Aloha and welcome to Kalua Pig Hawaiian Style!

If you are looking at this website my guess is that you are either Kamaina or someone wishing they were back on vacation in Hawaii. In either case welcome and I hope that you can find what you are looking for here to satisfy your needs. In order to help our friends from the mainland this site is in standard English so that all can understand the recipe and technique.
No woories brah da baga still broke da mouth!

After leaving the islands to go to college on the mainland I found myself missing local food more than I could imagine. As there is only so far a rice pot and a bottle of soy sauce would take me I needed to figure out a way to make Kalua Pig! Though trial and delicious errors, speaking with my family, and many beers with local friends the following recipe was developed.

This is not the type of recipe that tells you exactly what to put in something you still need to use your own taste and artistry to get the exact flavor you are looking for.

YOU WILL NEED:

Pork - I like to use pork butt but just about any cut will do.

Pork Fat - If you can not find a fatty pieces of pork then you may want to add some fat to the recipe. If you are really worried about fat then honestly you may want to consider eating something else or doing some major exercise before making this.

Salt - Sea salt if you have access to the inexpensive type but if you don't then just use regular table salt.

Leaves - If you are reading this from a computer in Hawaii then go get your auntie and uncle to make you a Lau Lau. If you are not in Hawaii then you are going to need some type of leaves to give your pork flavor. Just about any type of green leaf vegetable will work. There are two things to keep in mind. 1. There are certain types of green leaf vegetables that have bitter or sometimes spicy flavors if you use these the result may not be so good. 2. You can use just about any leaf vegetable including lettuce but if you use hardy leaves like spinach you can eat the leaves as they will hold up in the cooking process.

Smoke - You can use liquid smoke (some people refer to this as artificial smoke but if you look it up online it is just condensed smoke and water) or you can also use a smoker. If you don't have access to either you can burn some tea in the bottom of a wok and use it as a smoker.

Pressure Cooker - This is an important tool for this recipe, if you don't have one you may want to go and get one as they are really handy in the kitchen not only for making kalua pig but for making fried chicken, pot roasts, and lau lau's.


Method:

I almost always just use liquid smoke but if you don't have access to it smoke your pork. If possible cold smoke it.

Fill your pressure cooker 1/2 to 1/3 of the way with water and then add enough salt to make it taste like the ocean. Then add a little more salt. Put some liquid smoke into the water. Place your pork into the pressure cooker. If you are adding fat chop it up and then blend it with some of the salt water, once the fat is liquefied add it to the pressure cooker. Stuff your leaves into the pressure cooker on top of the pork. Cook on high heat for 1.5 hours.

Sometimes I add a little garlic and onion to the water but this is not necessary and it will give you a flavor that is slightly different.

If you don't have a pressure cooker you can cook in a pot on a stove but it will take a bit longer 2-3 hours. To do this follow the same process as above except when the leaves are cooked take them out and then put them back in only when the pork is soft and falls apart.


Happy Grinds

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