Kalua Pig in a Slow Cooker

Adapted from a recipe by Kikuchan at allrecipes.com. I'm told this is the commonest way to make this, even in Hawaii. Do try to get the Hawaiian salt; it adds a subtle flavor that will be missing with plain sea salt. You can often find it at high-end specialty stores like Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or Williams-Sonoma. Be sure to get a roast which has not been "injected with a salt solution" - it will make your dish terribly salty. If you use a smaller piece of meat, be sure to scale down the salt, the liquid smoke, and the cooking time!

• Ready In: 20 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 20

Ingredients

• 6  lbs  boston butt (also called pork shoulder)
• 1  tablespoon hawaiian sea salt
• 1  tablespoon liquid smoke
• 1  bay leaf
• 2  garlic cloves, gently smashed
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tbsp cold water
• 1  medium savoy cabbage or 1  medium napa cabbage, shredded

Directions

1. Poke roast all over with carving fork. Rub thoroughly with salt and liquid smoke (wear disposable gloves or your hands will smell of smoke for days!). Place pork, bay leaf, garlic and water in slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on Low 16-20 hours, turning once. (You can also cook 3 hours on high then 7 hours on low if you need it to be done the same day.).
3. About 3 hours before meat is done, skim off as much fat from juices as possible then remove bay leaf and garlic. Add cabbage. (If it doesn't all fit, just use as much as will fit - it will cook down.) Re-cover and continue cooking on low.
4. Remove meat from slow cooker and shred, using two forks. Drain juices from pot into a large glass measuring cup. Put 1 1/2 cups of juices into a saucepan; return the rest of the juices to the slow cooker with the shredded meat and cabbage. Reduce slow cooker to Keep Warm.
5. Bring juices in saucepan up to a boil. Drizzle in cornstarch slurry. Pour gravy into a sauceboat and serve alongside the meat. Serve with sticky rice, or with Hawaiian or Portuguese sweet rolls. You can offer barbecue sauce on the side, but you won't need it!