Plateau Magazine June-July 2023

Kālua Pork Sliders slow-cooked with Lemongrass Slaw
Approximately 30 sliders (2-3 per person)
Ingredients
4-5 pound boneless skinless pork shoulder
1 tablespoon pink Himalayan sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 package banana leaves, thawed if frozen
and rinsed
2 cups stock, dark beer, or water
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 1/4 cups Lemongrass Aioli
1/4 cup pineapple juice, plus more to taste
8 cups shredded red cabbage
(about 1 small head)
8 cups shredded green cabbage
(about 1 small head)
30 Hawaiian sweet rolls (slider size),
sliced and lightly toasted
110 | ThePlateauMag.com
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and then season with the salt,
garlic powder, onion powder and brown sugar, pressing to make sure
the spices adhere.
3. Add the oil to a large, heavy-bottomed oven-safe pot like a Dutch oven
over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the pork and sear
until browned all over, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to
a plate then deglaze the pot with the stock and liquid smoke, scraping
the bottom to pull up any brown bits. Remove the pot from heat.
4. Lay out several pieces of the banana leaf (enough to wrap the pork)
and place the pork fat side up in the center. Fold the corners of the
leaves over and around the pork to encase it. Carefully transfer the
banana leaf-wrapped pork seam-side down in the pot with the liquid.
5. Roast until the pork is fall-apart tender and reaches an internal
temperature of 190-195°F, about 3-4 hours. Rest the pork for 1 hour in
the banana leaf and then transfer to a cutting board and discard the leaves.
6. While the pork is roasting, make the slaw. Add the lemongrass aioli
to a large mixing bowl and whisk in the pineapple juice, adding
more to taste if you’d like it sweeter. Add the red and green shredded
cabbage, toss to combine, and season to taste with additional salt.
Refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the sliders.
7. Shred the pork, transfer to a mixing bowl, and toss with a few tablespoons
of the cooking liquid from the pot. Season to taste with additional salt.
8. Assemble the sliders by heaping even portions of the pulled pork onto
the bottom buns and then topping with a generous portion of the
slaw and the top buns.