Traditional Hawaiian kalua pork is a mainstay at gatherings in Hawaii, a staple at resorts, on plate lunches, and at the deli counters across the islands. It is made by roasting a whole pig all day in an underground oven called an imu and is usually wrapped in banana leaves that help create an intoxicating meaty aroma for anyone who passes by. When it’s done, the pig is lifted from the imu, shredded, seasoned, and served alongside other Hawaiian staples, like a family-sized bowl of fresh poke (a staple that Hawaii is known for), mac salad, white rice and the ever-present purple paste known as poi.
While a batch of poi might be a harder to make in your own mainland kitchen, you can recreate imu-baked, unique Hawaiian kalua pork at home — and you can do it in the microwave thanks to the brand Roli Roti and its box of almost-instant Island Style Kalua Pork. Sometimes it’s available in small packages online, but you can get a whole lot more Hawaii vibes with a 40-ounce box of Roli Roti Island Style Kalua Pork for around $15 at Costco. Inside the box, you’ll find the pork is portioned off in sealed sections that you can toss in the freezer for later use if you don’t want to cook the whole thing at once.
How to prepare Roli Roti’s Kalua Pork and what ingredients are in the box?
Roli Roti’s Island Style Kalua Pork is made with three ingredients: pork shoulder, salt, and smoke flavor, and everything is slow-cooked while wrapped in a banana leaf. The company claims that no antibiotics or hormones are used in farming the pigs used for its kalua pork and that the pigs are vegetarian fed. You’ll get succulent shredded pork if you follow the box’s instructions to cook in the microwave, but you can also heat up Roli Roti’s kalua pork on the stovetop.
The pork is saturated with sultry smoke flavor, just like the classic island version, and it tastes like it came straight out of an underground imu instead of the countertop microwave. Use Roli Roti’s Island Style Kalua Pork like you would any kind of kalua pork on a Hawaiian vacation — either as a main dish or as a side dish.
Mimic the Hawaiian tradition of repurposing leftovers, and use it in burritos, tacos, and omelets. Use it to make kalua pork hash, kalua pork salad, or kalua pork soup. Toss it between some bread for an iconic sandwich that represents the Aloha state (and here are the most iconic sandwiches from every other state). Zap a cup full for lunch, and you’ll enjoy an easy meal that’s almost guaranteed to transport you back to breezy, ocean-soaked days in a sunny tropical paradise.
