Hawaiian: Kalua Pork with Cabbage

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

• 1 pork loin or shoulder roast (3 to 4 pounds), well trimmed
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 5 slides raw bacon (thick cut preferred)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 bulb garlic, minced (approx 12 cloves)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
• 6 cups of vegetable broth (or 2 tablespoons chicken base dissolved in water) (approx)
• Banana leaves (optional)
• 1 large head cabbage, core removed, loosely chopped
• 1 cup Huli Huli sauce (see recipe)

Procedure:

1. Using a sharp knife, make 5-7 slits in the pork 1-2 inches deep or all the way down to the bone
2. Sprinkle salt all over the pork and in between the slits.
3. Add bacon to a large oven-safe pot and cook until bacon just starts to crisp; remove bacon, chop into small chunks, and set aside; retain bacon grease
4. Add the pork to the bacon grease and brown all sides; remove from pot and set aside
5. Add onions to the bacon grease and saute until soft; add garlic and saute an additional minute
6. Add soy sauce, liquid smoke, and enough chicken broth to cover the pork by about half; adjust for saltiness
7. Loosely wrap pork with banana leaves and place in pot
8. Cover pot and bake in a 350°F oven for about 4 hours (or until the pork is fork tender)
9. Or: cook pork and broth in a pressure cooker for about 90 minutes (add more water if needed)
10. Remove the pot from the oven, transfer the pork into a large bowl, unwrap the banana leaves; transfer several large leaves to a serving platter, trim and arrange as a decorative bottom layer, discard unused leaves
11. When the pork has cooled enough, shred the pork; mix in the chopped bacon, then wrap in aluminum foil and keep warm in 200°F oven
12. Bring the braising liquid to a boil and add the chopped cabbage leaves; cover and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until cabbage is tender
13. Drain cabbage and transfer to serving platter; arrange cabbage leaves as the next layer
14. When ready to serve, transfer shredded pork to serving platter and arrange as the top layer
15. Drizzle some braising liquid on top of pork and serve with Huli Huli sauce