Kalua Pork — The Slow-Cooked Centerpiece for Every Family Celebration Worth Remembering

June in Baton Rouge and the Fourth of July is approaching and the summer has found its rhythm: library from 8 to 4, Baker or home from 4 to 9, studying from 9 to 11. I am pre-studying for sophomore courses — Organic Chemistry, the course that haunts the dreams of every pre-med student, the academic Everest that I will climb starting in August. I bought the textbook used on eBay for $47 and I have been reading ahead, chapter by chapter, in my childhood bedroom, at the desk where I studied for the AP exams that now feel like a lifetime ago.

Kayla graduated from BRCC with her associate's degree this month. The ceremony was at the River Center in Baton Rouge and the Robinsons occupied a row and a half — Mama and Daddy, MawMaw Shirley (Daddy drove to Baker to get her; she wore the hat, the church hat, because Shirley Robinson does not attend graduations in anything less than her best hat), Uncle Terrence, and me. Jamal FaceTimed. He is always FaceTiming. Brittany is seven months pregnant and visible on camera, and Mama spent half the FaceTime talking to the belly instead of to Jamal, which Jamal has accepted with the grace of a man who knows his mother's priorities.

Kayla walked across the stage and I clapped until my hands hurt. She is transferring to UL Lafayette in the fall for her bachelor's in graphic design. She found her path. It was not the path Mama and Daddy expected — they expected college for all three, but they expected four-year colleges, and BRCC was a detour — but it was Kayla's path and she walked it and she arrived, and arriving is the thing. Not the route. The arrival. MawMaw Shirley said afterward, "Three for three. All in college. The plan worked." The plan. Marcus and Tanya's plan, the one they built from a modest house in Scotlandville with a warehouse salary and a medical coding salary and the stubborn belief that education was the exit from the careful space between middle-class and not. Three for three. The plan worked.

I made a celebration dinner: crawfish boil, because it is June and it is Louisiana and when good things happen we boil crawfish. Five pounds, corn, potatoes, andouille, a full newspaper-covered table in the backyard. MawMaw Shirley supervised the seasoning from a lawn chair. She said, "More cayenne." I added more cayenne. She said, "More." I added more. She said, "Now you're cooking." The crawfish were perfect. The cayenne was significant. Daddy sweated. Mama fanned herself. Kayla ate thirty crawfish and said nothing about her degree because the crawfish were more interesting. That is fine. The crawfish were celebrating for her.

That backyard table — newspaper spread, the whole family crowded in, MawMaw Shirley supervising from her lawn chair — reminded me that the best celebration food is the kind that cooks itself while you’re busy being present with the people you love. If I’m ever cooking for a crowd again and crawfish aren’t in season, this Kalua Pork is what I’m reaching for: low, slow, smoky, and effortless enough that you can spend the whole day cheering someone on and still put something extraordinary on the table.

Kalua Pork

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 8 hours | Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes | Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 5 lbs bone-in pork shoulder (pork butt)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt (or coarse kosher salt)
• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 large banana leaves (optional, for wrapping)
• 1 small head green cabbage, roughly chopped (optional, for serving)

Instructions

1. Season the pork. Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels. Rub the salt evenly over all surfaces of the meat, pressing it in so it adheres.
2. Add liquid smoke. Place the pork in the slow cooker. Pour the liquid smoke over the top, turning to coat all sides. Add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Optional banana leaf wrap. If using banana leaves, line the slow cooker with the leaves, place the pork on top, and fold the leaves over to wrap the meat before placing the lid on.
4. Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours), until the pork is completely tender and pulls apart easily with a fork.
5. Shred the pork. Transfer the pork to a large cutting board. Remove the bone and any large pieces of fat. Use two forks to shred the meat into coarse, generous pieces.
6. Return and finish. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and stir to coat it in the cooking juices. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
7. Optional cabbage. Add the chopped cabbage to the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking, stirring to wilt it into the pork juices, for a traditional accompaniment.
8. Serve. Pile the pork onto a large platter and serve family-style with rice, rolls, or alongside your favorite sides.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 1g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 820mg