Give yours guests leis when they arrive at your luau.
Historically a celebration hosted by Hawaiian royalty, luaus in Hawaii today are commonly held for special family celebrations. You'll need plenty of tropical flowers, leis, hula skirts and colorful table cloth, and Hawaiian music to make your own luau-style party. Set up a tiki bar and serve popular tropical drinks such as Mai Tais. The most important part of the luau, however, is the food. For an authentic experience, serve the best and most popular traditional luau dishes. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Kalua Pig
The Kalua pig is the star of the luau. Traditionally, a whole pig is covered in banana leaves and then slow roasted in an underground pit which is called an imu, which is full of hot lava rocks lines with banana or ti leaves. The word "kalua" refers to cooking in an underground oven. If you're not in a position to use or build an underground pit, you can still roast a whole pig wrapped in banana and ti leaves on an above ground fire pit that will impress your guests. If you don't want to roast a whole pig, simply roast a pork butt in the oven or on a charcoal grill. Season the pig with a little salt and barbecue liquid smoke over the pig for a smoky flavor and wrap tightly in the ti and banana leaves. Serve the pig shredded, the traditional way.
Lau Lau
Lau Lau is a combination of cubed meat and seafood, typically boneless pork chops and/or chicken thighs and salted butterfish.The meat is seasoned simply with Hawaiian sea salt, which is is red and tastes more earthy than regular sea salt. You can use kosher sea salt if you do not have the Hawaiian kind. Ti and lau leavs also know as taro leaves, should be washed and the stems and fibrous parts removed. One piece of each meat is placed upon five layers of the lau leaves and then wrapped tightly with the leaves to form a bundle. That bundle is then wrapped in a ti leaf and fasted securely with tooth picks, rubber band or a strip of ti leaf. The final bundle is known as a "puolu" in Hawaiian.The wrapped meat is then steamed for several hours in a steamer. You can also cook them on a grill or in the oven.
Lomi Lomi Salad
Lomi Lomi is a salted salmon salad mixed with tomatoes, onions, and chopped green onions for garnish. Chili peppers are sometimes added as well. The term Lomi Lomi means "massage" in Hawaiian, and it describes the way the ingredients are literally massaged together to create a cold salad. Salmon should be shredded and the tomatoes crushed and combined with your hands. Crushed ice is often added to the salad to make it ice cold.
Poi
A staple in Hawaiian cooking, poi is made from boiled taro root pounded with water to a smooth consistency. Taro root is a root vegetable similar to sweet potato or yam. Depending on preference taro can be served really thick or a thinner, soup-like consistency. Poi is so common that most people simple pick up a packed of fresh poi powder and mix it with water, rather than pounded a taro yourself. Poi is typically served as a side dish and goes well with the roasted and barbecued meats at a luau. To make poi from taro root, boil taro root until tender, then chop up into small pieces. Blend the taro root in a blender with a little water or if you have a wood bowl and a poi pounder, pound the poi until it is smooth. There really is no wrong way to eat poi. You can season it with salt, sugar or even soy sauce if you prefer it that way.
Haupia
Haupia is the traditional custard dessert served at the end of a luau, and made with coconut milk and sugar. The white, sweet dessert is considered a pudding but has a more gelatin consistency. Coconut milk is mixed with arrow root or cornstarch, then boiled with sugar and water until the mixture thickens. The mixture is then poured onto a clean baking tray and left to cool at room temperature. Once cooled, the dessert is chilled and cut into 1-inch squares.
Tags: banana leaves, taro root, Lomi Lomi, leaves then, mixed with, roast whole, then wrapped