Kalua Pork
This kalua pork will rock your world. It is SO moist, it only has three ingredients, it can be prepared in less than five minutes, and it feeds a CROWD.
Kalua Pork. How I’ve managed to live this long without making myself acquainted with this incredible meal is beyond me.
First, a background. The word “Kalua” simply refers to a method – “cooking in an underground oven.” I don’t know about you but I don’t have any underground ovens around; however there is no need to worry.
This delicious Kalua Pork can be made at home and if you have never made it, I am telling you here and now that it will rock your world.
Let me outline the benefits of this life-changing meal:
1) It only has three ingredients (not counting a smidgeon of water).
2) It can be prepared in less than five minutes.
3) It is economical.
4) It feeds a CROWD.
5) Leftovers can be frozen beautifully and reheated as BBQ pork sandwiches, pork quesadillas, pork enchiladas, you get the picture.
6) It is the most deliciously moist pork I have ever tasted. Ever.
Have I convinced you to make this yet? You won’t be disappointed. My sister-in-law, Mary, introduced this method of cooking pork to me several months ago and I am forever grateful.
It really is my very, very favorite way to eat pork (served with rice and fresh pineapple and you have one incredibly divine meal).
FAQs for Kalua Pork
You can freeze it, no problem, especially if it saves you time. I’ve had the best luck cooking, letting the meat cool, and then vacuum sealing (in my food saver). It seems to keep the flavor and freshness a lot better.
Usually a 3-5 pound pork roast needs about 55-60 minutes in the IP (high pressure). If it were 1-2 pounds, I’d probably do 40 minutes or so.
Applewood and hickory are my favorites!
Either will work, but bone-in makes a more tender pork.
For a smaller roast (about 4-5 pounds), cut about an hour off the baking time, but still add the same amount of water so you are sure it doesn’t dry out.
Kalua Pork
Ingredients
- 10-12 pounds pork shoulder butt roast, don’t substitute a leaner cut of pork or it will be dry
- 1 bottle liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoons sea salt, or hula salt if you can find it
- 1 ½ cups water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Trim roast of large pockets of fat (but leave some fat on there to help the pork stay tender while cooking).
- Place pork in large roasting pan (the aluminum, deep roasting pans you can buy at the grocery store work great if you don’t own a heavy-duty roasting pan).
- Rub 2-3 tablespoons of sea salt into pork. Pour the bottle of liquid smoke over and around the pork. Pour the water around the pork. Cover roasting pan TIGHTLY with two layers of aluminum foil.
- Bake for 5-7 hours (don’t uncover while baking – let the steam and heat work its magic!).
- Shred with two forks and serve with rice.
114 Comments on “Kalua Pork”
Can I substitute something fun for the water? Like Pineapple juice or something?
Is there a reason to cover with aluminum foil? I have a cast iron pot with a lid. There’s no reason not to pop the lid on, is there?
I usually make this in my IP. I love it. I have to make more than I can fit in my IP, though, so I’m going to give it a try in the oven
Yes, just using the lid should be fine!
I have to ask… a whole bottle of smoke??? That’a some strong stuff!
Hi Mel! I got a pressure cooker for Christmas and used it for the first time with this recipe. It wasn’t done after 60 minutes so I gave it another 10 and it still wasn’t done! I ended up putting it in my crockpot to finish up. Any ideas what I did wrong?
I’ve made this recipe before in my oven and it was so delicious!
Hey Annisa – that’s a bummer! What cut of pork did you use? A pork shoulder? If it was really thick, that might have been the issue. I usually cut meat into large cubes when I pressure cook it because it seems to cook more evenly and faster.
It was a pork shoulder. It was very thick! I’ll try cutting it up next time, thanks for the tip!
