Who does not like some tasty, easy to make grub while playing their favorite game? This column talks about food, perhaps provide some insight on quick and easy food, and talk about the intersection of food and gaming generally.

My overarching goal is to write about skills, tools, and knowledge that will make your food life that much better. Each blog will center on a skill, ingredient, on knowledge to do this.

Sometimes, like in this blog, I will talk about a recipe. If I do, I promise I will always make it, hopefully a few times, before I talk about it. Sometimes I will talk about quick food anyone can get from restaurants, ingredients, or anything else to help you have a good food life.

Lets move on to the subject:


Kalua Pork



Featured Tool: Slow Cooker

A slow cooker (or crock pot, same thing) is your friend. Basically you just throw stuff in it, wait a while, and it comes out good almost always. I included an alternative way to cook the Pork if you don't have a slow cooker.

The recipe:

- 5 lbs of pork, pork shoulder or pork butt works the best (and are usually pretty cheap)
- 2 Tbs (Tbs=table spoons, tbs=tea spoons) of Sea Salt or Kosher Salt, these salts are better but any salt will do.
- 2 Tbs Liquid Smoke, You can buy this at Walmart.



Cut slits in the meat.
Put it in the slow cooker or baking dish.
Rub the salt on it. The more even you can get the salt over the pork the better.
Pour the Liquid Smoke on it.

If you have a Slow Cooker: cook it on high for 6-8 hours. Make sure to cover it.

If you are using a baking dish (I will probably highlight this technique sometime in the future.):

The dish has to be "tight" around the meat. It does not have to squeeze it, but It can't have too much room around the meat.
Heat the oven to 250 degrees.
Place foil on top of the meat sticking over the sides of the dish.
Put the top of the dish on and put it in the oven.
Cook it for 4 hours.

Now you have a few hours to play and something to look forward to while you play some more.

When you take it out, shred the pork by just pulling it apart.

What do you do with it?

Usually people eat it with rice (I love my rice cooker) and perhaps some stir fried or steamed cabbage.



You can also eat it on a hamburger bun, or like a sandwich between two slices of regular bread.