Laulau

Hawaiian Laulau

Laulau is a traditional Hawaiian dish of pork and salted butterfish wrapped in taro leaves and ti leaves, then steamed for hours until tender. The ti leaves are not eaten; they hold the bundle together and impart a subtle aroma.

Prep

60 min

Cook

240 min

Total

300 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1 kg (2¼ lb) pork shoulder, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) cubes
• •200 g (7 oz) salted butterfish, also called black cod; if unavailable, substitute 200 g (7 oz) fresh butterfish or black cod plus 1 tsp salt
• •24 leaves taro leaves, fresh or frozen; if frozen, thaw and pat dry. Do not eat raw; must be cooked thoroughly.
• •12 leaves ti leaves, fresh or frozen; if frozen, thaw. Remove central stem before using.
• •2 tsp Hawaiian sea salt, or coarse sea salt
• •1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• •1 cup water, for steaming

Steps

1. 1 If using frozen taro and ti leaves, thaw them completely and pat dry. Fresh taro leaves must be cooked thoroughly to destroy calcium oxalate crystals; raw taro leaves are toxic.
2. 2 Prepare the ti leaves: remove the central stem from each leaf by slicing along both sides of the stem, then discard the stem. You should have two flexible halves per leaf. Set aside.
3. 3 In a large bowl, combine the pork cubes, salted butterfish (cut into small pieces), sea salt, and black pepper. Mix well.
4. 4 Lay a ti leaf half flat on a work surface. Place 2 taro leaves on top, overlapping slightly. Put about 1/6 of the pork mixture (roughly 200 g) in the center of the taro leaves.
5. 5 Fold the taro leaves over the filling to enclose it completely, then wrap the ti leaf around the bundle. Tie securely with kitchen twine or strips of ti leaf. Repeat to make 6 bundles.
6. 6 Place the laulau bundles in a steamer basket or a large pot with a steamer insert. Add water to the pot, ensuring it does not touch the bundles. Cover tightly.
7. 7 Steam over medium heat for 4 hours, checking the water level every hour and adding more hot water as needed to prevent burning. The laulau is done when the taro leaves are very soft and the pork is fork-tender.
8. 8 Carefully remove the bundles from the steamer. Let rest for 5 minutes. To serve, unwrap the ti leaves and taro leaves (ti leaves are not eaten; taro leaves are edible). Serve hot with rice or poi.