Smoked Pork (Kalua Pig)

One of my favorite things about living in San Diego was the variety of food available and especially the ones that brought back memories of my childhood. I’m an Air Force brat and when I was younger, we moved around a lot. One of my dad’s stations was on Guam and there I was introduced to Hawaiian and Chamorro cuisines. San Diego is one of those great places (for a million different reasons) where you can find just about anything you’re hungry for. When I came across a Hawaiian/Chamorro restaurant, just walking in and smelling the aroma, I was flooded with memories of being a little kid and the many roadside fiestas we went to.

Kalua (not to be mistaken with the drink Kahlua) is a traditional Hawaiian cooking method in which an underground oven is used along with wood and smoking techniques. Obviously, many of us do not have an underground pit at-the-ready, but you can get the same great taste by using liquid smoke and your crock pot – how much easier is that?

This recipe calls for THREE items and all you need is your trusty crockpot and about 12 hours of cooking time. It seems like a long time but it’s the long cooking time that helps to create the flavor: smoky and delicious. AND, I couldn’t believe how few calories there are in this recipe so you can enjoy it without the guilt…and don’t guilt-free meals just taste even better??

Ingredients:
3 lb pork shoulder picnic roast, trimmed of all fat
1 T coarse sea salt
1 T liquid mesquite smoke (see below)


Directions:
Place the trimmed pork into the crockpot and poke holes all over the roast with a knife. Pour the liquid smoke all over being sure that it gets into the holes. Sprinkle the sea salt all over the pork, set the crockpot setting to low and cover. Cook for 10-12 hours.

When it is done, shred the pork in the crockpot with two forks; be sure to incorporate the juices.

Serve with brown rice or on rolls with BBQ sauce; enjoy!

Serves 8; 142 calories/serving.