Kalua Buried Pork Shoulder

4.30 (18)
⏱ 600 mins 🍽 Serves 12 🏷 Pork

This clever grill technique replicates traditional Hawaiian kalua pork without needing an underground pit. A pork shoulder is wrapped in banana leaves and foil, then slow-cooked in a Dutch oven buried in hot charcoal for about 10 hours. The result is incredibly tender, juicy meat. It's served with a vibrant coleslaw featuring mango, pineapple, and chiles, all piled into Hawaiian sweet rolls. Perfect for feeding a crowd with minimal fuss.

Kalua Buried Pork Shoulder

Ingredients

  • Pork:
  • One 10-pound (4.5kg) bone-in pork shoulder
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 450g package frozen banana leaves, thawed
  • Coleslaw:
  • 450g shredded coleslaw mix
  • 60ml rice vinegar
  • 2 Fresno chiles, seeded and sliced
  • 2 medium mangos, finely diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 medium bunches scallions, white and light green parts chopped
  • 1 pineapple, finely diced (about 2 cups)
  • Salt
  • Two 12-count packages Hawaiian sweet rolls or potato dinner rolls, split

Method

  1. Season the pork shoulder liberally with salt and pepper. Place it on a banana leaf and wrap it up. Turn the pork and wrap it with another leaf, repeating with all leaves. Seal the bundle completely by wrapping it twice with heavy-duty foil.
  2. Place a damp paper towel in the base of a cast-iron Dutch oven. Put the pork bundle inside and cover with the lid. Fill a charcoal chimney with charcoal and light it. Once ashy, move the chimney aside.
  3. Take the top rack off a kettle grill. Position the Dutch oven on the bottom grate. Surround it with unlit charcoal pieces, then pour the lit charcoal from the chimney over the top. Use tongs to spread the hot coals over and around the pot.
  4. Leave the grill uncovered with vents open for 10 to 15 minutes to ignite the unlit coals. Then put the lid on and close the vents about 90%. Cook for about 10 hours, checking occasionally to ensure the temperature stays near 120 degrees C, adding more lit charcoal if required.
  5. While the pork cooks, make the slaw. Mix the shredded coleslaw with rice vinegar, sliced chiles, diced mango, chopped scallions, diced pineapple, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
  6. Once cooked, carefully extract the Dutch oven from the ashes. Cut an X through the foil and banana leaves down to the meat. Use two forks to shred the pork, mixing it with the juices, and season with salt and pepper.
  7. To serve, fill split Hawaiian sweet rolls with the shredded pork and a portion of the chilled coleslaw. Secure each sandwich with a decorative toothpick.

Nutrition (per serving)

Nutrition data not available.

Recipe details

CategoryPork
AuthorFood Network Kitchens