Post #363869 by ChefFrank on Wed, Feb 27, 2008 5:49 PM

Hi Scott!!

Like I said, I used pork loin instead of a whole pig, or butts (this was sorta a last minute decision, so I went with what I had). I did a Anthony Perkins on it with a braising fork, and rubbed it down with liquid smoke. Some sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, sprinkled over the top, and I let them sit overnight.

The next morning, I figured I had to get them into the oven. My produce supplier carries frozen banana leaves, and I ordered them, but they never got shipped. No worries! I was more concerned with texture than taste at this point (the banana leaves do add flavor, but since I was doing it in an oven instead of a pit, I was afraid of them drying out), so I put down a piece of parchment, and covered it with lettuce leaves (green leaf, to be precise). I rolled them up, tied them, and put them on a rack in a roasting pan. Just to make sure they wouldnt dry out, I poured a little pineapple juice on the bottom of the rack. I sealed the pan with a couple of pieces of parchment and a lot of foil. I popped it into a 225F oven, and forgot about them for about 6 hours. About 20 minutes before service, I yanked them out of the oven, opened up the pan, and let them sit for 10 minutes. They were moist, and falling apart. I sliced/shredded the pork, and put them in a chaffing dish lined with lettuce (red leaf, this time) to keep it from drying out. I garnished with some quartered fresh pineapple (including, the leafy top), mandarin oranges and maraschino cherries for some color.

To answer Swanky's question, it didn't seem too popular at all. The soup and the chicken were the hits of the night, although, the fish seemed to disappear, as well (simple recipe: Brush mahi with lemon juice. Mix pureed onions with mayo, spread over top of fish. Sprinkle with fine breadcrumbs and bake at 350F for 10 minutes). The Mai Tais were not my idea - the F&B director decided on them because people would have at least heard of them. She wasn't too pleased when I pointed out that they were created in California, and not Hawaii.

Thanks for the tip about Ti leaves, Aloha. I seem to have enough problems with banana leaves - anything too west coast would be hit or miss, depending on if my produce guy can get them: No guarentees on delivery date, and I don't know if they freeze well.

Haole'akamai - the music was nixed because it was in the main restaurant, and not in a private room. The opinion (of which I didn't agree) was that Hawaiian music wouldn't be appreciated by people eating $35 steaks and drinking $90 bottles of wine. The next Luau is a private, so believe me, we're going to be playing hulas :)

Frank