The meatball alone is slightly salty, a little smoky, very juicy and oh so delicious.

Not going to lie, several meatballs never found their way to the Hawaiian sweet rolls, they were that good.

The Ingredients

For the Kalua Pork we used ground pork shoulder plus two key ingredients. Liquid Smoke and Hawaiian Sea Salt are the signature ingredients.

First for the pork, I wanted to be sure the fat content was high enough to keep the meatballs juicy. So I had the butcher grind a boneless pork shoulder roast (Boston butt).

The Liquid Smoke was a first for me. Every Slow Cooker Kalua Pork recipe I could find (and there are hundreds) included it. I feared a ‘fake’ smoke taste but was pleasantly surprised. Just a small amount (1/2 teaspoon) deliver a great smoky flavor.

The final and truly authentic ingredient was the Alaea Sea Salt, also known as Hawaiian red salt.

For the sea salt, we actually brought back a couple different salts from a trip to Hawaii, both very reminiscent of the beautiful beaches we explored.

No worries if you don’t have a Hawaiian vacation in your near future, you can find the Hawaiian Alaea Sea Salt at Cost Plus World Market or online.

I interrupt this Kalua Pork Meatball Slider recipe post to share some black lava and red clay pictures from our Hawaii vacay 2019.

And we’re back!

Classic Kalua Pork is a whole pig wrapped in banana leaves, then slow roasted in an underground oven called an Imu and traditionally served at a Luau.

However on the mainland, it is also very common (and much easier) to make Kalua Pork in a slow cooker with the same three ingredients – boneless pork shoulder, Alaea sea salt and Liquid Smoke.

I wanted to infuse all of the smoky slow roasted flavor I possibly could into our Kalua Pork Meatballs so I cooked them on our Primo Smoker at 275 -300 degrees F for an hour.

The Process

While bacon wasn’t part of my original plan, it served as a way to keep the meatballs from sticking to the pan and in turn became the perfect addition to our Kalua Pork Meatballs Sliders.

If you don’t have a smoker you can certainly cook these in the oven at 350 degrees. F. for 20 minutes.

How to Build the Sliders

Here’s how we build the sliders.

First I grilled King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls and fresh pineapple rings (which I trimmed slightly first so they would fit the bun).

I made a simple coleslaw of cabbage and carrot tossed in a little mayonnaise dressing (same that we use for the Hawaiian Macaroni Salad) and a spicy mayo spread for the toasted buns.

The flavor combinations were out of this world.

The Kalua Pork Meatball was definitely the star with a nice smoky flavor.

The sweetness of the Hawaiian Sweet Rolls and grilled pineapple balanced the spicy mayo, while the coleslaw brought a little crunch.

The bacon was a straight up bonus to this handheld slider!

I made a classic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad to go with our Kalua Pork Meatball Sliders. What a perfect lunch plate or addition to your game-day spread or backyard gatherings!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Kalua Pork Meatball Sliders

The flavor combinations were out of this world. The Kalua Pork Meatball was definitely the star with a nice smoky flavor. The sweetness of the Hawaiian Sweet Rolls and grilled pineapple balanced the spicy mayo, while the coleslaw brought a little crunch. The bacon was a straight up bonus to this handheld slider!

Course Burger, Entree or Appetizer, Sandwich

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound ground pork shoulder
• 1 teaspoon Alaea sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
• 4 slices thick cut bacon

For the Coleslaw

• 3/4 cup finely shredded cabbage
• 1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
• 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon milk
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• salt & pepper to taste

For the Sliders

• 8 Hawaiian sweet rolls
• 8 slices grilled pineapple
• 1 cup cabbage/carrot coleslaw see recipe above
• 3 Tablespoons Spicy mayo equal parts mayonnaise and sriracha

Instructions

For the Meatballs

• Preheat smoker grill to 250° F or oven to 350° F. Combine ground pork, liquid smoke and sea salt. Form into 8 meatballs, about 2-inch in diameter. Line a cast iron skillet with bacon slices. Place meatballs on top of bacon and smoke for 1 hour at 250°-300° F or bake in oven at 350° F for 20 minutes or until internal temperature of meatballs reaches 165° F.

For the Coleslaw

• Combine coleslaw ingredients in a small bowl.

For the Sliders

• Grill the pineapple slices and sweet rolls. Layer each toasted roll with a pineapple slice, 1/2 slice of bacon, a meatball, a small spoonful coleslaw, spicy mayo and top of roll. Secure each with toothpicks.

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Pulled Pork Baked Potato {with a side of slaw}.

I choose to view leftovers as an opportunity.  You know those small containers of last night’s dinner that tend to hang around for a day or five until they become unrecognizable (at least to those of us without a science degree).  Don’t let that happen to you.  Start looking at them as Potato Toppers.  I promise you when we made Slow Braised Boston Butt Pork Roast, baked potatoes were the last thing from my mind.

However, two days later when we had eaten all the Pork Butt we could, I remembered something I had seen on Jim ‘n Nick’s menu (a local BBQ hot spot).  They call it the Loaded BAR-B-Q Baker.  It was with that in mind that I built our Pulled Pork Baked Potato with a side of slaw.  Now that’s the way to turn a baked potato into a meal.  Take a Perfectly Baked Potato, top it with heavenly pulled pork, savory coleslaw and a drizzle of your favorite BBQ sauce….such as our Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce.