I feel like a culinary rock star thanks to this recipe & some of the tips in the comments! I used an 8 lb bone-in pork shoulder. I used the recommended 1 1/2 c water, ~ 3/4T salt on each side, poked holes into the pork & drizzled 1/2 of a 4 oz. bottle applewood liquid smoke, covered tightly with foil & cooked at 300 degrees for 5 hours, then uncovered & cooked 30 minutes at 350. As others recommended I left the fat on & cooked it fat side up, so it self basted as the fat melted & the bit left on top peeled off easily after cooking. I shredded the pork, strained the pan juice & put the meat back into the juice. The meat was so flavorful, super moist, & tender. It fell right off the bone, so shredding was minimal work. Delicious!!!
I used an 8lb bone in butt roast with a generous amount of liquid smoke but not a full bottle. It was so good!! Thanks Mel!
Good morning, Mel, my friend. My sister and I are catering our nephews rehearsal dinner next month. The mother of the groom, my sister Nancy, is requesting a tropical theme, so we are doing Kalua pork and rice as the main course. I do your exact recipe except I wrap it in bacon. I am experimenting with it right now and have one on my smoker all day and will try to freeze it and see how it goes…however, I have a HUGE amount of pork in my fridge and need to decide relatively quickly. I am trying to think this through but am reading too many mixed reviews on pre-smoking pork shoulder and then freezing. Everyone has an opinion. Some good, some bad.
My daughter in on mission with Cru at Virginia Beach and we are headed there to bring her home the day before the rehearsal dinner. Should be a fun vacation, but adds a little difficulty with the meat. We were going to roast it in a roaster on low all day, but the smoker tastes so much better. Wondering how well the pork freezes and what your cooling process and results after freezing? Would it be “catering” good or should we just cook it the day of?
Hi Beth – good luck with this big event! Smoked kalua pork sounds amazing! So I read up on freezing smoked meat a while ago when I was making smoked brisket for a big reunion. My feelings are you can freeze it, no problem, especially if it saves you time leading up to the rehearsal dinner. I’ve had the best luck cooking, letting the meat cool, and then vacuum sealing (in my food saver). It seems to keep the flavor and freshness a lot better. Hope that helps. Good luck!
Well, I spent that whole day practicing smoking the pork and it still wasn’t tender so I plopped it in the IP to finish it off. It was then perfect. I think we will skip the smoker and just use 3 IP to cook the pork and freeze any leftovers. It won’t take all day to cook that way and will be guaranteed to be tender. I way overthink these things and will probably be a nervous wreck.
Well, I’m glad for the report back. Darn! I’m sorry it wasn’t tender enough. If it makes you feel better, I overthink these things, too.
Hi! If I use a smaller roast in the Instant Pot I’d love to know how many minutes per pound you recommend.
I don’t really use a formula for minutes per pound in the IP – but usually a 3-5 pound pork roast needs about 55-60 minutes in the IP (high pressure). If it were 1-2 pounds, I’d probably do 40 minutes or so?
Am I missing something? This recipe is under your IP category but I don’t see any IP instructions. Help, I want to try to speed it up! I’ve made it for years in a crock pot but along with the sea salt and liquid smoke I wash and put a couple of green bananas on top (a Hawaiian friend recommended this to me) and wrap it all in aluminum foil and cook on low for 8 ish hours depending on size.
Hey Lara – sorry about that. The IP instructions didn’t make the transfer when my recipes moved to a new format. I’ll update right now!
This is an oldie but goodie. Like some other readers, I put it in the crockpot. It’s one of my favorites when we’ll be gone most of the day because it cooks so long without drying out! I have a newer crockpot, so I check it at 10 hours, and it’s usually ready to eat. Toss rice in the rice cooker and a veggie on the stove, and dinner is ready in about 30 minutes from walking in the door. Especially since my 7 year old can start the rice maker!
Greetings Melanie! Big fan of the blog. Been a follower since 2008. Basically, you make me look like a rockstar in the kitchen. Do you have a favorite liquid smoke for this recipe? Hickory, mesquite, applewood, etc? We were just introduced to Kalua Pork in Maui on vacation, and I can’t wait to make this! We love it!
