The star of a lūʻau is the kalua pig. Although it is now the most famous of Hawaiian foods, and the most spectacular, the kalua pig originally was not an everyday menu item. Some pigs were kept in enclosures and fattened. However, a more common practice was to toss extra breadfruit, and other items favored by pigs, into the forest edge, encouraging them to feed within a comfortable hunting range. Still, to acquire a boar for a feast required hunting the wily animal through tropical forest.
Once found, the hunter must face the razor-tusked beast and dispatch it with a wooden spear. With neither pack animals nor carts the hunter must then carry his catch home.
Because the Hawaiian puaʻa (pig) and other wild animals tend to be lean, as in many subsistence cultures, fat was a delicacy to the ancient Hawaiians. The custom of offering the fat to a favored guest is still practiced by some of the older kamaʻāina (born in the islands). If you are so fortunate as to be invited to a family lūʻau, and an elderly Hawaiian selects the fattiest piece of meat from the kalua and puts it on your plate, it is an honor. Here is a simple recipe for kalua pig that does NOT require an imu (oven dug into the earth).
At the bottom of the page is a video on how to cook in an imu.
Ingredients
1 pork butt (you may substitute any meat such as: mutton, goat, chicken, or turkey)
liquid smoke flavored seasoning
Hawaiian salt or rock salt
Trim the fat from the pork butt. Stab the butt all over with a sharp knife. Pour the smoke flavoring into the palm of your hand and rub it all over the butt, being sure to work it thoroughly into the cuts. How much to use depends on personal taste. I like a good smoky flavor, so I generally use at least three tablespoonsful. Repeat the process using rock salt. Wrap the butt in la`i (ti leaf) or banana leaf. If there is none available, you can use baker’s parchment paper. Wrap the package in aluminum foil with the fattiest side up. The foil should form a sealed package to hold in the juices and the steam. The plastic oven bags also work. Place in a large pan in a 250 degree oven for 6 to 8 hours. The kalua is ready when the meat falls apart easily.
While it is still hot, use a pair of forks to shred the meat into pieces about double bite size. Stir in the juices. Serve hot.
Kalua pig is good substituted for corned beef in corned beef and cabbage and other recipes.