What is Kalua Pork?
If you have been to Hawaii or a luau, chances are you have had shredded Kalua Pork with Cabbage. This is one of my VERY favorite Hawaiian dishes because it is just so juicy and flavorful. In Hawaiian, the word “kalua” means “to cook in an underground oven” or imu. Traditional Kaula pork butt is seasoned with Hawaiian sea salt and wrapped in ti leaves, banana leaves or coconut palm fronds. It’s then buried underground to cook with a special kindling that gives the meat a smoky flavor. It’s delicious and tender, yet time consuming and kind of complicated to cook it this way.
Kalua Pork in the Crockpot
This Kalua pork recipe tastes so much like the actual, authentic Hawaiian Kalua pork but can be done with MUCH less effort. You literally throw it in the slow cooker and let it do its thing all day. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the true “imu” method, but I can’t pass up the ease of the Crockpot when I am just making Hawaiian pulled pork for my family. If you want to smoke it in an underground pit to get the “true” experience I won’t stop you! But with this recipe, you’ll get the same fork tender pork and the great taste with a fraction of the effort.
Alternative Cooking Methods
If you want to speed things up, you can actually make this Hawaiian pulled pork in an Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. Just follow the directions as indicated in this recipe but instead of putting it in a Crockpot, put it all (including the cabbage) in the Instant Pot. Set the Instant Pot for high pressure for one hour and allow to slow release pressure on it’s own for about 30 minutes. Once it is done, just shred and serve. SUPER easy.
Serving Options
My favorite way of serving this Kalua Pork with Cabbage is with a “plate lunch”. A plate lunch usually consists of a protein or two (such as Kalua pork, teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef, or even spam), rice, Hawaiian macaroni salad and a side of fresh pineapple. Getting a bite with each of these things all at one time is seriously roll-your-eyes-back delicious. Savor each bite and eat it slowly. People often ask me what my very favorite food is, and I can honestly say it just might be a Hawaiian plate lunch. It is THAT good. Of course you can serve this all on its own or you can add BBQ sauce and make Kalua Pork Sandwiches, sliders or Kalua Pork Tacos. We also love just making simple shredded pork quesadillas or nachos and dipping them in teriyaki sauce (my kids’ favorite way). You will love any way to decide to serve this pork!
More Hawaiian Flavor
Having a Luau or just in the mood for more delicious, authentic Hawaiian food? You have got to try these:
Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki
How to Make Spam Musubi
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