Kalua Pork

Pulled Kalua Pork

Kahlua pork is a Hawaiian cooking method that utilizes an 'imu' which is an underground oven. The word kālua means 'to cook in underground oven'. When pork is cooked via this method its then dubbed 'kalua pork'. Now I didn't go dig a hole in the yard for this recipe, although we do have some nice holes thanks to Arlo and LuLu (our lovely fur-babies). Plus, I am not that dedicated. I am doing the faux method via crockpot, and it turned out so wonderfully. 

There is very little prep done for this, its the best of things when you keep the recipe simple. This is a 3 ingredient recipe and is delicious.

The kalua pork can be used in a variety of ways: over rice, on tacos, in scrambled eggs, tossed in BBQ sauces and used like pulled pork, or just by itself! I am using it to make two dishes this week: monte cristo eggrolls and cuban sandwiches. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 6 lb pork butt (boneless)
• 2 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp liquid smoke

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pat dry the pork butt with paper towels.
2. Place pork fat side down in crock pot and smother the pork in the 1tbsp of liquid smoke and then half of the salt. 
3. Turn fat side up, smother with remaining salt and turn to low. 
4. Cook pork for about 10-12 hours, or until the pork tears apart easily with a fork. You need the pork to be extremely tender and juicy. 
5. Pull pork from crock pot leaving the drippings. 
6. Shred and pull apart fat. Throw away fat and put shredded pork in a bowl. 
7. Strain drippings and set aside strained liquid to serve with pork. Discard solids strained from drippings.
8. Reserve drippings for future sauces or to reheat when serving leftovers
• When refrigerated the fat in the drippings will solidify so its easier to pull off the fat, reheat and use drippings again with leftovers. 
9. Toss the pork in with some of the drippings and serve.

Step 2: Pork fat side down, rubbed with salt and liquid smoke

Liquid smoke - this will make you smell like a BBQ, use gloves if you can.

Step 3: Turn pork fat side up, and turn on timer

Step 6: Pull pork apart with hands or two forks if still hot

Step 6: Continuing to pull pork apart, discarding fat
(fat on left, shredded pork on right)

Step 7: Strain drippings
ALL this liquid came from the pork itself, no liquid was added to to the roast!

FINAL PRODUCT!