Kalua Pork ©Diane Eblin
Aloha! Well this is a sad day around our house. It’s the last football game of the season with the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. No more football until August 6th. Yes, I know the date of the Hall of Fame game next year. Last year Scott and I were fortunate enough to attend the Pro Bowl to enjoy this game first hand and the wonderful foods of Hawaii. In honor of this game I prepared a Hawaiian meal.
Kalua Pork which is usually cooked Imu or in a pit in the ground covered in taro leaves. Since my neighborhood association would frown on a pit in my yard to cook a pig I opted for my crockpot. To accompany the pork we had sautéed vegetables, tropical fruits and rice. For dessert I coated macadamia nuts with chocolate (Enjoy Life chocolate chips- gluten free, soy free, dairy free) to top off the mango coconut milk ice cream from Purely Decadent.
The meal was delicious and reminded us of the wonderful luau meal we had in Maui. It was great but still can’t beat the real thing in the islands.
Ingredients:
Large Pork Butt
1 Tb Liquid Smoke (Colgin brand is gluten free)
2 tsp Red Hawaiian Salt (found mine at Trader Joes but if you can’t find any use Sea Salt or Kosher Salt)
1-2 cups water
½ Banana Leaf
1 bay leaf
Directions:
I can only get frozen banana leaves where I live so the first thing is to let them thaw. Pull out half of a leaf as the leaves are huge. Rinse off and I draped mine into the bottom of the crockpot. Place the pork butt onto the banana leaf. Top with Salt, bay leaf and liquid smoke. Wrap banana leaf around the roast. Pour in water and put the lid on. I let mine cook on low for 24 hours just as if it was in the pit. You probably could get away with 12 hours but you choose.
Pull open the leaves and take out of the pot. Pull out the pork and remove the fat if you don’t want to eat it and the bone. Then take two forks and pull the pork into shreds. It will be very easy as the pork is very tender.
©Diane Eblin
Now if you can find taro leaves these are traditionally used instead of banana. They also make great bundles to wrap up the pork in for serving for a beautiful presentation. This was my plate at Mama’s Fish House in Maui.
©Diane Eblin
You should have lots of left over pork. Portion it out and freeze it. It can be used in enchiladas, quesadillas, burritos, wraps, taquitos, tamales, Asian stir-fry, BBQ, add it to pasta dishes or many other dishes.
Vegetables:
Sugar snap peas, sweet onion, broccoli, and carrots cooked in coconut oil and olive oil.
Tropical Fruit:
Fresh cut pineapple, mango, papaya, kiwi and coconut.
If you have traveled to the islands and have a favorite meal memory please share. Mahalo.
Our feast with rice.
©Diane Eblin
Oh yah, you posted it! Now wear does one find these frozen banana leaves? That looks and sounds wonderful! Aloha!
Oh yah, you posted it! Now wear does one find these frozen banana leaves? That looks and sounds wonderful! Aloha!
Alisa- this turned out even better than I thought it would. I found my banana leaves at GrandMart but I also saw them at my local Whole Foods too. You can also order them online. Use your Google Search. I’ve used them to wrap fish and I’m looking for more uses. Let me know how yours turns out. -Diane
Alisa- this turned out even better than I thought it would. I found my banana leaves at GrandMart but I also saw them at my local Whole Foods too. You can also order them online. Use your Google Search. I've used them to wrap fish and I'm looking for more uses. Let me know how yours turns out. -Diane
That is one gorgeous plate. The colors just pop. Too funny about the pig in the pit. Your neighbors are no fun.
That is one gorgeous plate. The colors just pop. Too funny about the pig in the pit. Your neighbors are no fun.
This is SO COOL Diane!!! I need to find some banana leaves, my little ones would have so much fun with these…are they edible (wondering if they could go in a green smoothie too)?
Hugs,
Heidi