Ingredients
- •5 lb bone-in pork shoulder (or boneless butt)
- •3 tbsp Hawaiian red sea salt (or coarse sea salt)
- •1 tbsp liquid smoke (hickory or mesquite)
- •2 banana leaves (optional, for wrapping — available frozen at Asian markets)
- •For serving:
- •Steamed white rice or Hawaiian sweet rolls
- •Macaroni salad
- •Sliced cabbage slaw with rice vinegar dressing
- •Pickled red onions
- •Sriracha mayo or hot sauce
Instructions
Score the pork shoulder deeply on all sides in a crosshatch pattern.
Rub Hawaiian sea salt into all the scored cuts and surfaces.
Drizzle liquid smoke evenly over the pork and rub it in.
If using banana leaves, line a vacuum-seal bag with a banana leaf, place the pork inside, and fold the leaf around the meat before sealing. If not, place pork directly in the bag.
Vacuum seal or use water displacement to remove air.
Preheat sous vide bath to 160°F (71°C).
Submerge bag and cook for 20 h.
When the cook is done, remove pork from bag and discard banana leaf if used. Reserve bag juices.
Remove and discard the bone (it should slide out easily).
Shred the pork using two forks while still hot.
Strain the bag juices and skim fat. Toss shredded pork with 1/2 cup of the defatted juices.
For crispy edges, spread shredded pork on a sheet pan and broil for 3–4 min until the tips are charred and crispy.
Serve over steamed rice or in Hawaiian sweet rolls with macaroni salad, cabbage slaw, pickled onions, and sriracha mayo.
Notes
- •Liquid smoke is the essential shortcut for imu flavor — use a quality brand (Wright's is reliable) and don't overdo it
- •Hawaiian red sea salt (alaea) is traditionally used but any coarse sea salt works
- •Banana leaves add a subtle earthy sweetness and are worth finding at Asian grocery stores
- •The traditional Hawaiian plate lunch serves this with two scoops of rice and one scoop of macaroni salad