Entree: United States – Hawaii – Lau Lau (Traditional Hawaiian steamed parcels of pork and salted fish wrapped in taro and ti leaves)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 4 hrs

Total 4 hrs

Ingredients

- 2 lb (900 g) pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 oz (225 g) salted butterfish (or salted cod), rinsed and cut into portions
- 1 tbsp (15 g) Hawaiian sea salt or coarse sea salt (adjust if using already-salted fish)
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 6–8 large taro (luau) leaves, washed and stems trimmed (about 250–300 g)
- 6–8 ti leaves or banana leaves for wrapping (about 200–250 g)
- Kitchen twine or toothpicks for securing parcels (no measurement)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) water for steaming each parcel (approximate)

Instructions

1. If your pork is not salted, rub pork cubes with 1 tbsp (15 g) salt and 1/2 tsp (1 g) pepper; let rest 30 minutes refrigerated.
2. Lay one taro leaf flat, shiny side down. Place a second taro leaf crosswise to create a double layer that will hold the filling.
3. Place a portion of pork (about 1/2 lb/225 g) in the center of the taro leaves, top with a piece of salted butterfish (about 2 oz/60 g), and add a little water (about 2 tbsp/30 ml) to help steaming.
4. Fold the taro leaves over the filling to make a secure parcel, then wrap the parcel in one or two ti leaves and tie tightly with kitchen twine or secure with toothpicks.
5. Repeat to make 4 parcels total. Place parcels in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover, and steam gently for 3 to 4 hours until the pork is very tender and the taro leaves are soft.
6. Remove parcels, unwrap carefully (taro leaves are edible when cooked; ti leaves are not eaten) and serve hot with rice or poi.