Sichuan braised pork

OK, this is not an authentic Sichuan recipe.  I made it up.  I think the flavors are true to authentic Sichuan, but it's still done in a sort of Wisconsin way.

Sichuan braised pork:
3-5 lbs pork roast, cut into 2 inch chunks
3 cups pork or chicken stock (I recommend pork stock, can be found as a concentrate at asian groceries)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sweetened rice vinegar
1/4 cup Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons sichuan peppercorns
1 teaspoon 5 spice powder
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 chinese hot pepper pods, ground (or 1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper)
2 tablespoons cornstarch in 3 tablespoons water (leave until end to make)

Peanut sauce:
1/4 cup natural (unsweetened, unsalted) peanut butter
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon 5 spice powder
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (optional, but it adds a nice smokey flavor)
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Roast the peppercorns in a small, dry pan over medium heat until they are lightly smokey and fragrant, and then grind in a spice grinder.  Combine all ingredients except pork and cornstarch mixture.

Method 1 (using a Wonderbag slow cooker): heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a enameled cast iron pot (7 1/2 quart works well).  Put pork pieces in to brown.  Brown on all sides, then add stock mixture.  Cook, covered tightly, over medium flame until boiling, place in Wonderbag 6-8 hours.  Heat oven to 350. Take pot out of Wonderbag and cook for one hour in oven, then shred pork, and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.  Take out of oven and put on stove, add cornstarch mixture and stir.

Method 2 (traditional slow cooker): heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pan.  Put pork pieces in to brown.  Brown on all sides, move to slow cooker, add stock mixture.  Cook 8-10 hours on high. Add cornstarch mixture and stir.

Method 3 (oven):  Heat oven to 350.  Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a enameled cast iron pot (7 1/2 quart works well).  Put pork pieces in to brown.  Brown on all sides, then add stock mixture.  Cook 6(ish) hours, then remove pot and shred pork.  Cook one hour until liquid has been reduced about half. Take out of oven and put on stove, add cornstarch mixture and stir.

Serve over/with white rice and steamed broccoli, with peanut sauce in a bowl on the table, and sriracha available.

Peanut sauce:
Mix together peanut butter, sugar, and five spice powder. 

Add wine and soy sauce and mix thoroughly.

Add enough water, 3-4 tablespoons, for a ranch-dressing like consistency.