Kalua Pig Tater Tot Hotdish
Tater tot hotdish is the official dish of every Minnesota potluck, church basement, and cabin weekend. Kalua pig and cabbage is a plate-lunch classic in Hawaii. Put them in the same 9×13 and you get smoky, salty shredded pork and tender cabbage in a creamy sauce, topped with a full layer of crispy tots. It’s comfort food from both of my homes, and it feeds a crowd.
The pork is the easy part. A pork shoulder, some Hawaiian sea salt, and a little liquid smoke go into the slow cooker in the morning, and by dinner it shreds with a fork. You can also make the kalua pig a day ahead (or use leftovers), which turns this into a 15-minute assembly job.
Why it works
- Kalua pig is already salty and smoky, so it seasons the whole hotdish. Go easy on extra salt until you taste.
- Cabbage cooked in the pork juices is the traditional Hawaii pairing, and it stands in for the usual green beans.
- A splash of the pork cooking liquid in the sauce adds a ton of flavor without any extra work.
- Lining the tots up in tight rows (no gaps) gives you that crunchy, golden top everybody fights over.
Kalua Pig Tater Tot Hotdish
Ingredients
- Kalua pig: 3 to 4 lb boneless pork shoulder (pork butt)
- 1 tbsp coarse Hawaiian sea salt (‘alaea salt if you can find it, or coarse kosher salt)
- 1½ tbsp liquid smoke (hickory or mesquite)
- Hotdish: 4 cups shredded kalua pig (about half the batch above, or leftovers)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- ½ medium head green cabbage, cored and chopped (about 6 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (10.5 oz each) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup pork cooking liquid from the slow cooker (or low-sodium chicken broth)
- 1 tbsp shoyu (soy sauce), optional
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack (optional, but this is Minnesota)
- 1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
- Sliced green onions, for serving
Instructions
- Make the kalua pig. Pierce the pork shoulder all over with a fork. Rub with the sea salt, set it in the slow cooker, and drizzle the liquid smoke over the top. No water needed. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours (or high 5 to 6), until it shreds easily, about 195 to 205°F inside.
- Shred the pork with two forks right in the juices. Measure out 4 cups for the hotdish and save ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Taste a piece; it should be well seasoned.
- Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion 4 to 5 minutes until soft. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, 6 to 8 minutes until wilted and tender-crisp. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the cream of mushroom soup, the reserved cooking liquid, shoyu (if using), and black pepper. Fold in the shredded pork. Taste and adjust.
- Spread the mixture in the baking dish and sprinkle with cheese, if using. Arrange the frozen tots in tight rows over the top.
- Bake uncovered 45 to 50 minutes, until the tots are deep golden and crisp and the filling is bubbling at the edges (165°F in the center). Let it rest 10 minutes, then top with green onions and serve.
Notes
- Pork is safe at 145°F, but shoulder needs to reach 195 to 205°F to fall apart for shredding.
- Make ahead: assemble the filling, cover, and refrigerate up to a day. Add the tots right before baking and give it an extra 10 minutes in the oven.
- Leftover kalua pig keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Use the other half for plate lunch with rice and mac salad.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F. A 350°F oven brings the tots back better than the microwave.
