired by the 9 years I lived and worked in San Francisco. Before moving to Colorado, I thought I was a city girl for life. I loved not having to drive to work, walking down the street to my local hipster coffee shop, and having some of the best food just a Grub Hub click away. 5 years removed from that life and one of the things I miss most about that city is the food. And not the five star Michelin Star food, because trust me hardly anyone living in that city actually makes enough money to afford eating at those restaurants. And I mean actually afford, not putting it on a credit card hoping your next promotion at your downtown job will give you enough disposable income to start paying off your credit card . . . afford. If you've spend any time in San Francisco, you know exactly what I mean (more rants on my time in San Francisco to come).

One thing I do miss is the hole in the wall food joints tucked away in the small neighborhoods of the city. The places that are not on a "Top 10" list and are only known by locals. My local Bahn Mi place was just like this. It was cash only, $5 for a sandwich, no table service, and the owners barely spoke English. It was the perfect place to go on a Sunday afternoon after a little day drinking with friends.

So when a new Bahn Mi place opened up next to my work in Boulder, Colorado, I was pumped!. Except everything about this new place was all wrong. I mean, the food tastes pretty good but the decor is edgy with industrial light bulbs and custom, wood-work tables. The sandwiches are served on fancy metal platers. And . . . the sandwiches cost $12/sandwich . . . outrageous. It was missing that "hole in the wall" feel I missed from my San Francisco days. So while I begrudgingly ate my overpriced sandwich, I thought, "I can make this." So here it is my homemade Bahn Mi bowls - to hold me over until I visit San Francisco or until I find a local hole in the wall place.

For the Teriyaki Pulled Pork (or you can follow my recipe for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Two Ways):

• 1 lb pork shoulder

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 1.5 tsp each: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika

• salt and pepper

• 1 cup teriyaki sauce (I love Primal Kitchen's No Soy Teriyaki Sauce)

Mix spices, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Coat all sides of the pork evenly with the spice mixture.
Add 1 cup of chicken broth to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add pork and cook on low for 8-10 hours.Remove pork from slow cooker and shred. Add 1 cup of teriyaki sauce and incorporate throughout.

For the picked onions and carrots:

• 2 cups matchstick carrots

• 2 cups thinly sliced onions

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar (split)

• 2 tbsp sugar (split)

• 3 tsp salt (split)

• 2 cup water (split)

Place matchstick carrots in a small bowl. Add 1 tbsp of sugar and 1.5 tsp of salt to carrots. Massage with hands for a few minutes until sugar and salt dissolve. Place carrots in a 16 oz mason jar. Add 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and 1 cup water. Secure lid and let sit for at least 1 hour. Repeat with onion.

Assemble the bowls with the following ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked cauliflower rice

• 1 cup Teriyaki pulled pork

• 1/2 cup pickled onions

• 1/2 cup pickled carrots

• sliced cucumber

• sliced jalapeños

• cilantro

• lime wedge

• Optional: sweet chili sauce (I used Yai's Thai Sweet Chili Sauce)