Hi Deanna – my favorite is applewood and hickory is a close second.
Thanks! I was leaning toward applewood. 🙂
Did this in the instant pot last night. Only took 2 hours total time. That pot is great.
2 hours cook time? I am new to an IP, but based on other cook times it sounds like a long time. I definitely want to try this, but don’t want to mess it up.
Hi, Mel! I’ve never tried kalua pork before, but I was thinking of serving it for some friends with rice for either rice bowls or to have in burritos, would it go good with the cilantro lime rice and a cafe rio-type dressing? Or would you stick with plain rice? Thanks!
That sounds delicious!
Mel, I am one of your biggest fans, and LOVE using your site and recipes because they always turn out amazing. I want to try this Kaluha pork, but I really want to have it on the side of some Hawaiian teriyaki noodles, have you ever found a recipe that’s amazing for that? I can’t find one on your site.
Unfortunately I don’t have a tried-and-true recipe for noodles like that. Sorry, Hailee!
Does bone in or boneless work better? Does it matter?
Bone-in will make for more tender pork but either can be used.
I seriously don’t know who you are Mel. But wow! Thank you for this amazing site/blog. A little over a week ago I discovered your site in a quest for Hmong egg rolls. I found two recipes and incorporated them in to our family’s menu. They were hits. And this next week, I have four more new ones in the menu. Right now, I have Kalua Pork cooking for the first time. I cannot believe that I have to wait for hours in the house while it cooks. How do you do it?! My wife and I both are enthralled with your blog and she is scouring it looking at every single recipe, and pretty much saying she wants to try them all. Thank you for this, and for helping us get out of the rut of menu planning. I cannot wait to eat this Kalua pork. You are amazing.
Thanks Brian! I’m so happy you and your wife are enjoying the recipes. Your comment made my day!
Mel,
I know this to an older post. We make this all the time on a crock pot. We never use water and set it on low and leave it over night. it is always perfect. We sure enjoy your blog – thanks.
I’ve been making this for years in my crock pot. I use a much smaller roast and I’ve even used a pork sirloin roast (Costco sells them – they come 4 vacuum packed about
1 1/2 pounds each) and it still comes out fabulous. It’s our favorite way to make pork.
It tastes just like the Luau pork in Hawaii. I’m going to try making it in the oven next time. I’m also going to try a larger roast. Mel, your recipes are spot on! Love your blog.
Just pulled this out of the oven for dinner and yikes!, it is very dry! I used about 4-5lbs of the meat recommended, 1 1/2cups water, covered tightly and cooked for 7 hrs. It was partly frozen still so I thought I should go for the longer end of the time recommended. I really wish I would have checked it earlier but I was so afraid because the instructions say not to uncover during cooking. Anyway, next time I will try as some commenter suggested and lower the temp and the cooking time.
Amazingly tender!! Great recipe…. kids loved it and I am looking forward to leftovers tomorrow. I was sure to share on FB. Thank you!
Just found Mel’s website via the recipe for roasted cauliflower soup. Made this pork recipe today – wow! Delish! I used about a 4lb roast, half a bottle of liquid smoke, a cup of water, about a tablespoon of coarse salt. It was ready in about 3 hours. Am sending the recipe to my son, I think his Filipino Hawaiian bride will love it! I left it in the pan to cool, it absorbed the juices while I was shredding it. Can’t wait to try roasting it with a banana peel or adding soy sauce. Thank you!
I’ve made this in a crockpot a few times now (with a 4 to 5 pound roast) and been extremely pleased with the results. One thing to keep in mind, the liquid smoke is quite aromatic and will leave your kitchen smelling very strongly of smoke (I wonder if this is also the case with an oven).
