Kalua Pig - 1st time

Matt86m

Put 15lbs of pork butt on this morning. 1st time for Kalua pig on the BGE. Usually I do it in a crock pot. Wrapped in Ti leaves with Alea Hawaiian sea salt. Hoping for the best/fingers crossed, suppose to feed a bunch of people tomorrow. Got to work on my string game. Smoking with mesquite and peach.

GrillSgt

Laki maika’i. 

CigarCityEgger

Standing by

Matt86m

GrillSgt said:

Laki maika’i. 

Thank you!

rowmsu

@Matt86m

Where did you get the Ti leaves from. I would love to try this. 

Kent8621

I want to try this, if you can post where you got that stuff that would be awesome.

lkapigian

Looks Great! Doing a whole pig this style in 3 weeks --

saluki2007

I've found large banana leaves at my local Asian grocery store.  That's what I've used in the past.

EggMcMic

@saluki2007 Morton has an Asian Grocery store?

saluki2007

EggMcMic said:

@saluki2007 Morton has an Asian Grocery store?

@EggMcMic Peoria does.  https://www.facebook.com/freshasianmarket/  Great store.

Matt86m

Ti leaves came from a local (Orange County, CA) tropical florist. 

A lot of Asian markets carry frozen banana leaves. I tried Ti leaves because a local wood supply/bbq place close to me does it this way. Most of the videos on youtube show banana leaves being used.

In Hawaii they use banana leaves in the traditional Imu (in ground pit) 

I load up on Alea salt every year we go to Kauai but Im pretty sure you can buy it on the mainland.

td66snrf

@Matt86 Where you at in OC?

Matt86m

td66snrf said:

@Matt86 Where you at in OC?

Fountain Valley

FrostyEgg

Standing by for the finish here. Looks awesome!

Matt86m

Here's the results. I'll do a few things different next time: start with it on the rack rather than in the pan to get more smoke. Add a little more salt. Skip the butcher paper and let it finish in the pan juices like I do in the crock pot.

Overall it's good but need more smoke & salt. Ill add back in some of the pan juices to keep it moist. Pulled apart easy, shot a video but too big to post. 

Had a little mishap after. I have never done a high heat / cleaning burn before. Temp got away from me and pegged the gauge. Plate setter was burning (fat & residue) caught a small portion of the gasket too. Now the top has an under bite so ill adjust the alignment - never had that before. It is cleaner but not white again - not sure that is possible.

XL did great, held 250* +- 2-3* for 12 hours on 1 load of charcoal and had plenty left over. 

SonVolt

oh man, you should served it still in the leaf wrapper! That would have made a killer presentation. 

I've been wanting to do a similar method with Yucatán-Style Barbecued Pork.



https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/05/cochinita-pibil-yucatan-barbecue-mexican-smoked-pork-recipe.html

CigarCityEgger

Great looking pork, bet it was awesome

Dobie

Not unusual for the dome alignment to be off after nuclear temps, mine does it PITA. 
food looks great 

lkapigian

@Matt86m you nailed it!.  

shtgunal3

Awesome cook man

caliking

Nice cook!

how did you serve it? Sammiches? Sides?

and consider the grease fire a rite of passage . No biggie. Has happened to many of us. 

GrillSgt

Does the leaf impart any flavor? Asking because salt and smoke would be the only other flavors. Like them both but not sure if it would be worth it. Checking recipes on the googlator and that seems to be the only 2, except several call for Liquid Smoke. No thanks on that.

lkapigian

GrillSgt said:

Does the leaf impart any flavor? Asking because salt and smoke would be the only other flavors. Like them both but not sure if it would be worth it. Checking recipes on the googlator and that seems to be the only 2, except several call for Liquid Smoke. No thanks on that.

the banana leaf does add flavor

WesJohnson

like bananas 

WesJohnson

? Rita, I'm probably be home late tonig

SonVolt

@WesJohnson - is that a partial email to your wife abandoned mid-sentence? 

lkapigian

SonVolt said:

@WesJohnson - is that a partial email to your wife abandoned mid-sentence? 

pretty sure @WesJohnson rides the short bus

GrillSgt

Typo, he’s coming home to nig, not tonig. 

Matt86m

Dobie, that's good to know. Thanks

CaliKing, serving it with white rice with your choice of Furikake, Sriracha, Shoyu - soy sauce. Simple & easy

GrillSgt, not sure if the Ti leaves do but banana is supposed to. The Ti leaves do help hold in moisture.  Next time I will do a side by side - one with and one w/o - to see if there is a big difference.


Thanks for the good words! 

GrillSgt

Looks really moist so I’m sure it was. 

caliking

Matt86m said:

Dobie, that's good to know. Thanks

CaliKing, serving it with white rice with your choice of Furikake, Sriracha, Shoyu - soy sauce. Simple & easy

GrillSgt, not sure if the Ti leaves do but banana is supposed to. The Ti leaves do help hold in moisture.  Next time I will do a side by side - one with and one w/o - to see if there is a big difference.


Thanks for the good words! 

I like how you think

sounds like a great meal!