After all my kitchen successes, I had a kitchen failure.
My kalua pig.
Kalua pig is a Hawaiian favorite. A salty shredded pork dish, usually eaten with rice and, if you're lucky, lomi lomi salmon. I grew up eating kalua pig. I miss it now that I've moved to California.
Whenever I have the craving for some kalua pig, I whip out Hawaii's Best Local Dishes by Jean Watanabe Hee. This cookbook boasts the best kalua pig recipe that I've seen. The dish turns out perfect every time I make it. A little taste of home.
The directions say to rub the sides of a pork butt (which I don't always see in my supermarket) in Hawaiian salt (which isn't easy to find in California) and liquid smoke. Then, place the butt in ti leaves (which I don't grow in my backyard here) and secure with string (which I never have on hand). Then, place it in the oven.
Here's my mainland version:
Ingredients:
4 to 6-pounds pork shoulder
2 to 3 Tablespoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons liquid smoke
aluminum foil
Place pork shoulder on a tray. Rub all sides of pork shoulder with kosher salt and liquid smoke. Place shoulder on aluminum foil and seal well so no steam escapes. Place the prepared shoulder in a shallow roasting pan and roast in a preheated 450-degree oven. After 1 hour, reduce heat to 400 degrees and cook 3 to 4 hours longer or until done. Shred with two forks. The meat should fall apart upon touch.
This recipe has never failed.
So why I wanted to tweak it is beyond me.
Something possessed me to use my shiny new crock pot instead of the oven. So I prepared my pork shoulder and placed it in my crock pot with an inch of water. I closed the lid, set it for 8 hours on low and watched it turn into a right hot mess.
The meat (pictured) completely dried out and had little taste.
Utter disappointment set in. I vowed then and there that I'd attempt kalua pig again on the weekend. This time, I'd do it the right way. In the oven.
It's now Saturday and guess what's in the oven?
You got it.
Kalua pig take two.
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Sad to hear about the crock pot experiment! Kalua pork has always worked for me best in the oven. I have found only a few types of meat cook well in a crock pot--mainly pot roast. :) Keep experimenting!
ReplyDeletegood to know. the world of crock pot cooking is still new to me. thanks for the words of encouragement, usagi.
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