Kalua Pork is a popular Christmas and Luau dish, traditionally rubbed with Hawaiian sea salt and cooked in a pit oven in the ground. We are recreating the smoky flavor of the pit in a crockpot with liquid smoke.
I read on several blogs and threads online that some Hawaiian adds a banana to their crockpot to mimic the flavor of wrapping the pork in banana leaves so I gave it a try and loved it! It’s not necessary though so feel free to leave it out if you prefer.
Serve Kalua Pork with rice, pineapple wedges, and lomi lomi salmon for a total luau menu. Want more Hawaiian dinner inspiration? Check out my Hawaiian Christmas dinner!
Like most slow cooker recipes, kalua pork is very easy to make. Just poke the pork with a fork, drizzle liquid smoke over it, rub in sea salt, and let it hang out all day. This recipe makes your whole house smell like a luau!
Kalua Pork
4-6 lbs pork shoulder or pork butt
1 Tbsp Hawaiian Sea salt
1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke
Optional: 1 banana
Serving suggestion: rice, pineapple wedges
- Rinse pork with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place pork in a slow cooker and pierce all over with a fork. Pour liquid smoke over pork, then rub with Hawaiian sea salt. Place a ripe banana (still in its peel) on top of the pork. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours. When it’s done, it should fall apart when you touch it with a spoon.
- Remove banana and discard. Shred meat in the crockpot (careful not to shred the fat – you don’t want to eat that) and let cook covered for another hour. For a truly Hawaiian dinner, serve kalua pork with rice, pineapple wedges, and lomi lomi salmon.
Want another pulled pork recipe? Try my pork carnitas.
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