Fast, easy RV crockpot pork recipe that feeds a crowd, with salsa side

My favorite foods on the road are the ones that can be cooked in the RV, keep well, feed a lot of people and make most of them happy. If they’re incredibly delicious, that’s a bonus.

This kalua pork recipe definitely qualifies on all counts. You can find recipes all over the Internet for this Hawaiian-style meat, but most of them put the pork butt in the oven, and oddly, even when they cook it in a crockpot, they call for way too long of a time, which dries out the meat.



The pineapple salsa moistens the pork or rice.



We have become addicted to the little slider buns you can now find in most grocery stores, which are made by Sara Lee and Pepperidge Farms. They cut down on the number of sandwiches every eats, which makes for natural portion control, and they’re tasty (count on at least two per person). We’ve also served the pork in tortillas with all the fixings – onions, cilantro, tomatoes, etc.

Barbecue sauce is great with the pork, but the pineapple salsa recipe that follows is excellent, as well. This salsa also works with steamed rice as a side dish, too. Keep in mind that the pork is actually moister and better the second and third day.

Crockpot Kalua Pork

Serves about 10-12

1 boneless pork butt roast, 4-6 pounds

1-2 tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt (you can also use coarse kosher salt)

1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring (we used half mesquite and half hickory)

Pierce the pork all over with a fork or the tip of a knife. Rub it well with the salt. Pour the liquid smoke on one side and then rub it to the other. Place pork in slow cooker on low heat. Cover and cook for 8-9 hours for 4-5 pounds and 9-10 hours for 6 pounds, turning once about halfway through. Remove meat, pull apart and reserve drippings, adding as needed to moisten when you serve.

Pineapple Salsa

Makes about 2-3 cups

1 fresh pineapple, trimmed and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

½ cup minced cilantro

½ jalapeno, minced (or less, if you don’t like it to be spicy)

2 tbls. fresh lime juice

¼ tsp salt or more to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving to meld flavors.

The roadtripster is the handle of a longtime Coloradan who travels the country by any means possible, sometimes in an RV, sometimes car camping or in the backcountry, with kids and without.