Hawaiian Lau Lau

Method9 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash the twelve luau leaves thoroughly one by one. Cut off the bottom stems that extend past the leaves, chop the usable stems into ½-inch pieces and keep them separate from the intact leaves. Wash and dry the one-pound ti-leaf (1 lb) stock. With each ti leaf shiny-side down, bend it to expose its central thick vein and carefully pull that vein out while keeping the leaf intact. Reserve the intact pliable ti leaves for wrapping; discard torn wrappers and the removed ti veins.

   Uses 12 luau (taro) leaves, with their usable stems · 1 lb ti leaves for outer wrapping · Water to wash the luau and ti leaves, discarded

2. 2

   Step 2: Cut the one pound of fatty pork butt and half pound of black cod into ½-inch pieces if not already prepared. Keep the pork and fish cold and separate from the leaves. If selecting either optional vegetable, peel and cube its one half-pound supply. Keep each prepared stock separate. If the chosen pork lacks fatty pieces, have actual small pork-fat nuggets ready for the filling.

   Uses 1 lb fatty pork butt, cut into ½-inch pieces · ½ lb black cod, cut into ½-inch pieces · ½ lb purple Okinawan sweet potato, peeled and cubed, optional · ½ lb carrots, cubed, optional · Pork fat, small nuggets if needed for the pork-butt filling

3. 3

   Step 3: At a clean workstation, divide the twelve prepared intact luau leaves into four stacks of three. Arrange each stack with its largest leaf underneath and smallest on top, making four inner wrappers for this batch.

   Uses All twelve prepared luau leaves, three per each of four stacks

4. 4

   Step 4: Distribute the one prepared pork batch and one prepared black-cod batch among the four luau-leaf stacks. If using vegetables, add only 2–3 prepared carrot cubes and 2–3 prepared sweet-potato cubes to each bundle. Add several actual pieces of the reserved luau stems and a small pork-fat piece if needed for the chosen pork. Sprinkle with Hawaiian sea salt as desired. Keep any unused prepared raw vegetables, stems or extra fat separate and refrigerated.

   Uses Four prepared three-leaf luau stacks · Prepared raw pork-butt pieces · Prepared raw black-cod pieces · Two or three actual sweet-potato cubes per bundle, if using · Two or three actual carrot cubes per bundle, if using · Actual reserved luau-stem pieces for the filling · Actual additional pork-fat pieces, if needed · Hawaiian sea salt, as needed for the filling

5. 5

   Step 5: Fold the three luau leaves around each prepared filling, keeping the contents enclosed in a tight inner bundle. Complete all four filled luau bundles.

   Uses Four filled luau-leaf stacks

6. 6

   Step 6: For each prepared inner bundle, lay two actual intact ti leaves from the prepared stock in a cross. Roll the bundle inside the first ti leaf, turn it 90 degrees and roll it in the second so the ends are enclosed. Tie the leaf ends into a topknot, or secure with food-safe kitchen twine if needed. Complete the four outer-wrapped parcels. Ti leaves and twine are wrappers only and must be removed before eating.

   Uses Four enclosed luau-leaf filling bundles · Two actual intact ti leaves per bundle, drawn from the one prepared stock

7. 7

   Step 7: Bring steamer water to a steady boil below the rack. Arrange the four wrapped parcels in the steamer, cover and steam for 3–4 hours until the edible taro leaves and stems are completely cooked and very tender, and the pork and fish are fully cooked and tender. Maintain the steam and top up the water as needed without letting the pot boil dry. Do not taste raw or undercooked taro leaves or stems. Check a representative thick pork piece reaches at least 145°F (63°C), with cooked opaque fish; the long taro-leaf cooking and tenderness endpoints must also be met.

   Steam lau lau until tender · 240 minUses Four raw ti-wrapped lau lau parcels · Water for the steamer, topped up as needed

8. 8

   Step 8: After the fully cooked parcels leave the steamer, let them stand for at least 3 minutes before opening and serving.

   Rest fully cooked lau lau · 3 minUses Fully steamed tender lau lau parcels

9. 9

   Step 9: Untie each rested parcel and discard all string and outer ti leaves. Serve the fully cooked inner luau leaves, stems, pork, black cod and selected vegetables hot. Offer cooked rice, prepared poi and chili pepper water only if desired, using the actual serving amounts you want.

   Uses Rested fully cooked lau lau parcels · Cooked rice, as desired for serving · Prepared poi, as desired for serving · Prepared chili pepper water, as desired for serving