Crock Pot Kalua Pork

**Originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 2-2-15***

This week's recipe was probably the easiest thing I have ever made in my crock pot. But that's not all, it was also one of the most delicious! It also took my husband back to our honeymoon in Maui when we ate it. Just 3 ingredients, and you will have many delicious meals from this recipe. It's Crock Pot Kalua Pork! It slow cooks for a loooooooong time (that isn't a typo in the recipe!) and cooking it so long is what makes it so so so tender. We enjoyed it in a lettuce wrap with some rice and barbecue sauce (the Husband used hoison sauce). It seriously tastes like the pulled pork we had in Maui from the pig in the pit that we ate at a luau. And it is so versatile! I used leftovers for pulled pork tacos. You could use it in so many ways, like on a sandwich, nachos, in a casserole, you name it. I used a shoulder blade roast, because that tends to be more lean, but still has enough fat to keep the pork moist and flavorful. I'm sure a loin roast would work, but I would reduce the cooking time so it doesn't dry out too much. But I had plenty of flavorful juices in my roast after cooking for 12 hours (my roast was about 2.5lbs, the recipe calls for 3lbs). No issues with drying out at all! You may be tempted to eat it just when it's "done," but don't! Let it slow cook as long as possible!

CROCK POT KALUA PORK

• 3 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean, remove any large chunks of fat
• coarse sea salt
• 1 tablespoon liquid mesquite smoke

Place pork in the crock pot and stab it all over with a knife. Rub sea salt all over the pork. Drizzle the liquid smoke all over the pork. Then, cook on low for 16 hours (yes, that is not a typo). Adjust cooking time if you have a different size roast, or if you know your crock pot cooks hot (some have their own personality!).

When done, remove from crock onto a platter. Remove any fat you may have missed before cooking, and then shred it all up with 2 forks. Remove any liquid from the crock pot (but don't toss it, I used some of it to put over leftovers in the fridge to help keep moist). Return the pork to the crock pot to keep warm for serving.