A taste of the islands is particularly welcome this time of year, and this dish offers it in spades. Typically, this traditional Hawaiian method involves cooking meat—whole pigs in particular—in an underground oven, but your run-of-the-mill slow cooker can provide a pretty decent approximation.

Pork, left to its own devices for an 18-hour cook, turns out tender, smoky, and salty—the perfect counterpoint to crunchy Asian slaw. When tucked into plush, sweet Hawai'ian rolls, you'll all but forget your winter doldrums.

Notes: Feel free to use pork shoulder in place of pork butt. It works great, too. If the slow-cooker seems dry when you flip the meat, add a bit more water. The pork can also be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen for later use.