Slice the pork roast into three or four equal pieces.
If adding garlic, cut slits in the roast, make them large enough for one whole clove of garlic. Repeat all over the roast until all cloves have been inserted in the pork.
Add the water or broth to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Place the pork shoulder in your Instant Pot and pierce the top several times with a knife or fork.
Rub the pork with the Hawaiian sea salt. Then, pour the liquid smoke on top.
Next, cover and lock the lid. Select the "Manual" button and press the "+" button until you hit 90 minutes.
Once done, allow the pressure to release naturally.
Cook until pork is tender and shreds easily. (give it more time, if necessary)
When the pork is finished cooking, remove the meat to a tray or sheet pan and shred it with two forks. Check the pork for seasoning and adjust by adding more of the cooking liquid that remains at the bottom of the pot.
If making the cabbage, quarter the cabbage, remove the core, then slice crosswise into about 1-inch strips. Add the chopped cabbage to the cooking liquid in the Instant Pot, replace the lid and cook at high pressure for 3 minutes, releasing the pressure manually when its done. Add the cooked cabbage to the shredded pork and serve.
Slow Cooker Instructions
If adding garlic, cut slits in the roast, make them large enough for one whole clove of garlic. Repeat all over the roast until all cloves have been inserted in the pork.
Place the pork shoulder in your slow cooker and pierce the top several times with a knife or fork.
Rub the pork with the sea salt. Then, pour the liquid smoke on top.
Program your slow cooker for 8-10 hours on the low setting until pork is tender and shreds very easily. You may need a few more hours if your pork shoulder is larger. I suggest you start to check around 8 hours, but know it may take up to 12 if it's large bone-in roast.
If adding cabbage, remove the core, then slice crosswise into about 1-inch strips. Add chopped cabbage to the slow cooker at around 20-30 minutes before roast is done.
Once the pork shoulder is fully cooked, remove the pork to a tray or sheet pan and use two forks to shred it. You can also drizzle some of the remaining liquid from the slow cooker on top, to keep the meat moist, or to adjust the seasoning, add the cooked cabbage to the shredded pork and serve immediately.
Enjoy your Kalua Pork on steamed rice or cauliflower rice, over salads, in wraps, as tacos, on pizza, in scrambles or frittatas and MORE!
Notes
If using coarse salt, you may want to go with 1 1/2 tablespoons sea saltIf you can only find bone-in pork roast, cut out the bone for the Instant Pot version, and still cut the roast into three equal piecesKeep some of the cooking liquid to store any leftover kalua pork, it will keep it from drying out.Store the leftovers in the fridge, in some of the cooking liquid, for 4-5 days or you can freeze for several months. When serving the leftovers crisp up the pork in a cast iron skillet or under the broiler for a nice crispy, browned bite.