Smoked Kalua Pork Recipe with Banana Leaves – State of Dinner (2024)

FAQs

Can you smoke pork in banana leaves? ›

Place the pork on the smoker, close the lid, and smoke for 3 hours. Wrap the pork. Remove the pork shoulder from the smoker and wrap tightly in the banana leaves, securing with butcher's twine. If you don't have access to banana leaves, I used pink butcher's paper to mimic the effect of the banana leaves on the smoker.

Smoked Kalua Pork is seasoned with Hawaiian salt and wrapped in banana leaves, then smoked, to give it the authentic flavor of traditional Hawaiian Kalua Pork without digging a hole in your backyard!

A: For the truest Hawaiian Kalua pork flavor, we would recommend a mesquite based liquid smoke. Kalua pork is usually made with Kiawe wood, which is the Hawaiian mesquite tree.

You only need enough to wrap the pork shoulder at least two times. If you don't have access to banana leaves, a simple substitution is adding fresh brewed green tea to the roasting pan. Banana leaves have a tea taste.

Preparing the Leaves: Wash the banana leaves thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris. Pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. Heating the Leaves: To make the leaves pliable and release their natural flavors, gently heat them over an open flame or in a hot skillet for a few seconds on each side.

Banana leaves play two roles here: During baking, they're a vehicle for creating the moist crumb and fruity aroma, and they also serve as a verdant loaf-pan liner that ensures easy removal after baking.

With your smoker running steady at 225 degrees F, you can typically plan about 2 hours of cook time per pound of pork. For example, an 8-pound pork shoulder will take about 16 hours from start to finish. Quick note! Every cut of meat is a little bit different, so plan ahead for variations in cook time!

The meat has a rich, smoky, and salty taste that is balanced by the sweetness of the pork fat. You can serve it with cauliflower rice, cabbage, or any veggies you like. It's also great for making sliders, tacos, nachos, and more. Kalua pork is so versatile and delicious, you'll want to make it all the time.

One thing is certain about ribs and pork: If you overcook them, they do become dry and tough.

Cooking over indirect heat, marinating, using a high ratio of smoking chunks to charcoal, wrapping in aluminum foil, and allowing your meat to sit for three to five minutes will help to keep it moist.

How do you keep pulled pork moist when smoking? ›

Try brine: Choose a wet marinade rather than a dry one. Dry rubs may work fine but brine or a wet rub will add that extra moisture along with the flavor that will penetrate deep inside the meat. Keep a spray bottle handy: Keep spraying the meat during smoking or reheating to replace the lost moisture.

With that in mind, what I tend to use and find is the best spritz for smoking is apple cider vinegar but water will work as well, or a 50/50 mix. Another great alternative is apple juice where the sugars in the juice also add another level of flavour to your bark.

Banana leaves are large, flexible, and waterproof. They impart an aroma to food that is cooked in or served on them; steaming with banana leaves imparts a subtle sweet flavour and aroma to the dish. The leaves are not themselves eaten and are discarded after the contents are consumed.

maia s. The plantain, the banana and its different varieties; a fruit kapu for women to eat in ancient times.

The word "kālua" ("to cook in an underground oven" in the Hawaiian language) may also be used to describe the food cooked in this manner, such as kālua pig or kālua turkey, which are commonly served at lūʻau feasts.

Place the meat in the prepared baking dish. Wrap the meat with banana leaves. Cover container and refrigerate for 24 hours. After meat has marinated, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Now, with the rocks in place, working as quickly as possible but being careful not to burn yourself (400ºF rocks!), tightly wrap the banana leaves, then foil around the pig. Wrapping the pig in banana leaves and foil. Finally, wrap the foil parcel in chicken wire and loosely crimp the ends over to hold it in place.

Banana leaves are large, flexible, and waterproof. They impart an aroma to food that is cooked in or served on them; steaming with banana leaves imparts a subtle sweet flavour and aroma to the dish. The leaves are not themselves eaten and are discarded after the contents are consumed.