This Kalua Pork and Cabbage recipe is fall-off-the-bone tender and braised with only 5 simple ingredients.
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If you have ever visited Hawaii or attended a luau, Hawaiian wedding, or any festival in Hawaii, you'll have undoubtedly had Kalua Pork. Traditionally, Kalua Pork is made with a whole pig, covered with banana leaves and cooked in an underground pit, called an imu, for several hours. What comes out is a beautifully roasted pig infused with the perfect balance of simple and earthy flavors. Or as Hawaiians like to say, ONOLICIOUS!
Every time I visit Hawaii, I always return home craving all the unique Hawaiian dishes, such as ahi poke, saimin noodles and Kalua Pork. I always hate for a tropical vacation to end, so as a way to extend memories and experiences, I like to recreate and develop my favorite island dishes.
I have at one point considered making an entire Kalua Pig at home. Aside from lack of space for an imu, I also lacked the desire to spend my weekend digging a pit. After perusing multiple recipes for Kalua Pork online, I developed a super easy way to make Kalua Pork with Cabbage at home. All you need is five simple ingredients and mostly hands-off cooking. This Kalua Pork recipe is easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Kalua Pork Recipe Ingredients
Five ingredients is all you need for this recipe...pork, sea salt, soy sauce, liquid smoke, and cabbage.
You can use almost any cut of pork for this recipe. I always prefer something bone-in. Here, I am using pork shoulder, often called pork butt or Boston butt. There's no need to trim it perfectly. The fat will render off into the braising liquid, which will be skimmed off later.
I always use Hawaiian Alaeasea salt whenever I make Kalua Pork with Cabbage. Alaea sea salt is rich in minerals and gets its terracotta color from Hawaiian volcanic clay high in iron oxide called "alaea."
Coveted for its health benefits, Alaea sea salt has a delicate, earthy flavor that's lower in sodium. It's often used to season native Hawaiian dishes such as Kalua Pig, Hawaiian jerky and poke. Alaea sea salt is pricey and may be difficult to find so feel free to substitute it with any type of sea salt you already have.
The next ingredient I want to highlight is liquid smoke. Liquid smoke really enhances Kalua Pig. It makes it a more authentic Kalua Pork recipe since it gives a nice smoky flavor that makes it taste like it was cooked all day in an imu. It's not critical to have so it can definitely be omitted but I highly recommend it. It fills in for the smoky, earthy flavor an underground pit imparts.
How to Make Kalua Pork and Cabbage in the Oven
There are several methods to making Kalua Pork with Cabbage at home - in an oven, Instant Pot (pressure cooker) or a slow cooker (Crock Pot). These are the basic steps to making Kalua Pig and Cabbage in the oven. A quick browning and slow braise provides a tender and flavorful pork, no matter which cut you use.
1) PREPARE: Make slits in the pork 1-2 inches deep or all the way down to the bone, if you have one. Sprinkle Hawaiian Alaea sea salt on all sides, as well as inside the slits.
2) BROWN: Heat a Dutch oven over high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the pork and allow it to brown. This will take around 6-10 minutes. Flip and brown the other side.
3) BRAISE: Pour in soy sauce, liquid smoke and enough water so that the pork is halfway submerged. Bake in the oven, covered, for 2 hours or until the pork is fall-off-the-bone tender. Flip the pork halfway through cooking.
4) SHRED: Once the pork is tender, transfer to a large bowl. Allow it to cool then shred into bite-sized pieces. My preference is slightly large chunks for more texture but you can shred it as finely or as coarsely as you'd like.
COOKING THE CABBAGE: Now that the pork is finished, adding a head of coarsely chopped cabbage completes this recipe. Cabbage pairs very well with this Kalua Pork recipe, and it's an easy way to add veggies to your meal. It also lightens up the dish and adds a natural sweetness. It can be cooked in the same Dutch oven, making this an easy one pot meal.
Skim off as much fat as possible from the braising liquid. I use one of these fat skimming ladles, but a basic ladle will work just fine. Bring the braising liquid back to a boil on the stovetop and add sliced cabbage. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until it's soft and tender, about 8-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and return the shredded pork to the pot and mix well to combine.
Serve Kalua Pig and Cabbage over a bed of rice. Or if you want the ultimate traditional Hawaiian experience, serve over banana leaves with two scoops of rice and a scoop of mac salad. For lunch the next day, make Kalua Pork sandwiches with leftovers.