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Pulled Pork Baked Potato {with a side of slaw}

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 1

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 Perfectly Baked Potato
• 1/2 cup pulled pork see recipe link in post
• 2 Tbl. favorite BBQ Sauce
• 1/4 cup prepared coleslaw

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Scrub potato under running water. Pierce several times with a fork. Bake for one hour or until soft.
• Slice down the center; fluff potato with a fork. Top with pulled pork, a side of slaw, and a drizzle of bbq sauce.

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Shrimp Po Boy.  Oh Boy!

The words ‘Fried Shrimp’ drifted through the office the other day.  I could hear the excitement build, as one by one people shared their love of fried shrimp.  Boy wouldn’t I love a nice big plate of succulent fried shrimp.  Better yet, wouldn’t I love a nice big Shrimp Po-Boy.

When a craving hits me it becomes very hard to ignore.  So on my way home I stopped off at the market for some fresh shrimp.  If I can make Oven ‘Fried’ Chicken surely I can make Oven ‘Fried’ Shrimp.

Following a similar method, I dipped the shrimp in egg whites, then dredged them in a spicy panko breadcrumb mixture.  I’ve found misting them with a spray olive oil vs. cooking spray helps give them a golden brown finish.  You need a little oil if you’re going to satisfy the infamous fried shrimp craving that swept my office that day.

We built our Po-Boy on a bakery roll with a bed of shredded lettuce, a spoonful of homemade coleslaw, a pile of our oven fried shrimp, and a drizzle of spicy sauce to finish.  Oh Boy!  What a fabulous treat you are Shrimp Po-Boy. 

It occurred to me that I had no idea where the name Po-Boy came from.  I knew New Orleans was famous for them but how did they get their name?  A quick Google search led me to this wonderful article on The History of the Po-Boy.  During the 1929 transit strike, as a show of support for their former union team members, Martin Brothers’ Coffee Stand in New Orleans offered free sandwiches to the ‘poor boys’ who had been without work for weeks.  This generosity led to the popularity of the sandwich then dubbed the Poor Boy.  I encourage you to read the entire article.  How wonderful to learn bits of our history through the love of food.

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Shrimp Po Boy. Oh Boy!

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the shrimp…

• 1/2 lb. medium shrimp peeled & deveined
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 Tbl. flour
• 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 cup egg whites

For the coleslaw…

• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 small grated carrot
• 1 scallion thinly sliced
• 2 Tbl. mayonnaise
• 1-2 tsp. rice vinegar
• pinch of sugar
• salt & pepper to taste

For spicy sauce…

• 2 Tbl. Frank’s Hot Sauce
• 2 Tbl. mayonnaise
• pinch cayenne pepper

To serve…

• 2 bakery hoagie rolls
• shredded lettuce
• fresh cilantro to garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a shallow baking sheet with spray olive oil.
• Combine panko, flour and Cajun seasoning in a flat dish. Dip shrimp into egg whites, then press into panko and arrange in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Once all shrimp have been coated, lightly spray tops of shrimp with olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes, then turn shrimp over and cook for another 5 minutes. Test for doneness. Shrimp should be crispy on the outside and opaque on the inside.
• While shrimp are baking combine the coleslaw and spicy sauce ingredients in two separate bowls.
• During the last few minutes of baking, add the hoagie rolls to the oven.
• To serve, put a layer of shredded lettuce in each roll, top with a spoonful of coleslaw, a generous pile of oven fried shrimp, a drizzle of spicy sauce and sprinkle of fresh cilantro leaves.

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Every year when the Daytona 500 comes back around, I get a little nostalgic. We were there in 2000. We walked pitt road, climbed the finish line (wow, unless you’ve done this you couldn’t imagine how steep the banking is), and kissed the tires of my guy Dale, Sr. 

While it’s never been the same for us, every year at the start of the Nascar season I hope this will be the season that draws me back to the front of my seat…holding my breath at every turn.

All in all, it was a good race, with bits of excitement scattered throughout the weekend.  Certainly Danica being the first woman to win the pole at Daytona was big news.  The firery crash that sent car parts tumbling into the stands during Saturday’s race still makes me shudder to think about. 

However, the one thing that has stayed with me since Sunday’s race is the new Gyro Cam in-car camera by FOX.  For the first time watching a race on tv I really got the sensation of being in the car….it was crazy and it was good. 

Kind of like our Pulled Pork Sliders topped with homemade coleslaw, a nice drizzle of Dimples BBQ Sauce, served on a soft slider roll. 

Crazy and good.

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Sesame Brussels Sprout Slaw

We love slaw at our house and change up our recipe often.  But this version was very different.  The sesame oil & seeds added that yummy nutty flavor which worked so well with the balsamic.  We’ll surely have this one again.

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Sesame Brussels Sprout Slaw

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the slaw…

• 12 Brussels sprouts – ends & loose leaves removed rough chopped in food processor
• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini squash
• 1 sliced scallion
• 1 Tbl. fine diced jalapeno
• a hand-full of cilantro leaves
• 2 Tbl. sesame seeds

For the dressing…

• a light tsp. of white balsamic easy to add more, can’t take away
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbl. mayo
• sea salt & a generous grinding of fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

• Combine slaw ingredients in a serving bowl and set aside.
• Combine dressing ingredients then stir into slaw, mixing until well combined.

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