Kalua Pork Sliders with Pineapple-Mango Slaw
A tender, smoky pork piled on sweet rolls with a sweet and tangy colorful slaw on top.
Servings sliders
Equipment
Ingredients
Kalua Pork
- 3 pound boneless pork shoulder butt roast
- sea salt
- Hickory-flavored liquid smoke
Slaw
- 2 cups purple cabbage, shredded cut shreds into about 1″ pieces
- ½ red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 rib celery
- ⅓ cup green onions, sliced
- 3 heaping tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup mango, diced
- ½ cup pineapple, diced
- 1 - 2 dozen Hawaiian Rolls
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons mayo
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons orange juice, fresh
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 heaping teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
Kalua Pork
- Rinse the pork roast and pat it dry. Pierce the entire roast with a fork. Sprinkle generously with the liquid smoke (about 1 tablespoon, more if you have a very large roast) and sprinkle with the sea salt (start with about a little less than tablespoon and see how far it gets you; you can always add more after it cooks). If using traditional kosher salt, decrease salt to 1-2 teaspoons. Rub the salt into the roast.
- Place the roast in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the meat shreds easily with a fork.
- Remove the roast from the pan and place it in a serving dish or on a serving platter. Shred it, discarding any large pieces of fat. Drizzle enough of the cooking liquid over the pork to re-moisten it and keep it from drying out.
Slaw & Dressing
- Combine all slaw ingredients and gently toss. Whisk dressing ingredients together. Add dressing to slaw and toss gently until everything is lightly coated. Chill for 15 minutes.
Assembly
- Slice Hawaiian rolls in half, top with shredded Kalua Pork and a generous spoonful of slaw. Top with other half of bun. You can add a drizzle of BBQ sauce if desired.
Notes
Since you’re putting the slaw on a small bun, make sure to dice everything relatively small so you get a little of everything in each slider.
It helps to stick a skewer through them to keep them all together.
Yield depends on how full you make them. I would estimate 1 1/2 dozen very generously filled sliders and 2 dozen moderately filled ones.
The Kalua Pork can easily be made ahead of time, then frozen or refrigerated until it's time for assembly. It may need extra seasoning upon thawing.
If you are preparing this for a large event, it is helpful to do as much prep work as possible before hand. You can chop everything up to the night before, as well as whisk together the dressing. However, do not combine the dressing and slaw quite yet, as it will cause the slaw to get soggy. Store them in the fridge, then combine them just before guests arrive.
Nutrition
Calories: 110kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 57mg, Potassium: 154mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 233IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 10mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Calories: 110kcal
Cost: $20
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