crockpot caramelized pork ramen noodles... 8 hours

the goods:

2-3 pound shoulder roast (or butt), trimmed of excess fat

4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon thai chili paste

juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 cups wild mushrooms, left whole, or button mushrooms, sliced

4 packs ramen noodles, seasoning discarded

4 fried eggs, for serving

julienned carrots, sliced scallions, and minced cilantro, for serving

roasted acorn squash:

1 medium acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and diced

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Add pork to the bowl of a crockpot. Pour in the chicken broth, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, and fish sauce over the pork. Add the chili paste, ginger, lime juice, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. (low and slow is preferable.)
About 40 minuted before you're ready to eat, roast the squash. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl mix together coconut oil, brown sugar and a good pinch of pepper. Add the squash to a greased baking sheet and pour the oil over the squash. Toss to combine. Bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing a couple times during roasting.
Meanwhile, remove the pork from the crockpot and add the mushrooms. Cover the crockpot and crank the heat up to high. Lightly shred the pork with 2 forks.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame oil. Once hot, add enough pork to cover just the surface of your skillet, do not crowd. Sprinkle a little brown sugar over the pork, add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, toss. Allow the pork to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Stir, and allow the pork to continue to caramelize, another 2 minutes. Remove the pork to a plate, and repeat with remaining pork.
Add the ramen noodles to the crockpot and allow them to cook 5 minutes. Once the noodles are cooked, Stir in about half the pork. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with extra caramelized pork, roasted acorn squash, and an egg. Garnish with carrots, scallions, and cilantro.