Kalua Pork (Hawaiian Pulled Pork)

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This slow-roasted Hawaiian kalua pork is made from juicy pork shoulder rubbed with sea salt and seasonings and baked until it’s fall-apart tender.

Prep Time10

Cook Time3 10

Total Time3 20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Hawaiian

Keyword: kalua pork

Servings: servings

Prep. Preheat your oven to 325ºF.
Season the pork. Pierce the pork all over with a carving fork. Insert ginger and garlic into the holes you made with the fork. Rub the pork with Hawaiian salt and then with liquid smoke.
Sear the pork. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on all sides.
Wrap the pork. Place the pork on a large piece of parchment paper and wrap it around. Then, wrap the meat with aluminum foil, sealing it tightly. Place the pork on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake. Bake the pork for 3-4 hours or until the inner temperature reaches 165ºF and the meat shreds easily.
Shred the pork. Remove the pork from the oven. Carefully open the aluminum foil and parchment paper and collect all the cooking juices. Shred the pork with meat claws or two forks. Then add it to a large bowl or serve it on a baking tray. Drizzle and toss the pork with the cooking juices.
Garnish and serve. Just before serving, garnish the pulled pork with chopped parsley.

Hawaiian salt is a staple of Hawaiian cuisine. The red variety of this salt adds an earthy nuttiness due to its mineral content. Although this salt has a specific flavor and is a part of many Hawaiian dishes, you can use coarse salt or Fleur de sel if you do not have it. These will provide the needed crunch.
Serve Kalua pork with cooked rice, fried eggs, or cooked cabbage. You can also use this pork for sandwiches, sliders, or tacos.
The easiest way to shred a larger amount of meat is with meat claws.