As for the recipe, it was delicious as is, but I make one change. After shredding the pork I place it into small sized Tupperware for freezing. I fill each one about 3/4 full with pork and then splash a liberal dose of soy sauce onto it (sorry, I don’t measure) and then shake the closed container vigorously to equally distribute the soy sauce. It may come down to taste preferences, but to me the soy sauce takes this to a new level.
As always, thanks Mel for the incredible recipes….
If you look up BBQ defination on the enter net I think you will find it says some think about cooking on wood or charcoal . There is nothing said about gas or electic cooking.
lmbo ok just had a baby 2 days ago so please excuse the forgetfulness, you need to cover the meat while cooking, don’t dump the juices– put meat back in juices to soak up that wonderful flavor unless you plan to do the BBQ sauce thing then don’t add it back to the juices. and this keeps for a week in the fridge and freezes very well. just remember to add juices to the container so that it reheats well.
🙂 ok think i got it this time haha
almost forgot, cook with fat side up. this allows the juices to get into the liquid and keeps the meat moist. also bone in or out is not a big deal. use either. 😀
i’m from hawaii and i i’m not sure about how much liquid smoke you used… that seems like a lot. we just squeeze the bottle over the meat and rub it in. sprinkle the salt till the whole thing is covered. add water to the bottom. cook on 200 for 3-5 hours (depending on size of pork, just stick your fork into it and pull back. if the meat comes away relatively easy then its done and ready to shred.
we also don’t cut off the fat cuz thats where the flavor is. when you shred it you can take out the fat chunks. we also use shredded cabbage in this recipe. use as much or as little as you like. you just add the cabbage to the shredded meat, mix well and stick it back in the oven or crock pot till cabbage is wilted but not soggy.
and yes it works well in the crockpot. cook on low for 4-8 hours (again, depending on size. check with fork to see if its ready to shred) this meat is great as is or you can add BBQ sauce for pulled pork but personally LOL i love it just the way it is with sticky rice and mac salad! 😀
Do you add water to crock pot?
Liquid smoke is such a strong flavor that you don’t need to use an entire bottle!! At least not in my opinion. I usually make mine in a crock pot/slow cooker. I find it easy to make holes in the pork with a fork and then to add the liquid smoke and sea salt in a ziploc bag to squish around before throwing it into the crock pot. A GREAT addition is fresh spinach!! Just cut it, leaves and stems, rinse, spin dry and shove as much in as you can on top of the pork in the slow cooker. Turn it on low before going to work and get ready for an amazing dinner when you get home.
I make this in the crockpot at least monthly, using a 4-5 pound shoulder butt, 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt (I just course grind standard sea salt), and 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke. Rub the salt and the liquid smoke over the whole roast (I eyeball more salt/smoke if it’s a bigger roast) – throw it in the crockpot 10-12 hours, turning it over 1/2 way through. We LOVE it!!
one of my favorite crock pot go-tos. i serve on rolls or as a rice bowl. i think steamed rice and mac salad appeared on a lot of plates in hawaii although poi and poke? i love eating this bibimbap style, rice, veggies, fried egg and hot sauce in a rice bowl.
Made this last night/today and it was really good! I was worried it might be too salty for my tastes but it was just right. Cooked for about 17 hours in my crockpot. Thank you! 🙂
I’ve made this in the crockpot several times, it’s a hit at parties. Here’s the scaled down recipe:
1 (6 pound) pork butt roast
1 1/2 tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
Cook on low for 8-10 hours. (You can cook it for longer, but it isn’t required)
Seriously, you don’t even have to add water. Trust me, it turns out perfectly every time. I’ve heard Trader Joes sells the Hawaiian salt, I found a Mediterranean sea salt at my grocery store and subbed that, still with excellent results!
I made this for Sunday dinner and it was amazing. My husband said it is on the top of his favorite meal list! It is just like one of our favorite restaurants. We are going to be making this for holiday meals. It’s so easy and so delicious! I paired it with the broccoli salad you recently posted. It was awesome!
