Slow Cooker Kalua Pig is essentially the Hawaiian version of pulled pork. It is something that my family loves to eat on a regular basis. It is an easy slow cooker recipe to make at home, is great for meal prep, and is great for feeding a large crowd. When you cook it yourself, you are saving tons of money because you can cook this and freeze it into small portions for later rather than go and purchase already cooked pulled pork or kalua pork from the grocery store. Many of us in Hawaii grew up eating it regularly because the main ingredient, pork butt/shoulder, is such a cheap cut of meat.
Once you have made this easy slow cooker recipe, you will want to keep it in your arsenal of regular dishes to prepare. You can use leftovers the same way that you use rotisserie chicken: quesadillas, sandwiches, casseroles, soup, you name it!
Traditional Kalua Pig Preparation
The Native Hawaiians would traditionally prepare kalua pig for celebrations. This involved digging an enormous pit in the ground to create an underground oven called an imu. The imu is filled with wood and rocks and a fire is created. The entire pig is heavily salted and wrapped in ti leaves. The whole thing is lowered into the imu, then covered to cook for an entire day.
One day I would love to join a family and cook kalua pig the traditional way. We appreciate the modern conveniences we have when we experience how hard people had to work for food in the past. However, I will happily cook this Slow Cooker Kalua Pig recipe in my kitchen to save money compared to the store-bought version.
What makes this Slow Cooker Kalua Pig so good?
The key here is searing the meat on as many sides as you possibly can to develop lots of pork flavor. Doing this is easy when you have a multipurpose cooker that lets you sear and slow cook in the same pot!
While you can definitely slow cook this pork without searing it, you will probably notice that the flavor is not quite as strong. This also goes for any pot roast or stew that you might cook in the slow cooker. Discerning taste buds will figure you out if you don’t sear the meat first!
You can also make kalua pig in the oven and wrap it with ti leaves to help create steam and keep the moisture in. However, I’ve eaten
versions of this that tasted dried out from being overcooked or kept warm in the oven too long. You can also cook this in an instant pot. With an instant pot, you might have too much liquid afterwards and might need to add salt to the pork meat after removing some of the liquid. Thus, a slow cooker is the way to go for my family.
Pork Butt Health Benefits
Pork butt comes from the shoulder of the pig. It is much higher in fat and saturated fat compared to other cuts of pork meat. However, it tends to be much cheaper because of the higher fat content. Some of you might have problems with digesting pork fat (I know I do) and wonder whether the benefits outweigh the tummy trouble.
This cut of meat does have a good source of protein. It contains several B vitamins and is a good source of zinc and selenium, which are all important for brain health. Interestingly, some studies suggest that zinc is also important to women to help with weight loss.
We can improve the ratio of meat to fat by cutting off the easy-to-reach fat cap on the top of the pork butt. I also try to cut off the visible fat when I cut the meat into chunks. At the same time, you need a good amount of fat to keep the kalua pig moist and flavorful. Thus, leave the fat that is marbled throughout the meat and cut off the visible stuff to save some calories and fat.
Another way to help your body digest the fattier cut of pork is to eat a ton of vegetables with it. I love pork lau lau, a traditional Hawaiian dish made with pork butt chunks wrapped in luau leaves and steamed, and I don’t have the same tummy issues because of the luau leaves. (Luau leaves are super nutritious as well.) If you can’t get luau leaves, tons of leafy green vegetables like collard greens, spinach, kale, or cabbage will help and taste great with the slow cooked pig.
Looking for other potluck-friendly recipes? There are many to consider, including the ones below:
Slow Cooker Kalua Pig (Hawaiian-Style Pulled Pork)
Equipment
- 1 large cutting board
- 1 chef's knife
- measuring spoons
- 2 small bowls optional
- 1 multipurpose cooker (with sear and slow cook options) or slow cooker
- 1 10" saute pan optional (for searing)
- 1 tongs
- 2 large forks
- 1 9" x 13" baking pan optional
Ingredients
- 6 pounds boneless pork butt or pork shoulder fat trimmed and cut into 8 cubes
- 1 ½ tbsp Hawaiian salt or seasoned salt
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp liquid smoke
Instructions
- Trim the fat off the pork shoulder. Cut it into 8 pieces so it’s easier to turn in the cooker/pan. Season all sides with seasoned salt and pepper.
- Set the multipurpose cooker to sear. If not using a multipurpose cooker, heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat.
- In batches, sear the two largest sides of the pork butt for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. (For even extra flavor, you can sear all 6 sides of the meat.) This browning process can take about 40 minutes (more if you sear all 6 sides). If you don’t have much time, it’s better to do an 8- to 10-minute sear on one side than 2 minutes on 4 sides to develop better flavor. (If you’re really crunched for time, you can skip the sear step, but those with a discerning palate will be able to tell.)
- Put all the meat back into the multipurpose cooker. (If using a slow cooker, put all the meat AND the juices into the slow cooker.) Pour the liquid smoke all over.
- Cover the multipurpose cooker or slow cooker. Set to cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- Use two forks to shred the cooked pork in the multipurpose cooker or slow cooker. Keep the liquid with the meat. Alternatively, remove the pork to a large dish and shred the meat in the dish. Pour the liquid from the cooker onto the shredded pork.
