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Kalua Pork Help

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Spineguy
Spineguy Posts: 8
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Hello everybody,

I received my lg. bge yesterday as an anniversary gift from my wife. I am super excited to learn how to use it. I want to cook a 5 lb pork butt luau style. The recipes I have seen for home ovens cook the pork wrapped in banana leaves and with some water in the pan at around 350 for 5 hours. If I use the same parameters, time and temp in the big green egg, will I be successful? If I cover the pan with foil, will smoke permeate the meat? Indirect or direct? I don't want to cook it for more than 5-8 hours. Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

Chris
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  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
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    This is easily addapted to the BGE. Banana leaves, ti leaves or wet burlap work well for a wrapping. No wrapping will work in a pinch. Many flower shops have ti leaves if you don't have a source. Leave a little looseness around the foil and the smoke will creep in.


    Pork, Butt, Kalua Pork


    INGREDIENTS:
    8 lbs pork butt
    4 Tbs Hawaiian salt, divided
    4 Tbs plus a few drops liquid smoke, divided
    8 to 12 large ti leaves, ribs removed
    2 cups boiling water




    Cooking:
    1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    2 After scoring pork on all sides with 1/4-inch deep slits about 1-inch apart, rub with 3 tablespoons salt, then liquid smoke. Wrap the pork completely in ti leaves, tie with string, and wrap in foil. Place meat in a shallow roasting pan with 2 cups of water and roast for 4 hours. Dissolve 1 tablespoon Hawaiian salt in 2 cups boiling water and add a few drops of liquid smoke. Shred the cooked pork and let stand in this solution for a few minutes before serving.


    Yield: 4 to 6 servings
    Preparation time: 20 minutes
    Cooking time: 4 hours

    Recipe Type
    Main Dish, Meat

    Recipe Source
    Author: courtesy Sam Choy, Kona, Hawaii

    Source: Food Network, Sam Choy, 2007/05/29

    Episode#: CC0402

    Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved
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  • Florida Grillin Girl
    Florida Grillin Girl Posts: 4,972
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    Happy Anniversary and welcome to the forum.

    You might want to start out with something easier for your very first cook unless you have made it before and know what to expect. Cooking on the egg takes some practice and maintaining your dome temp for 5 hours may be daunting for the first time out.

    Alot of forum members will recommend trying chicken or burgers first.

    We will be here to help of course. Good luck.

    Faith
    Happily egging on my original large BGE since 1996... now the owner of 5 eggs. Call me crazy, everyone else does!
     
    3 Large, 1 Small, 1 well-used Mini
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Oh yea, I'm headin' out for all that stuff rite now!
    ; - )
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  • Village Idiot
    Village Idiot Posts: 6,959
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    I agree with Faith. Practice with some easy things first. I think pork tenderloin is easy, as is chicken.

    You want to learn achieving and maintaining certain temperatures, and that takes a little practice.
    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


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  • ebski
    ebski Posts: 15
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    You might check out Ono Charcoal..."the original luau charcoal"!

    http://www.onocharcoal.com/

    I use it and love it, but haven't tried it for any traditional Hawaiian fare just yet.
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  • Florida Grillin Girl
    Florida Grillin Girl Posts: 4,972
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    Never heard of it but this is how the Ono charcoal rates on the Naked Whiz lump database:

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdatabase/lumpbag91.htm

    Faith
    Happily egging on my original large BGE since 1996... now the owner of 5 eggs. Call me crazy, everyone else does!
     
    3 Large, 1 Small, 1 well-used Mini
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  • ebski
    ebski Posts: 15
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    I was wary of Ono at first, after reading the NW review. After 2 bags, I like it a lot. It does produce a bit more ash, but burn time is pretty close to WW or BGE, not quite as long though.

    But the taste is much better than WW or BGE IMHO...I have grilled beef, chicken, and pizzas with it and had rave reviews from the family as well. Worth a try for sure if you have the chance.
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  • boston_stoker
    boston_stoker Posts: 794
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    Or go here http://hawaiiguava.com to order kiawe wood chunks. It takes about a week to arrive. If the site says they are out, e-mail them. They dont update it always.
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  • boston_stoker
    boston_stoker Posts: 794
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    As a relatively new egger myself, I agree with others that you should startbwith an easier cook. Naked Whiz's site has great chicken and steak guides.

    When you are ready, check this site out. I plan to do this during the summer.

    Bbqjunkie.com/BBQ-recipe/Hawaiian-kale-pig/

    Welcome to the forum!
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  • boston_stoker
    boston_stoker Posts: 794
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    Http://www.bbqjunkie.com/BBQ-recipe/Hawaiian-kalua-pig

    Stupid spell check :)
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  • Spineguy
    Spineguy Posts: 8
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    Many thanks to everyone who responded to my post. I am going to wimp out and cook the kalua pork in the oven. We are having family and friends over and I don't want to blow it for a crowd. I am going to use the egg on Sunday for beer can chicken instead, something I have done dozens of times and feel I can figure out much easier. I am a huge fan of forums like this, as it brings a passionate group of people together to help each other.

    Good grilling,

    Chris
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  • boston_stoker
    boston_stoker Posts: 794
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    Http://www.bbqjunkie.com/BBQ-recipe/Hawaiian-kalua-pig

    Stupid spell check :)
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