Ancient Hawaiians mastered the art of slow-cooking whole pigs centuries ago. And their cooking techniques involved little more than a sand pit, lava rocks, wet leaves and a fire. Luau afficianado Pat Nordstrom shows DIY Barbecuing host Randall Andrews the steps involved in roasting a whole pig in the style of the traditional Hawaiian luau. The main preparation involved in cooking a whole pig involve construction of an imu, the Hawaiian term for a roasting pit. Here are the steps: - Select an open area of ground and dig a pit that is 3' wide by 5' long by 3' deep.
- Place a length of stovepipe -- to serve as a "chimney" -- in the center of the pit and fill it with crumpled paper and wood kindling.
- Place a bed of charcoal in the bottom of the pit.
- Layer hardwood over the charcoal bed.
- Build a "volcano" of lava rock around the base of the stovepipe.
Important: Use only lava rock in building an imu. Other rocks may explode when heated to very high temperatures. Lava rocks are available from barbecue-supply dealers.
- Once the lava rocks have been built into a mound, remove the stovepipe, leaving the volcano structure that is ready to light.
Ignite the fire and allow it to burn for a couple of hours, until it becomes a smoldering bed of coals and hot lava rocks (figure A). During the time that the fire is reaching the proper intensity, the pig can be prepared for cooking (figure B). The surface of the pig is pierced and slit with a knife, and the outside is rubbed down with salt. Using heat-resistant gloves or tongs, place hot lava rocks inside the body cavity of the pig (figure C) to help it to cook evenly from the inside out once it is placed in the pit. Construct a basket of chicken wire around the pig to make it easier to handle and to raise and lower into the pit (figure D). Layer broken-up and shredded banana-tree stumps, followed by banana leaves (available from some nurseries) into the pit over the hot coals and rocks (figure E). The banana helps seal in the heat and moisture and adds flavor to the meat. With the preparation of the imu complete, the pig is lowered into the pit using a bamboo rod for support (figure F). Once in the pit, the pig is covered with wet banana leaves to create a lid that will hold in the heat, smoke and moisture. The layer of leaves is then covered by wet burlap bags, and finally a wet canvas tarp and thin layer of dirt (figure G). These steps are referred to as sealing the imu. If there are any visible steam leaks at this point, they should be covered with dirt to seal them. Once the imu is complete with the pig sealed inside, the pig is allowed to cook for six to seven hours before it is removed. Once it is fully cooked, the sealing layers are removed and the fully roasted pig is removed from the pit (figure H) and readied for serving. The serving of the roast pig is the climax of the luau, a gathering that celebrates kinship among family and friends.
DIY Barbecuing Quick-Tip: To help preserve the grid-surface of your grill, spray it with olive oil or vegetable oil, or rub the grid with a paper towel soaked in oil. As an alternate (for nonvegetarians only), rub the grid surface with excess animal fat trimmed from your cuts of meat. Web site resources for gas grills, general barbecue information and Brazilian barbecue (churrasco): Information and supplies for gas grills and accessories Barbecue gift packages and accessories One of the most popular sites about barbecue on the Internet -- great general information. A site dedicated to Brazilian barbecue (churrasco) About.com barbecue information, including a list of associations
RESOURCES :
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National Barbecue Association
National Barbecue Association
Douglas , GA 31533
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To order this title from Amazon, click here.
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GUESTS :
Pat Nordstrom
Hawaiian Luau Expert
Information private
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