What is Kalua Pig?
Kalua pig is a Hawaiian dish which is produced by slowly roasting a pig in an underground pit. Traditional kalua pig is seasoned only with salt, allowing the flavors of the pig and the vegetation it is buried with to mingle, creating a very rich, smoky flavor which many people find very enjoyable. Some people also use the term “kalua pig” to refer to any sort of roasted pig, whether or not the pig is prepared in a traditional underground oven. To make kalua pig in the traditional Hawaiian way, a whole pig is rubbed down with salt while a hole is dug and lined with extremely hot rocks and layers of vegetation like banana and tea leaves. The pig is wrapped in vegetation and lowered into the hole, and then the entire pig is buried for five or more hours to slowly roast it. When the pig is done roasting, it is uncovered, removed, and served. The meat tends to be very tender and juicy, thanks to the wrapping of vegetation which keeps the pig moist during the cooking process.
