Slow Cooker Kalua Pork

As a food writer I get the opportunity to taste a lot of amazing dishes.  But over the past few months, I haven’t really been “wowed” by food.  I loved our wedding dinner from Grappolo and enjoyed the steak at Vitaly, but aside from that, everything else was just ok.  Then I traveled to Maui and had my first bite of kalua pork and it was a game changer.  I hadn’t eaten anything quite that good in quite some time.  My taste buds were so excited in fact, that I immediately had to make slow cooker kalua pork upon returning home from the islands.

Koa's Seaside Grill Kalua Pork

One of the great things about that pork was it not only made for two fabulous meals, but it also rekindled my love for cooking and recipe development.  I felt inspired after biting into that perfectly salted and tender meat, and suddenly I wanted to cook all of the things again.  And I know it may sound weird to wax poetic about pork, but eating that kalua pork reminded me why I write about food all the time.

When I decided to make the slow cooker kalua pork I wanted to prepare it the same way the Hawaiians do – just seasoned with red Hawaiian sea salt. I even bought a new slow cooker from unclutterer for this recipe.

No sauces, marinades, spices.  Just Hawaiian sea salt.  I wanted to respect the simplicity of the dish and really let the pork shine, rather than cover it in condiments.

Slow Cooker Kalua Pork Bowl

This is the world’s easiest recipe and yields a bunch of delicious, tasty pork.  I made this for a World Cup party and sent all of our guests home with leftovers.

If you are looking for a last-minute 4th of July recipe, I highly recommend this Slow Cooker Kalua Pork!

Slow Cooker Kalua Pork

Ingredients:

1 5lb pork butt

1-  1 1/2 tbsp Hawaiian Sea Salt

Directions:

If you are planning to enjoy your pork the same day you prepare it, set your slow cooker setting to HIGH for 7 hrs.  Place pork and sea salt in the slow cooker and let it cook until the meat is juicy and tender.

Slow Cooker Kalua Pork Salt

This dish can also be prepared the night before, just switch your slow cooker setting to LOW and set for 12-13 hours.

Remove your pork from the slow cooker and then shred your meat.  The meat should fall apart easily from the bone and be nice and tender.

Slow Cooker Kalua Pork Plate

We’ve used this pork in a variety of meals including a savory pie and a stir fry dish – both yielding wonderful results.  Since there are no additional spices or sauces added to the meat it can be used in a wide variety of dishes which is awesome.  It also freezes very well.

Slow Cooker Kalua Pork Plate

Thank you Hawaii for reigniting my passion in the kitchen!  I can’t wait to develop more delicious dishes.

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