Non-VegetarianHawaii Local cuisine Main Course

Laulau

Name: Laulau
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Hawaii Local
Ingredients: 2 lb Pork shoulder; 6 pieces Salted butterfish; 2 lb Taro leaves; 12 Ti leaves; 1 tbsp Hawaiian sea salt; Kitchen twine

Pork and salted butterfish wrapped in taro (luau) leaves and ti leaves, then steamed for hours until the leaves melt into a silky, spinach-like filling.

🇺🇸United States· Hawaii

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 240 min
Total: 270 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 310 kcal

Equipment

•Large steamer pot
•Kitchen twine

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 310 kcal
fat: 20
carbs: 8
protein: 26
calories: 310

Instructions

1
Sprinkle the pork pieces lightly with Hawaiian sea salt.
2
Lay two ti leaves across each other in a plus sign, shiny side down.
3
Put a layer of taro leaves in the middle. Top with pork, butterfish, and more taro leaves.
4
Fold the taro leaves tightly over the filling to cover it completely.
5
Fold the ti leaves over the bundle. Tie tightly with kitchen twine.
6
Repeat to make 6 bundles. Place them in a large steamer basket over simmering water on the stovetop.
7
Cover and steam for 4 hours. Check the water often and add more hot water as needed.
8
Rest the bundles for 10 minutes. Unwrap and throw away the ti leaves before serving.

Chef's tips

Use fresh, young taro leaves and steam them fully so they do not itch your throat. The tough ti leaves are only for wrapping and are not edible.

Storage

Refrigerate wrapped laulau for up to 4 days; freeze unopened bundles for up to 3 months.

Reheating

Steam again for 20-30 minutes from frozen, or microwave individually wrapped bundles until hot throughout.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Undercooking the taro leaves, which causes an itchy feeling in the mouth and throat.
•Using spinach instead of taro leaves without lowering the cooking time.
•Wrapping the bundles too loosely, which causes them to open while steaming.