My pork is done, but I do not serve it for 6 more hours. What do I do with it until I serve it? Dump the juices and put it back in the oven? Leave it sit in the juices until I pull it before serving? Cool it and reheat? Keep it at about 165 degrees siting in the juice and then serve it?
I make this in the crockpot too – but add one other ingredient. I rub the kosher salt all over the roast WITH 6-8 cloves of fresh pressed garlic before adding it to the crock pot. Truely heaven – we make this just about every time we have dinner guests because it feeds SO many people and is always a hit. We love it over white rice, served with chicken long rice and fresh pineapple, with poni popo for dessert… polynesian style baby!
made this for sunday dinner and it did not disappoint! sooo yummy!! do you happen to have in Hawaiian flavor sauces to cover over this? just curious if you have anything to recommend! thanks, as always, for sharing such yummy recipes with us!
My husband should be here any minute for supper, but this may not make it to the table. I shredded & nibbled, shredded & nibbled, shredded & nibbled. When I was finished shredding I nibbled some more. I, honestly, did not expect this to taste much different than our usual pulled pork – we use liquid smoke – but the sea salt seriously makes an incredible difference! Yummy! We are having this tonight w/ rice & green bean bundles, then again on Friday as sandwiches w/ glazed sweet potatoes – I am so happy that I put it on the menu twice before trying it – I obviously trusted you on this one & you came through once again!! Back to nibbling…
Thanks for the recipe. I am making this for the 40 staff at our elementary school, we found a 10 pound pork loin at Sam’s Club. Do you think it will be enough once I shred it and serve it with rolls? Other folk are bringing the sides. I do plan to add spinach leaves during the last 30 minutes of re-heat. I will use my electric turkey roaster, am guessing 8 hours (or is this too much?)
Hi Connie – I’ve never made this in an electric turkey roaster so I’m not sure what to tell you on timing since I don’t know how a turkey roaster works (temperature, etc.). If it is similar to a slow cooker, 8 hours might be ok but the main key will be to cover it so well that no moisture leaks out of the turkey roaster – possibly adding several layers of tin foil along with the lid? I think serving 40 people might be a stretch with the 10 pounds. Usually if I’ve made a roast that big, I feel like I could probably serve 25-ish but 40 seems like a lot. Although if you have a lot of sides, it might be ok. Good luck!
I have made this for years as well and make it in the crock pot. I throw a banana peel on top too!!! I know this sounds strange but the real Kalua Pork is made by wrapping the meat in Banana Leaves…hard to come by where I live so I put a peel on top and it adds the flavor I need. I also put soy sauce in too. My neighbor is from Hawaii and I made this for their family. They loved it!!! Said it was the best they have had…even when they were in Hawaii. They got the recipe and made it for their whole Hawaiian family!
I tried this today with a frozen stiff 4-5 lb roast in a crockpot on high (and draped with foil). It was done after 6 hours or so and is pretty tasty. Would probably be even better using your directions, but for anyone short on time, you can throw a low maintenance meal together with very little prep work. Thanks for the recipe!!!
Hey there! I made this tonight with a 4 pound picnic roast. I was worried about the outcome using a different cut of meat but it was super yummy!! I decreased the water by 1/2 c and the liquid smoke to half a bottle and cooked it for 5 hours. My pork was a little dry & and all the liquid had evaporated and sorta burned to the bottom of my pan. I will definitely make this again however I will not decrease the liquid next time… Just the cooking time 🙂 thanks for sharing this yummy recipe !
Hi! I am Nicole R’s SIL! We make This all of the time in the crock pot also! It’s our Sunday stand by. It is delicious to stir a bag of fresh spinach to the meat the last 30 minutes or so. Great way to get a little green into the little ones with no opposition. Great website, thanks for sharing so many ideas.
my 9 pound roast was a little overdone/dried out. Not sure if it was b/c the roast was too small, or the heavy roasting pan too large, but it was still delicious, and the leftovers were easy to add liquid and flavor to later. I’d recommend 5-6 hours for a slightly smaller roast, but I will definately try again- still soo good!
