Kalua Pork and Cabbage Recipe

The traditional kalua pork and cabbage recipe is a delicious Hawaiian dish that is cooked in an underground oven. With a few modifications, you can make delicious kalua pig at home in your oven or slow cooker.

When our local Hawaiian restaurant closed without any other nearby options, I made it a personal goal to learn how to cook some of my favorite Hawaiian food. One of them being a kalua pig plate lunch.

You can make just the pork portion but I do like to add some cabbage and onions for a bit of flavor variety and extra nutrition.

I find it pretty amazing that just a few simple ingredients can result in what has become my favorite way to cook pork because the flavor is so unbelievable.

Now, this isn't exactly a traditional Hawaiian kalua pig. I'm not digging out an underground oven in my backyard to cook a whole pig, after all.

But this easy cooking process is the next best thing to have your own personal Hawaiian luau.

🥘 Ingredients

• ~5 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast (pork butt) - This cut of pork roast has good fat content that becomes super tender and moist over a longer cook time. You can use boneless for a shorter cook time but bone-in is more flavorful. I don't recommend using a different cut of pork.
• 1 to 2 tablespoons salt - preferably Hawaiian red salt or Hawaiian smoked sea salt as it has a different mineral content and flavor. This may sound like too much salt but this is a large cut of meat and Hawaiian salt tends to be a larger grain, and thus less salt per tablespoon compared to table salt. It's also less salty. If you use regular salt (I recommend kosher salt), you may want to cut back a bit as you can always add more after it's cooked. I used the Hawaiian red salt linked above.
• 1 cup chicken broth or water - broth will add more flavor but try to use low or no sodium as you want the saltiness to come from the Hawaiian salt if possible.
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke - this gives the pork a nice smoky flavor without having to actually cook it over a smoke pit. I've only used hickory flavored liquid smoke.
• 2 medium onions, sliced into half moons (optional) - Onions aren't a traditional ingredient but I do like the flavor it adds.
• 1 head of cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces - Ultimate amount will depend on how large of a roast you have and the ratio of pork to cabbage you like. I use a medium to large head of cabbage for about 5 pounds of pork.
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (optional) - Not a traditional ingredient to add, but, again, I like the flavor it adds.
• Banana leaf (optional) - I have never used banana leaves to make this recipe but they are said to help add more additional flavor to the dish. If you want to give it a try, you want to wrap the pork in the leaves before cooking.
• Garnish ideas: Sliced green onions

🍳 Equipment

• Paper towels or clean kitchen towels - for drying the pork
• Oven-safe Dutch oven or roasting pan - preferably with lid
• Knife - for cutting slits into the pork and chopping the veggies
• Tablespoon measuring spoon
• Tongs - helps to easily shred the pork and move it from the pot to skillet or container
• Airtight container - These are my favorite refrigerator food storage containers
• Ladle - helps to easily add the cooking juices to the pork and cabbage
• Large deep skillet or pot - to cook the pork and cabbage in
• Bowls used in photos for serving

📙Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 225°F. Pat the pork roast dry with paper towels. Trim some of the fat if there is a lot on your roast, but you want to keep a good amount. I personally never trim it.

2. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of salt on all sides of the roast. You can cut down on the salt if you think it's too much, but as mentioned above, Hawaiian salt is a bit different. You can always add more salt after cooking before serving.

3. Pour broth or water into the Dutch oven or roasting pan.

4. Place the salted roast into the Dutch oven into the broth.

5. Use a knife to cut slits in the pork. Alternatively, you can use a fork to poke holes but the knife will go deeper. Pour over the 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke.

6. Cover and roast for about 8 to 10 hours until the roast is fall apart tender. The bone should be able to be pulled right out.

7. Shred the pork and moisten with some of the juices. Refrigerate if not immediately making the pork and cabbage.

8. Place some of the juices in a large deep skillet or pot and cook the onions until slightly softened. Add the cabbage and cook until slightly softened. Add the garlic, pulled pork, and more juices if desired and warm through. Taste for seasoning before serving.

Leftover pork should be refrigerated and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

♻️ Variations

Cooking method: Looking for a slow cooker kalua pork recipe? This recipe can easily be made in a Crock Pot. Follow the steps as given, cooking on low for 8 to 10 hours.

I have made this recipe in my Ninja Foodi pressure cooker on the low slow cooker setting with great results.

Also, if you're looking for just plain kalua pork, you can skip the onion and cabbage part and just serve immediately after shredding.

🍽 Make It A Meal

Want to make this a meal like a Hawaiian lunch plate complete with mac salad? You'll want to include:

• No fail white rice
• Hawaiian BBQ Macaroni Salad Recipe

While not a Hawaiian dish, this grilled pineapple recipe makes for a great sweet treat at the end of a meal.