← Nouns Cooking · American

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg boneless pork shoulder (butt)
• 1 tbsp Hawaiian alaea or coarse sea salt
• 1 tbsp Liquid smoke
• 240 ml Water
• 2 banana leaves (or foil) (optional)
• ½ small white cabbage, cut into chunks (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 165°C (325°F). Pierce the pork all over with a small knife, then rub it with the liquid smoke and the salt, working it into the cuts.
2. Wrap the pork in banana leaves, if you have them, and set it in a snug roasting tin or casserole. Pour the water around it and seal tightly with a double layer of foil or a lid.
3. Roast for 4½–5 hours, until the meat is so tender it pulls apart with a fork.
4. Lift the pork onto a board, shred it with two forks and discard any big pieces of fat. Stir back enough of the cooking juices to keep it moist, then taste for salt.
5. For the classic plate-lunch side, simmer the cabbage chunks in the rest of the juices for 8–10 min, until tender, and fold them through the pork. Serve with rice and macaroni salad.

Tips

• In a pressure cooker, cut the pork into 3 pieces and cook with the water on high for 90 min, then let the pressure drop naturally.
• Liquid smoke is strong: measure it, don’t splash it.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Onolicious Hawaiʻi Taste of Home