BBQ Junkie
This BBQ blog includes recipes, info on competitions, restaurant reviews, book reviews, and documents my obsession of barbecue.
July 25, 2005
I made some kalua pig this weekend in my smoker; the recipe will be posted soon. In the mean time here is an excellent article that I found that takes you through the process of making your own Hawaiian-style underground oven also known as an imu. Not only does this article show you how to build an imu, it shows you how to cook with one. Enjoy.
Also, see the Kalua pig recipe.
…and yet some other BBQ smokers here
[...] While vacationing on the Big Island of Hawaii a couple years ago having a cocktail on the balcony of my hotel room. I noticed that there was some smoke coming from a pit in the ground with a few people gathered around. I thought that is should go and investigate because where there is smoke there is certainly fire. I found out that they were getting ready to cook the kalua pig for the luau and was delighted to witness them prepping the imu (Hawaiian BBQ pit). You see, I have always been a big fan of kalua pig. As they were making the coals and heating up the rocks I asked them how they cooked the meat. This interested me because growing up my father would barbecue meat in a pit (but that’s a whole other post). What I learned was that they cook not so much with the coals as they do with the heated rock and the steam that is created from the vegetation that they add into the Imu. There are enough coals in the cooking process to add a nice smoky flavor to the meat. I asked them what kind of wood they were using and they told me it was kiawe, the Hawaiian equivalent to mesquite. So, as with anything, a little information in the wrong hands can become quite deadly. Afterwards I researched recipes for kalua pig, but most of the ones that I came across called for a Crock Pot and the use of liquid smoke. That just wasn’t going to work for me, seeing how I own a smoker and all. So here is what I did… [...]
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April 1, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Anybody interested in purchasing some California Oak wood? Contact me. Poli02@Hotmail.com.
I am doing some maintenance work (clearing fallen trees and misc clipping) at a property in the mountains of Malibu. I have the clearance to take the wood away. Bring the truck and lets load up. I’ll charge a 1/3 of the going rate (if you supply the transportation). This stuff burns amazing. Old growth.
June 27, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Every 4th of July I have an Imu. After getting pourous rocks red hot, on a thin bed of shreded Banana Stalks, I cook Turkeys, Porkbutts, Chickens stuffed with Lopchong, Onion and Oyster Sauce. Lots of Sweet Patatoes, Cooking Bananas and Pumpkins that are stuffed with Corned Beef, Onions and Coconut Milk. Cover with Banana Leaves and Wet Burlap Bags. Cover with Tarp, bury with dirt, wait seven hours, how easy,gordy from Kaiwiki, Hilo,Hi
June 27, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Every 4th of July I have an Imu. After getting pourous rocks red hot, on a thin bed of shreded Banana Stalks, I cook Turkeys, Porkbutts, Chickens stuffed with Lopchong, Onion and Oyster Sauce. Lots of Sweet Patatoes, Cooking Bananas and Pumpkins that are stuffed with Corned Beef, Onions and Coconut Milk. Cover with Banana Leaves and Wet Burlap Bags. Cover with Tarp, bury with dirt, wait seven hours, how easy,gordy from Kaiwiki, Hilo,Hi
September 22, 2009 at 7:49 am
hi i would like to see if i could get the recipe for gordy’s pumpkin stuffed with corned beef.i would like to try this soon.thanks david wood
November 30, 2009 at 3:08 am
Hello, I’ve just now stumbled upon this website while hunting on Google as I am searching for some info on wall ovens!. It’s a good blog so I’ve bookmarked you and I intend to come back tomorrow to give it a more indepth read when I’ll more free time.
December 19, 2011 at 9:16 pm
That article is good, but it is only good for small amounts of kalua pig. If you want to have enough kalua pig for a luau, you need to do a whole pig with dozens of banana stumps with more than your wife helping you. It is a long and hard process, but it is very rewarding at the end. You see all your hard work in a form of 170 plus lbs of kalua pig (depending on the size of pig). You also can form bonds with your family and friends that are helping. Doing a full on Imu is like a rite of passage for my family. i can’t count how many times we have done an imu for our halau and every time is a blessing.
Since I was a small kane, I have cooked pig with my dad and grandfather and all my uncles. Now I have little nephews that we teach how to do the imu. It makes me think of my learning experiences with my older family members. This process has been passed down for generations. This is more than just cooking a pig, it is a route closer to our full and rich Hawaiian culture. We need to keep it alive or it will fall with our language(which is now being taught in elementary schools in Hawaii).
Thanks for reading. Sorry so long winded.