Hawaiian Kalua Pork.

[Jules V.]

A couple of my Polynesian co-workers want me to bring Kalua pork for lunch tomorrow so here it goes. Pork shoulder rubbed with cracked black pepper and coarse alaea sea salt. Smoked 4 hours with alder chunks then wrapped with banana leaves and placed on a cast iron dutch oven to finish cooking for additional 6 hours. 

[Davescprktl]

Amazing color.  Looks delicious!

[JEBIV]

Beautiful, I want to be your coworker today

[crowderjd]

Love this!  I've always wanted to do kalua on the Weber.  Great cook, let us know what you thought of it!

[Jules V.]

Love this!  I've always wanted to do kalua on the Weber.  Great cook, let us know what you thought of it!

I've used this method most of the time and it  has always turned out great. The key is to use a mild wood and don't over smoke it.   Depending on the size, i usually smoke it for 2-4 hours until it turn golden brown and has a slight crust before wrapping and placing it in the dutch oven. Once wrapped with banana leaves, the smoke flavor will penetrate throughout the meat.  The banana leaves will also impart a nutty/aromatic flavor to the meat. Also keep the rub simple with just salt n pepper.  If you want to use garlic or onion etc, don't use a powder form in the rub. Instead just add garlic cloves or onion sliced in half when you wrap the meat with the leaves. 
For this cook, a leaner meat was requested so i used boneless pork shoulder and removed some of the excess fats.  Since it's a leaner meat, i added 2 cups of unsalted chicken stock in the dutch oven.
Typically  a bone-in/skin on is preferred as it yields a more tender and juicer meat.

[Big Dawg]

Great looking cook, @Jules V. ! ! !





BD

[Erictag]

Good!!


Sent from my iPad using Weber Kettle Club

[Darko]

Hell Yeah! That looks absolutely delicious.

[SMOKE FREAK]

I like it but I don't know where I can buy banana leaves...

[Jules V.]

I like it but I don't know where I can buy banana leaves...

Almost all Asian grocery stores and some Mexican stores have it.  They're only about $1 a pack. I also use it to wrap fish and sometimes even ribs.  It's often used in tropical countries in lieu of aluminum foil. 

[jdubb]

I don't have a dutch oven, but do you think finishing off in a slow cooker would work?

[Jules V.]

I don't have a dutch oven, but do you think finishing off in a slow cooker would work?

Finishing it off in a slow cooker will work just as well if not even better.  You can also use a steam pan, roasting pan or disposal aluminum pan and cover it with foil. 

[greenweb]

Looks great! Reminds me of a traditional luau feast in Hawaiian vacation years ago. Entertainment and many other foods but the main was the Kalua Pork. Amazing how they buried the whole pig underground and dug it out to be served several hrs later.