How to Make Instant Pot Kalua Pork and Cabbage
Instant Pot Kalua Pork turns out great and minimizes the cooking time significantly. Brown the pork in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker and you can complete this feast using a single pot.
Use the "Sauté" function on the Instant Pot to brown the pork. Add soy sauce, liquid smoke and water until the pork is half submerged. Use high pressure and cook for 1-1.5 hours, depending on the size of your pork. A 6 pound pork shoulder usually takes around 1.25 hours.
When the time is up, quick release the pressure. Carefully remove the pork and allow it to cool. Shred the pork using two forks or your hands, as finely or as coarsely as you'd like. I prefer it slightly on the larger side for more texture.
To cook the cabbage, skim off the fat in the braising liquid that remains in the Instant Pot. Add sliced cabbage and cook on high pressure for 1 minute. Any longer than that and the cabbage will turn mushy. Quick release when the time is up.
Return the shredded pork to the Instant Pot with cooked cabbage and braising liquid. Mix until well combined.
How to Make Slow Cooker Kalua Pork and Cabbage
Cooking Kalua Pig in a slow cooker or Crock Pot turns out fantastic as well. You will first need to brown the pork in a pot or a skillet. If your slow cooker has a sear or sauté function, you can use that as well.
After browning, put the pork in the slow cooker or Crock Pot then add soy sauce and liquid smoke. Fill with water until the pork is half submerged. Set on low heat and cook for 8 hours, or until the pork is fork tender. Flip the pork halfway through cooking.
Remove the pork and allow it to cool then shred it into small pieces.
With a ladle, skim off as much fat as you can from the braising liquid that remains in the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker up to high heat and add sliced cabbage. Cook for a few minutes until tender. At this point, you can turn the slow cooker to warm or turn it off completely.
Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker along with the cooked cabbage and mix well.
Kalua Pork and Cabbage Recipe
Author: tsw
Servings: 8
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
4.8 from 92 votes
Ingredients
- 5-7 lbs of bone-in pork shoulder
- 2 teaspoon Hawaiian Alaeasea salt
- ¼ cup light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke, optional but highly recommended
- 3+ cups of water
- 1 head of cabbage, coarsely sliced
Instructions
Prepare the Pork
Using a sharp knife, make 5-7 slits in the pork 1-2 inches deep or all the way down to the bone.
Sprinkle Hawaiian Alaeasea salt on all sides of the pork and inside the slits.
Once the pork is seasoned, select your choice of cooking method below.
Oven Method
Heat a large oven-safe pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat on the stovetop and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the pork and brown on both sides.
Once the pork is nicely browned, turn off the heat and pour in soy sauce, liquid smoke, and enough water to cover the pork halfway.
Cover and put the Dutch oven in a 350°F oven for about 2 hours, or until the pork is fork tender. Flip the pork halfway through cooking. You may need more or less time depending on the size of your pork. Check it periodically during the final hour of cooking.
Remove the pot from the oven and carefully transfer the pork into a large bowl or tray. Once the pork is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces.
Use a fat skimmer or ladle and skim off as much fat as you can from the braising liquid.
On the stovetop, bring the braising liquid to a boil and add sliced cabbage. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the cabbage is tender.
Turn off the heat and return the shredded pork to the pot with the cooked cabbage and mix well.
Instant Pot Method
Heat up the inner pot using the "Sauté" function and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Brown the pork shoulder on all sides.
Add soy sauce and liquid smoke and add enough water until the pork is half submerged. Use high pressure and cook for 1-1.5 hours, depending on the size of your pork.
When the time is up, quick release the pressure. Carefully remove the pork and place it in a large bowl or tray to cool. Shred into small pieces.
Skim off as much fat as you can from the braising liquid. Add sliced cabbage and cook at high pressure for 1 minute. Quick release the pressure when the time is up.
Return the shredded pork to the Instant Pot with the cooked cabbage and braising liquid. Mix until well incorporated.
Slow Cooker Method
Heat a large pot or skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the pork and brown on all sides.
Put the pork in the slow cooker then add soy sauce and liquid smoke. Fill with water until the pork is submerged halfway. Set on low heat and cook for about 8 hours, or until the pork is fork tender. Flip the pork halfway through cooking.
Carefully remove the pork and let it rest in a large bowl or tray. Shred the pork once it's cool enough to handle.
With a ladle, skim off the fat in the braising liquid. Turn the heat to high then add sliced cabbage to the slow cooker and cook until tender.
Turn the heat off and return the shredded pork to the slow cooker along with the cooked cabbage and mix well.
