Recently I asked my friend and former hula instructor (from way back in the day, folks, don't jump to conclusions) what her favorite Hawaiian holiday meal consists of and if she would mind sharing her recipe with us here at Suite 101.
Lynette Bushnell Hone was happy to share her traditional Hawaiian Christmas dinner with us and with it, lots of great tips to make it happen without having to dig a huge earthen pit in the backyard. And lava rocks? Don't worry about those either!
How did the Kalua pig roast have its start in your family traditions?
My mother is half Polynesian from the American territory of American Samoa. Preparing and eating Polynesian food was part of my childhood even though we lived all over the world; from Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, India and North America. We took our Hawaiian traditions with us wherever we lived.
What does the typical Polynesian Christmas dinner look like?
Christmas in my home always meant there would be a Kalua pig roast. Since we have turkey at Thanksgiving and ham at Easter, Christmas still finds us today filling the house with the wonderful aroma of roasting pig.
What does "Kalua" actually mean?
Ka Lua literally means "the pit" in Hawaiian. The pit serves as a fantastic natural underground earthen oven called the "Imu".
Where do you go to find a whole pig to roast?
In lieu of a whole pig, I buy a pork butt. I also substitute kale for the large Ti leaves to wrap around the pig. Ti leaves can be found at a florist but I like the flavor of kale, it combines beautifully with the pork.
Other people have wrapped the pork with banana leaves along with Ti leaves, so there are a few different ways to wrap the pork.
Since I don't have room today to roast an entire pig or dig an earthen pit, or even find lava rocks to fill the pit with, I rely on my trusty oven to do the job, "mainland-style".
Hawaiian Kalua Pig Roast Recipe – Mainland Style
Ingredients:
- 4 lbs pork butt
- 2 Tbsp Hawaiian rock salt (or sea salt)
- 4 Tbsp pure liquid smoke (Mesquite is my favorite)
- 4 large Ti leaves (or 4 lbs of kale or collard greens)
Directions:
- Rinse the kale well as you remove the ribs.
- Score pork on all sides by slashing diagonally about 1/4 inch deep and about an inch apart.
- Rub meat well with salt and liquid smoke.
- Wrap pork in Ti leaves (or kale).*I use about 4-5 lbs of greens to completely cover the pork. Greens need to be pushed down as tightly as possible around the pig before wrapping it in foil. I also sprinkle water over the greens before wrapping with foil.
- Wrap the greens-covered pork in extra-thick tin foil for a water-tight seal. *It is very helpful to have a helper to hold down the greens while you wrap the foil 2-3 times to ensure complete coverage.
- Bake the pork fat-side down in a large, deep roasting pan in 2 inches of water.
- Roast in oven at 550° for 45 minutes, then reduce temperature to 400° for 3 hours. Meat will be fall-apart tender and may be shredded to serve. Serves 8-10.
Kalua Pig Roast Tips:
- To remove the pork bundle, cut an opening in the foil and step back as steam is released.
- Two forks can be used to pull the tender meat off the bone and then served with the greens after pouring off the juices.
- Do not be tempted to save remaining juices from the pan for later as it will get saltier with time and is essentially fat that drained from the roast.
- Serve with baked sweet potatoes and a sparkling apple cider.
Many thanks to Lynette for sharing her mainland-style Kalua pig recipe with all the helpful tips to make it as easy as possible. Her holiday meal will definitely be a "taste of the islands" to remember!
And "Mele Kalikimaka" to you too, my friend, and to all the mainlanders out there dreaming of a Hawaiian pig roast. Happy holidays!
Vicki F. Chavis - Growing up in Asia, Europe and North America left Vicki with a love of cuisine, history, language, fashion and travel. Today she writes on ...
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