What if I told you that you could make a dish that would wow your guests with less effort than it takes to order-in? What if I told you that you don’t need a huge arsenal of cooking skills or prior knowledge to turn out a perfect meal each and every time? What if I told you that all of this can be done with just five or six ingredients that can be found in any big-scary-mega-mart anywhere in the country, for somewhere around $10.00, depending on the price of pork in your area?
It’s all true, every word of it. With just a few minutes of prep time and a few lazy hours spent doing… Well, whatever it is that you’d like to do… You can produce something so sinfully delicious and decadent that everyone who tries it will think you’ve slaved your day away working on the perfect meal. And I’m going to tell you how to do it.
Hey, I won’t tell anyone it was easy. That will be our little secret, O.K?
Note :For those of you who have never heard of Kalua pork, you may be surprised to discover that there is not actually any Kahlua liqueur involved. the “Kahlua” portion of the name has to do with the Kahlua pit method used in Hawaii. Now that we’ve gotten that straight, let’s move on…
Kalua Pork
(Adapted from my sister’s recipe. Thanks Nik!)
Ingredients:
- 1 pork butt or blade roast, approximately 5 lbs.
- 4 tbsp. liquid smoke
- Salt and Pepper to taste.
- 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock
- 2-4 cups cooked white rice
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Season pork liberally on all sides with salt and pepper. (Be generous, you’re seasoning a lot of meat!) Place on aluminum foil of a large enough size to completely wrap the roast. Pour liquid smoke over roast and seal foil tightly.
Place pork roast in a roasting pan fat side up. Add stock to pan and place in oven for four hours.
Remove, shred with forks and serve over rice using pan juices as a sauce if desired. Optionally, garnish with thin-sliced scallions.
Serve piping hot and enjoy!
What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:
I’ve actually made this dish twice in the past few weeks. The first time just to give it a try, the second time so that I could post it here as my entry for Frugal Fridays #13. Both times I used the same method, and I’m thrilled with it.
Having said that, this recipe is versatile and can be made with anything else you would like to put in the pouch with the pork. Try some pineapple slices, onions, garlic or fresh herbs to change it up a bit if that’s what you’d like. Be creative, make it your own!
Links to other recipes like this:
- Kalua Pork Tacos and Quesdillas, from Favorite Family Recipes
- No-Nonsense Kalua Pig, from Cooking With The Single Guy
- Kalua Pig, from ‘Ono Kine Grindz
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Dude!
Your way and mine are so TOTALLY opposite.
Do you really want the EASY way to do it or not? Do you NOT own a crock-pot?
Really, put your Pork Butt or Pork Roast of any kind as long as it’s boneless into your crock pot. Fill the “pot” half way up the side of the pork, add the liquid smoke and Kosher salt. Put a lid on it and leave. After several, several hours, you know like work or taking the kids to school, your shower, and multiple loads of laundry, then stir/shred some or all of the pork. Now put the lid back on and let it cook some more. This one is a no-brainer, Water, pork, kosher salt, and liquid smoke and time. This is a dish that really cooks itself. Boil rice and cabbage and have a great meal. Do not try to “busy” it up or make more work for yourself. KISS, you know keep it simple stupid. However, I’m glad you liked it. Chaio.
Niki, you are my kind of lady. I will try your method. It sounds wonderful. I am a crockpot fanatic. I have been wanting some rice and cabbage too………..
Looks good.
It’s probably not intentional, but the word is spelled “kalua” without the “h”.
Me, I’d use soy sauce, Worchestershire sauce and ginger, and cut the liquid smoke back.
Mmmmm…love kahlua pork! One of the things I’m looking forward to most when we go to Hawaii next month. Of course, now I suppose I could make it myself at home at not have to wait. Yours looks delicious!
Niki,
You make it your way and I’ll make it mine, LIL’ Sister. I don’t see how rubbin’ a piece O’ pork with Salt an’ pepper an’ drizzlin a bit o’ liquid smoke on ‘er is considered “Work”. Seems pretty easy to me :D
Nate,
I’ll have to look into the spelling, since when I tried on the first option, both my spell checker and Google said it was the wrong word!
PaniniKathy,
I’m pretty sure the Kalua Pig in the islands is gonna beat this hands down, but feel free to make some up to hold you over!
Sounds interesting, I wouldn’t have thought Kahlua and pork would have gone together. I’ll have to give it a try, thanks!
This looks awesome and I FULLY intend to participate in Frugal Fridays. Awesome event!
Arika
That looks great. I wouldn’t have thought to try something like that. Thanks.
My husband and I love Kahlua Pork, his mother does not eat pork so when they came for dinner a few months ago i made a crock pot pulled chicken that was pretty darn good if I do say so myself. Take a look at my blog site and see the pic and recipe.
Just to clarify, I am reading that your recipe says to place the pork wrapped in foil in the pan, then add chicken broth to the pan. Is the chicken broth acting as a water bath? Why not just use water if the pork is completey wrapped in foil. Please help, looks like a great recipe.
@Whitney,
You can use water if you like. The liquid is there because regardless of hw well you wrap the pork, you’ll have some leakage, and it makes a heck of a gravy!
Your Kahlua Pork is delicious. We’re located in the upper midwest of the mainland so this particular one caught the eye. “Named” recipes seem to catch the eye – has anyone else noticed this? I copy the best looking recipes on the computer and can save them in the MSWord program and name the file to easily retrieve it…i.e, for this one: Kahlua Pork and so on. Just in case anyone else is seeking potential tips on how to save recipes in the computer. Thank you once again for yourCBTSOMP!
Wow that looks delicious and fairly easy to make.
It really does look great. The recipes seems sound as well. I am going to give this recipe a shot when I stop my detox. Looks delicious!
I just moved back to the mainland after living on Oahu (Hawaii) for 3 years. I was lucky enough to be able to actually make Kahula Pork in the ground pit while helping a Scout troop with a fundraiser there. So yummy! They obviously didn’t use the liquid smoke, but they did wrap the pork butts in ti leaves, which gave it a great flavor. I’ve been wondering if I can get ti leaves in a special grocery store or anything here?
Are you supposed to cover the roasting pan? When I first tried this all of the stock evaporated and nothing was oozing out of my foil (maybe I overfoiled?). And with regards to Niki’s crock pot way – are you supposed to cook on high or low?
Please kokua!
Change the name of the recipe. kahlua is a coffe liquer.
It’s KALUA pig or pork. It makes a HUGE diffference. No Kahlua liquer is used in this recipe. and it should be cooked in the ground like da roast pig!
Liquid smoke. Auwe!
You one dumb malahini!
Helen,
The vast majority of people don’t have the time or the space to dig a whole filled with hot coals and roast a whole pig. In fact, the vast majority of Hawaiians use the the oven method too and come out with a very tasty dish. Being confused with the name is also very common. You are the dumb one and mean too!
I agree with Jonathan, and quite honestly I am certain this post meant no disrespect (probably meant quite the opposite). Hawaii is my home and other than noticing the spelling was wrong I took no offense and was actually interested in CBSOP’s take. I think I’ll try it.
Mahalo for the post!
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