I live in Hawaii , and have made this recipe for years! Its so easy! I use the crockpot. After I season it, I usually wrap up the meat in tinfoil to keep it moist. I put some water in the bottom, and leave it on low. I add cabbage, or spinach after it is done and shredded. Just cook it a few minutes. Throw it all together, and of course eat over rice!
Cindy – LOVE your tips. Can’t wait to incorporate them when I make this next. Thank you!
Made this today and it was a HIT with the family!! I was only able to find an 8 pounder and I rubbed 2 Tbls of sea salt all over it, did a lot of stabbing and poured the liquid smoke all over it. I almost heard the roast sigh a very happy sigh. 😉 I cooked it for 4 1/2 hours and it seriously fell apart as soon as I touched it with a fork. Superb!! THANK YOU!
Thanks, Hollie – and thanks for including your variations.
I am trying this recipe soon and have one question before I do—if you are not going to be using 10-12 lbs. of pork but a smaller amount like 4-5 lbs. do you still bake it for 5-7 hrs. or do you reduce the baking time?
Brittany – I’d cut about an hour off the baking time with a roast that size but I’d still add the same amount of water so you are sure it doesn’t dry out.
I just got back from a vacation in Maui where I had the opportunity to taste Kalua pork tacos. I fell in love and immediately went in search for a recipe. I tried yours yesterday in the crock pot! Delicious! I used my crock pot and cooked my boneless pork shoulder on high for about 6 hours. I turned over half way through. I couldn’t even pick it up without it falling apart. It was incredibly moist and tender. I had it in a tortilla with shredded lettuce, sour cream, cheese and topped with pico de gallo. It was a hit with all three of my kids and my husband. Thanks for the recipe!
Carrie – I love the idea of eating these as tacos. Thanks for sharing and including your tips for the crockpot!
I did it and it turned out fabulous! I gotta say my husband was quite impressed cuz I’ve never done anything this fancy and it turned out so well! It has been a meal saver for the last couple weeks. It gets hot here in Cali and it’s nice to only have to heat my house one day and end up with two weeks worth of meals. We turned it into everything, burritos, bbq pork sandwiches, mexican pork salad, enchiladas, nachos, as well as just serving it with rice and pineapple more than once. SO yummy! Thank you, thank you!
Kimi – wow! You’ve used this pork in a lot of dishes and I’m so happy that it was good enough to eat again and again! Thanks for letting me know.
Hey Melanie. This looks delicious! (I know you’ve had it up for awhile, I’m slow). How many people do you think this would feed? I’m thinking about making this for a church social thing and I need to feed around 20 people. I’m just wondering how big of a roast to get, so I thought I’d ask about how many the 10-12 lb. feeds. Anyway, thanks for your great recipes!
Hey Sarah – I would say the 10-12 pork roast (I buy the bone-in shoulder/butt) feeds at least 10, even more (probably around 15) if you are serving it with rice and other sides. Usually when I make it, after I shred it, I have a heaping 9X13 pan full of shredded pork. I hope that helps! If I were you, I’d probably cook at least 16-17 pounds to feed 20 people.
I’m assuming you use a bone-in roast? I really want to try this, so if you get this message please let me know! Thanks:)
Lisa – yes, I use a bone-in roast.
So, Let’s face it. I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to cooking large amounts of meat. Never done a turkey or made sunday pot roast. So, for the meat impaired you say to cook for 5-7 hours but to not check on it because I would let the steam out. How do I know when it’s done? Is it some equation with amount of meat I have and the cooking temperature and the like? Or do you check on it and if I do check on it what’s it supposed to look like? Or should I just stick to making pizza and sloppy joes?
