1½ tablespoons Red Alaea Hawaiian Coarse Sea Salt (or ~1 tablespoon Red Alaea Hawaiian fine sea salt)
5 peeled garlic cloves (optional)
1 cup water
1 cabbage (cored, and cut into 6 wedges)
Categories
Dinner
Cuisine
Hawaiian
Steps
Drape three pieces of bacon on the bottom of your Instant Pot. Press the “Sauté" button and in about a minute, your bacon will start sizzling. (If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker instead, line it with three pieces of bacon, crank the burner to medium, and start frying your bacon.)
Slice the pork roast into three equal pieces. If you’ve got some garlic on hand, use it! With a sharp paring knife, stab a few slits in each piece of pork, and tuck in the garlic cloves.
Carefully measure out the amount of salt you use. For this recipe, follow Judy Rodger’s rule of thumb: use ¾ teaspoon of medium-coarse salt for every 1 pound of meat. (Using fine salt? Use about half that amount.)
Sprinkle the salt evenly over the pork. As you’re seasoning the pork, you’ll hear the bacon sputtering in the pressure cooker. Don’t forget to flip the slices, and turn off the heat when the bacon is browned on both sides.
Place the salted pork on top of the bacon, keeping the meat in a single layer.
Pour in the water. Check your pressure cooker manual to see what the minimum amount of liquid is for your particular model, and adjust accordingly. (After some digging and experimenting, I discovered that 1 cup of water is perfect for this recipe in my Instant Pot.)
Cover and lock the lid.
If you’re using an Instant Pot, set it to cook for 90 minutes under high pressure. Once the pot is programmed, walk away.
If you’re using a stove-top pressure cooker, cook on high heat until high pressure is reached. Then, reduce the heat to low to maintain high pressure for about 75 minutes.
When the stew is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to its “Keep Warm” mode. If you’re at home, press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button to turn off the cooker and let the pressure come down naturally quicker.
If you’re using a stove-top pressure cooker, remove the pot from the heat. In either case, let the pressure release naturally (which will take about 15 minutes).
Once the cooker is depressurized, check that the pork is fork-tender. If the meat’s not yet fall-apart tender, you can always cook the pork under pressure for another 5-10 minutes to get the right texture.
Transfer the cooked pork to a large bowl, and taste the cooking liquid remaining in the pot. Adjust the seasoning with water or salt if needed.
Chop the cabbage head into six wedges and add them to the cooking liquid. Replace the lid and cook the cabbage under high pressure for 1-5 minutes (depending on the size of the wedges and how tender you like the cabbage). When the cabbage is done cooking, activate the quick release valve to release the pressure.
While the cabbage is cooking, shred the pork with two forks. Once the cabbage is cooked, pile it on the pork and serve.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 321 kcal
Carbohydrates: 8 g
Protein: 47 g
Fat: 10 g
Reviews
PS on 2026-05-25 (5 stars): love the instant pot way! Still as flavorful. 3 had it with pineapple and yellow rice. plan to use the remaining in fried rice or tostadas. yum!
Cindy P on 2026-02-17 (5 stars): This is the Best!! It always turns out perfect “yummy”. And leftovers are wonderful “ I have your cook book, but we’re traveling. So thanks for sharing your recipes!!!!
Lorie on 2025-12-22 (5 stars): Oh my! This was the BEST Kalua pork I have ever eaten and that includes our yearly trips to Hawaii. I added more bacon and some liquid smoke. Also less salt than the recipe called for. I hard boiled a few eggs to serve alongside the pork and sticky rice. Delicious!! Served with a little cheese, Korean bbq sauce and Yum Yum Sauce. Family said it was the best meal they have ever eaten. Thank you for this recipe!!
Mom on 2025-11-12 (5 stars): Family loves this.
John Mahi'ai Cummings III on 2025-10-29 (5 stars): Awesome! I add ti leaves to mine and I have access to real red pa’akai from Hanapepe.
Kristin on 2025-03-12 (5 stars): This is a family favorite!!
Question - how many ounces of meet would you consider a serving?
Julie on 2025-01-01 (5 stars): I’ve been making this for years and it is fantastic. I usually skip the bacon and it still turns out great.
Ethan on 2024-11-24 (5 stars): This recipe was a HUGE hit with the family. my wife and 10yr old daughter cleaned their plates. On a whim I tossed a few pineapple rings in while cooking, but have no idea if it had an impact on the flavor, but it came out great none the less. whipped up a simple huli huli sauce and served with mashed potatoes. 10/10 will be making again.
Linda Mosher on 2024-11-06 (5 stars): My favorite pork!
