Easy Kalua Pig in the Oven

Kalua pig is the perfect balance of salt & smoke that easily falls into the category of foods that are addictively irresistible - The more you eat, The more you want. Kind of like chips, but not...

I just realized that my ti leaf plant (a gift from my father-in-law) is

25 years old

and from that one cutting it has sprouted hundreds of keiki's (children) lucky me.

Ti Leaves add a subtle grassy flavor to this dish and are well worth adding if available. However, if you don’t have any - the pork will still be delicious.

If you do have access to ti leaves, you can wrap each chunk individually as I did

or

You can lay them in the bottom of the pan, place your pork on top and then another layer over the pork.
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If you want to wrap each chunk individually this is what I did.

Trim off the stems.

Place the pork on a ti leaf

Wrap it around the pork - you don't need to secure it.

Flip it over and place them in the pan.

They should fit snug. Pour over the broth and cover.

Make sure you completely dissolve the salt before adding the broth to the pork.

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The packets of pork can be left whole and served individually.

Be sure to spoon broth over the packets.

or

You can shred the whole batch and mix it together with the broth.

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What cut is Carnitas pork?

I’m not quite sure myself, but I can assure you that it’s the best cut for slow cooked pork for shredding or cubing.

In my attempt to find the answer I asked the butcher and he said, 

I don’t know - that’s just what we label it as. 

Mystery still not solved and that’s why I included a photo and maybe your butcher has a better answer.

Easy Kalua Pig in the oven

5 pounds boneless pork butt or carnitas pork (see note above)

3 cups warm tap water

1 tsp. liquid smoke

2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

1/4 tsp. white pepper

optional - 1 ti leaf for each chunk of pork (about 6-8)

Place pork pieces in a roasting pan or heavy casserole.

Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix until the salt has dissolved.

Pour liquid over pork and cover with a tight fitting lid or foil.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours, it should be fork tender.

Shred the pork and let it cool in the liquid in the pan.

Notes

• If using pork butt, cut the pork into about 6 inch by 3 inch rectangle chunks. This will allow the pork to cook faster and more evenly. However, if you can find what my grocer labels as carnitas pork it will already be in ready to use pieces.
• I shred the pork with my hands when it has cooled. But I use a couple of forks to check if its done when it's hot.

It will pull apart with very little resistance.