Kimi – I’m not going to lie, I laughed at the “meat impaired” reference, but I’m sure you can make this work! It is easy, I promise. The reason you don’t need to peek in to check for doneness is because it absolutely will be done after five to seven hours. Unless your meat is frozen stiff (which it shouldn’t be), this will definitely be cooked properly with the cooking time. It actually overcooks but because it is covered tightly, the steam and moisture contribute to making it really tender. Don’t stress about checking it. If you use the amount of meat specified in the recipe and follow the directions, it will cook perfect. If you are worried about pulling it out too early (like at the five hour mark), just let it cook for six hours and you’ll be fine, I promise!
Kalua is excellent… especially if you’re fortunate enough to be at a party where they make it in an imu (underground oven). They sell it in convenient packs in the grocery stores in Hawaii… and being away from Hawaii for so long, I’m hungry for it again. I will have to make it soon. Leftovers are also good cooked with chopped cabbage (Kalua & Cabbage)… a well known dish in Hawaii and even better with white rice.
TankieGirlie – so how did it turn out??
I am making this now in the oven wrapped in Ti leaves & foil… I wish it would hurry up!
Anonymous – I’ve used both the hickory and the mesquite flavor with no real noticeable difference. In my opinion, both work equally well. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
This recipe sounds so good and I am excited to try it, at the grocery store they had two kinds of liquid smoke Hickory and mesquite. I was just wondering which one you used? Or is there a different flavor that is better? Thanks for your help.
Hey Becky – glad you liked the kalua pork. I love using the leftovers, too, and now I’ll have to try it in tacos!
Anonymous – the bottle of liquid smoke is 4 oz. I would definitely use foil in place of a lid – or a combination of both. You really want to seal in every bit of moisture. I think it would go fine with mashed potatoes but be aware that there really isn’t a lot of “gravy” type liquid, so your mashed potatoes wouldn’t have that gravy effect. Good luck!
How big of a bottle of liquid smoke? Also, if I have a tight fitting lid for my roasting pan do I still need to use foil? Thanks, I think I will make it for my daughters bday dinner. Do you think it will go with mashed potatoes??
Anonymous – that is NOT a dumb question, I promise. I serve my Kalua Pork with rice, rolls and veggies on the side, occasionally with fresh pineapple, which is divine.
Hey Melanie, sorry if this is a dumb question. The recipes sound delicious (lets me honest, all of your recipes sound delicious). BUT, I’ve never had Kalua pork before. What do you normally serve this with?
I’ve made this before and it’s amazing!
We just went to an annivesary party last weekend that served kahlua pork and I thought I needed to find a recipe to make it and now I don’t – I have one! Can’t wait to try it – thanks Melanie!! We’re in Utah for a few days!
I love your blog! I have made a lot of your recipes and I am NEVER dissapointed. You have great recipes. Have you ever tried this recipe in a crock pot? Just wondering if that would work as well. This recipe sounds so delicious. I am going to try it tomorrow!
I’d forgotten all about this recipe. A friend gave it to me awhile back and I agree, it’s delicious.
Think you could make this in the crock pot?
what a groovy technique, and it definitely would make for an awesome quesadilla! your posts are so often an education for me, melanie. 🙂
I was just about to aks the same thing…do you think you could throw this in a crockpot for the day? Imput please!
MMMm. This is a great recipe, I’ve tried it. If you get the opportunity you must try it cooked the authentic way. Lovo food is so so so good. (Lovo is the Fijian way of saying underground oven)
You have me convinced! Of course when it comes to pork, I’m pretty easy 😉
Oh yum..I will be making this in my underground oven tomorrow!!! LOL
Ummm..no underground ovens here!!!LOL
let us know if you can use it in the crockpot
Ok, here is my input on whether or not this could work in a crockpot – yes, I think it might work just fine but I have to add my disclaimer that I have not tried it this way! My mom is trying it in a crockpot on Sunday and I’ll let you know how it goes. Basically the advice I gave her was to make sure your crockpot has a really good seal because the key to this pork turning out moist and tender is no moisture escaping. She is going to put her lid on the crockpot and also cover with a layer of foil. Also, remember to buy the right kind of pork roast. If anyone else tries it in a crockpot, let us know how it works out!
