Kalua Pork

Name: Kalua Pork
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 500 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Hawaiian
Ingredients: 6 lbs pork shoulder (bone-in); 2 tbsp Hawaiian sea salt (or coarse sea salt); 1 tsp liquid smoke; 8 large banana leaves (or aluminum foil); 1 cup water

Tender, smoky pulled pork slow-roasted in the oven with banana leaves and Hawaiian sea salt. A simpler home version of the traditional imu-pit dish.

500 minEasyServes 8320 cal/serving

HawaiianDinnerOvenStandard

Ingredients

6 lbs pork shoulder (bone-in)
2 tbsp Hawaiian sea salt (or coarse sea salt)
1 tsp liquid smoke
8 large banana leaves (or aluminum foil)
1 cup water

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Pat the 6 lbs pork shoulder (bone-in) dry and score the fat cap in a crosshatch pattern.
2

Rub the entire surface generously with 2 tbsp Hawaiian sea salt (or coarse sea salt) and 1 tsp liquid smoke.
3

Line a large roasting pan with 8 large banana leaves (or aluminum foil), overlapping them to create a bed. Place the pork skin-side up on the leaves.
4

Add 1 cup water to the pan and wrap the leaves tightly around and over the pork to seal it.
5

Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast for 7 to 8 hours, until the meat shreds easily with a fork.
6

Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Discard the leaves and shred the pork, discarding bones and excess fat.
7

Toss shredded pork with pan juices before serving.

Questions

Can I make Kalua Pork ahead?

Yes, it takes well to being made ahead. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three days. Reheat covered in a 300 F oven until warmed through.

Can I halve or double Kalua Pork?

Yes. As written it serves 8. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. Doubled, split it across two pans and rotate them halfway; one crowded pan bakes unevenly.

Serve it with

Seared Tuna Poke Salad salad
Hawaiian Shave Ice dessert
Roasted Cauliflower with Harissa and Pomegranate side

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