12/19: Samoan Dinner - Kalua Pig

adapted from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sam-Choys-Oven-Roasted-Kalua-Pig-233927

Preparation (from website)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Using small sharp knife, cut 1/4-inch-deep slits 1 inch apart all over pork roast. Rub 2 tablespoons sea salt all over pork. Unfold 1 banana leaf on work surface and place pork roast atop leaf. Fold up leaf around pork, enclosing completely. Repeat wrapping pork in remaining 2 banana leaves, 1 at a time.

Tie with kitchen string to secure, then wrap roast in foil. Place pork in roasting pan; pour 4 cups water into pan.

Roast pork in oven until very tender when pierced with fork, about 5 hours. Unwrap pork and cool slightly. Shred pork and place in large bowl. Bring remaining 2 cups water and remaining 2 teaspoons salt to boil in small saucepan. Add liquid smoke; pour over pork and stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to allow liquid to flavor pork. Serve.

My Ingredients:

• bone-in pork shoulder roast (5.5 lbs + 2.5 lbs) - 89 cents a pound at safeway
  

My Procedure:

1. preheat oven to 350
   
2. both pieces of meat were rubbed with salt and pepper and liquid smoke then wrapped in banana leaf, tied with string and wrapped in foil. both are placed in a oven tray with enough hot water to cover about 1 inch up the foiled meat
   
3. in 2 hours, i checked the smaller piece was fork tender and the temp was at 140 so i took it out of the oven...
4. after 30min of resting i poked the smaller meat and it still had red blood so i put it back in the oven with the big meat
5. after a total of 4 hrs, i checked both meats and both were very fork tender and registered about 140-145.
   
6. i let the meat sit out covered for 30min, then tried to pull it apart...it didn't pull...was very tender but could not pull apart
7. so i decided to slice and chop the meat into small little pieces and put more salt and pepper on top

Result:

• i failed to cook the meat long enough to the point of fall off the bone tender....
• meat was tender but not kalua pork which is supposed to be shreds of meat
• meat lacked flavor...can sense the banana leaf but not much else
• not salty enough...i never did the salt water solution poured on top
• very slight liquid smoke flavor...think i need more
• i still like it as it was very tender...now i know how to make a very tender sliced pork shoulder roast...all i have to do is do the same thing, then uncover and sear the meat to get a nice color and slice

Next Time:

• cook meat to 195-210 where the meat falls off the bone and shreddy
• add more flavor, especially salt to the meat
• should brine it beforehand to get more flavor into the meat