It sounds like a winning dish and perfect for an end of summer treat.
I have been making this dish in a crock pot sucessfully for the past two years since a trip to Hawaii where it is served at all the luaus. I cook it on low 14-16 hours. Good luck.
Ok, that’s it. You must be my long lost sister…
I’ve been making this for 7 years !!!!!!!!!!!! THIS SAME RECIPE AND I CAN CONFIRM THAT IT’S THE MOST AMAZING DISH !!!! I learned to make this while I lived in Hawaii for 3 years….it’s fabulous and authentic !!!!!!!!!!!!
So, Mel, I guess you’re on my Christmas List since we are now ‘family’ 🙂
I can’t believe that is all that is in Kalua Pork. We devour it when we are in Hawaii, but haven’t found anything close here. I can’t wait to try this!
I made Coconut Chicken Curry Friday night, it might be my favorite dinner. I’m making it again tonight…it’s that good!
I love when the meat just falls apart like that. Delicious!
Queen B. – ok, sister, put me on your Christmas card list!! And thanks for adding your raving review to this recipe.
Tasha – thanks for weighing in on the crockpot issue. It looks like the crockpot will work but you have to cook it a lot longer than the typical 8-10 hours.
Cammee – glad you liked the coconut curry chicken. It, too, is one of my very favorites. You and I have great taste in food, I should say!
i guarantee this will be made within a matter of weeks at our house, delicious!
This looks so good, I can not wait to try it out. Next week hopefully 🙂
I made this for dinner last night, and it did not disappoint! We all had 2nds (I think one of my girls had 3rds!). Needless to say, we did not have much to freeze, the left-overs will be fantastic to take camping, awesome as a sandwich.
Melissa – I’m so glad you tried this. Thanks for letting me know! The leftovers DO make great sandwiches so I hope you enjoy the little bit you have left that way. Thanks for checking in.
I put mine in the crockpot and cooked on low for 16 hours. That meant that I put it in at midnight. When I opened it up it was juicy and tender.I found that it was REALLY salty. I don’t know if it was my bleary eyed midnight cooking, or should I have just used 2TBL of salt or less? It was still very delicious with rice! Would the oven cooking process make it any different? I love your site and I love your favorite cookie recipe. We’ve made it about five times in the last few weeks!
Candace – I have made this before and it turned out really salty, too, but it was because I used way too much salt – probably 1/2 cup or more (yikes, I know!). I would say if you liked it enough to make again, cut the salt down to one or two tablespoons. The amount in the recipe (2-3 tablespoons) is for almost 8 pounds of meat so if you are using less meat, of course, cut the salt down, too. On another note, I declare best friend status with everyone who likes my favorite cookie so welcome to the club!!
I read this wrong and thought it said Kahlua. 😉
I made this for dinner last night and it turned out AWESOME. And so so easy. And PLENTY of leftovers. LOVED it. I served it with sticky rice and pineapple.
My husband was thinking it would be a great “rice bowl” meat, so I am going to use the leftover meat with sauted zucchini, squash, pepper, carrots, and a little teriyaki sauce, whip up some brown rice and there I have an EASY weeknight dinner.
And I can’t wait to try your chili mac. My husband LOVES that stuff.
Hi Tara – We just ate this meal again, too. I’m so, so glad you liked it. I bet it was delicious with fresh pineapple and I think your idea of serving it in a rice bowl is brilliant. Thanks for checking in!
I don’t usually write in, but I just tried out this recipe today (using the crockpot and a very frozen pork shoulder, so I actually started last night) and it turned out to be amazing! Thanks so much for sharing such an easy and delicious meal!
Megan – thanks for letting me know this worked out for you, especially in the crockpot. I’ve been wondering how that would work. Thanks!