Tonight I made Kailua pork and cabbage for dinner. It is a Hawaiian staple, and when I lived o'er yonder as a child, I ate it every other day as it was a part of the school lunch menu ($.35).

It took 6 hours for the pork to get just right, but it's well worth it. I have enough shredded pork left over in the fridge to last me a few days. Traditionally, it's made by digging a hole in the ground, wrapping the pork in taro leaves and sticking it down there with coals, covered with tea leaves, but I don't think my apartment complex would like that much.



It's stupid easy to make, by the way:

5lb pork butt
1tbsp liquid smoke
1tbsp sea salt
1 cabbage, shredded
1cup water

Rub salt into pork. Drizzle with liquid smoke. Wrap loosely in the outside leaves of the cabbage and place in crock pot. Add 1 cup of water along the bottom. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours -- the longer the better, but the minimum is 6 for safe pork.

When it's done, it'll be falling apart. Shred with a fork. Shred your cabbage now, and place in a wok with a bit of oil and lightly stirfry. When the cabbage is warmed up and less crispy, put a few cups of pork in it, juices and all. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 4 minutes. Serve on top of rice!

5lbs of pork makes about 2348092 servings.