Slow-Cooker Kalua Pork & Cabbage Tips
What is kalua pork served with?
If you’d like a side dish for kalua pork, try topping the pork with barbecue or hoisin sauce and then pair with fluffy homemade
Hawaiian dinner rolls. You could even turn them into fun slider sandwiches using the rolls! You can also serve kalua pork with a side of rice, pineapple chunks, or
sweet macaroni salad.
Is pork butt the same as pork shoulder?
Pork butt and pork shoulder are similar cuts that come from the front of the pig, but they differ in a few ways. Pork butt tends to have more marbling throughout and thus works perfectly in slow cookers or braises. Pork shoulder typically is sold with the skin on, and the fat isn’t as marbled.
Why is it called kalua pork?
It’s called kalua pork because of its Hawaiian roots. This type of pork is typically served at luaus and other gatherings in Hawaii, and is also called Kalua pig. Kalua refers to cooking style of using an imu, a type of underground oven.
Research contributed by Maggie Knoebel, Taste of Home Culinary Assistant
Reviews
Really enjoyed this Kailua pig & cabbage dish... I did use more cabbage,3lbs, for a 3.5lbs pork butt...could have used more cabbage. Great dinner from aloha
I think it needs more flavor. I would add onions, worcestershire, pepper, and maybe some soy sauce.
Years ago my boss who was from Hawaii made this for a work potluck and I loved it so much I have made it regularly since. The only difference in this recipe and hers was she left out the bacon and used a tiny bit of liquid smoke and worcestershire sauce. Looking forward to trying this variance.
what liquid do you use? beer?
This stuff is addictive! Easy prep, simple ingredients, and FANTASTIC taste! Doesn't get much better than that.
I used a 4# netted rolled shoulder roast. Made the recipe exactly as written, and my wife and I thought it was awesome! Going to use the left-overs, tomorrow night, for enchiladas or tacos. Super simple recipe.
I cooked this in my stove top pressure cooker, cooled the meat and juices separately so I could defat both. I then cooked the cabbage. I seasoned it with some smoked salt. Delicious!
Is it possible that this is "Luau Pork" instead of "Kalua Pork?"
I had a 5 1/2 lbs bone in Butt so it used the full 10 hrs. I used I tbl of coarse salt, as my sea salt was to fine grained and 1 tbl of Accent (MSG) to cover the whole roast. We try to use MSG whenever possible because of the lower sodium content. Plus it just makes everything taste so much better.The meal was great and it really needs no additional ingredients.
I make a similar recipe, but I brush liquid smoke on it prior to cooking. The first time I made it, I thought it would be too much, it's not. Try it sometime!