Meat (like a whole pig, for example) is wrapped in banana leaves and packed into the hot hole. It’s covered up and the smoky wood infuses flavor while the insulated heat slow-cooks. Kate’s short-cut version involves an easier-than-a-whole-pig pork roast and nothing but some salt, liquid smoke, and a slow-cooker which results in a tender, smoky meat without the fuss of digging that giant pit in your backyard and trying to locate banana leaves. I know Kate and I both use the basic pork recipe in so many different ways, so we’ll probably reference it in different posts, showing you how to turn the basic meat into a huge selection of meals (like they do in Hawaii. Remember the Kalua Pork Pizza I posted about in this post? Still need to recreate that one…) This is one of my favorites these days; piled on sweet rolls with a sweet and tangy colorful slaw on top.
Ingredient Notes
Pork – We’ll be using pork shoulder here, which goes by many different names. You may see it labeled as picnic roast, Boston butt, blade roast, or even country rib. Liquid Smoke – Liquid smoke provides the slow-roasted smoky flavor that makes this pork what it is. Sea Salt – Be sure to read the recipe notes about the amount of salt to use depending on what type you have. You will need much less salt if you are using table salt or kosher salt. If using large, flaky sea salt or Hawaiian salt, you will need a bit more. Slaw – The tropical coleslaw combines purple cabbage, red bell pepper, celery, green onions, cilantro, fresh mango and pineapple. You could always use all mango or all pineapple, but I love the combination of both. Dressing – The sweet and tangy slaw dressing is made up of mayo (regular or light is fine), apple cider vinegar, fresh orange juice, Dijon mustard, celery seed, sugar, orange zest, onion powder, and salt and pepper. Hawaiian Rolls – I can’t imagine anything more fitting for these sliders that sweet Hawaiian rolls. Barbecue Sauce – Barbecue sauce is optional. If you’d like, you can drizzle a bit over your pork while assembling your sliders. I love how fresh and soft they are (as long as you’re buying a fresh bag!).
How to Make Kalua Pork Sliders
