How to Cook a Kalua Pig

The kalua pig is usually the centerpiece of a Hawaiian luau. Though it's traditionally cooked in an "imu," an oven dug into the ground, you can approximate the flavor of kalua pig in your own kitchen. This recipe uses a pork butt that serves 8 to 10 people.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Aluminum Foil
• Aluminum Foil
• Chef's Knives
• Chef's Knives
• Cutting Boards
• Skillets
• String
• Skillets
• 4 tbsp. liquid smoke
• 10 to 12 ti leaves
• 3 tbsp. Hawaiian salt (or coarse sea salt or kosher salt)
• 1 (5- to 7-lb.) pork butts

1. Cut small slits, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in length, all along the surface of the pork butt.

2. Rub the surface of the pork with Hawaiian or coarse sea salt.

3. Brown on all sides in a frying pan.

4. Brush the pork with liquid smoke.

5. Carefully wrap the entire pork butt in ti leaves, and tie leaves with household string.

6. Wrap the pork in aluminum foil and seal tightly.

7. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.

8. After an hour, reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake for 3 hours.

9. Shred the pork before serving.

Tips & Warnings

• If ti leaves are unavailable, spinach leaves are a good substitute.

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on 9/17/2006 Get the biggest sized Crockpot or slow cooker you can get. If you want, you can put a couple small banana leaves in there. Try to get as much pork shoulder/butt as you can fit, salt it up with Hawaiian salt (the more salt you use, the better the poi taste). Put the oinker in the pot, cover, and cook it medium-high for around 5 hours (checking as you go). When finished, the meat should fall right off the bone. The lower and longer you cook it, the softer it will be.

on 11/22/2005 Using fresh banana leaves as a wrap
imparts a wonderful earthy flavor to
the meat, causing it to taste much like
you've just pulled it from the imu. It
also helps retain the natural juices and prevent the foil taste from entering.