Smoking pork butts for a luau, advice please?

[Big Grouch]

I got volunteered to making pulled pork for a luau. Probably making 6 butts. I've done pork butts several times, just basic dry rub, spritz with apple juice, and it came out good. To give this a little Hawaiian flavor, I'm wondering about smoking them in foil pans with pineapple juice, perhaps pineapple slices on top? Spritz with pineapple juice? I'll be doing these in my Camp Chef PG36 Woodwind Wifi. Either Competition Blend pellets, or apple as I've used for butts in the past. Last couple 8 pound butts took 16 hours at 225.
Any suggestions are very welcome. Thank you.

 

[Hamdrew]

I like injecting and then wrapping with pineapple juice.

Also am a fan of using Chinese 5 spice to compliment those flavors.

 

[Big Grouch]

I like injecting and then wrapping with pineapple juice.

Also am a fan of using Chinese 5 spice to compliment those flavors.

Wrapping from the start? Or at the traditional 165 temp? Interesting on the 5 Spice, I haven't thought of that. My daughter in law is Chinese, she cooks everything with it.

 

[SmokyMose]

I don't know anything about Hawaiian cuisine, but cooking in a pan with Pineapple juice with a basting when you wrap sounds good enough. Keep it simple as you can.
Not sure what sort of rub you should use if any...

 

[Hamdrew]

Wrapping from the start? Or at the traditional 165 temp? Interesting on the 5 Spice, I haven't thought of that. My daughter in law is Chinese, she cooks everything with it.

At the 165*F or so mark.

As for 5-spice, I wouldn't be surprised if that's a "thing" given how the extent of an Asian melting pot Hawaii is. I used it on my Christmas pulled "ham" (cured butt) this past one and it was a huge hit. I've been doing the pineapple juice things for a while and that alone was always enjoyed too.

 

[Inscrutable]

I just found Orange wood chunks … wonder if they might complement what you are doing.

 

[chilerelleno]

Traditionally Luau aka Kalua pork whether it was cut up or a whole hog was very simple, first the meat was rubbed liberally with Hawaiian red clay salt, called Alaea salt, wrapped in banana leaves and then slow cooked in an airtight, rock lined pit using hardwood very similar to mesquite.
This process heavily infuses the meat with a very deep, rich smokey and moderately salty flavor.

Now that is the traditional way before pineapples and other things were imported into the islands.
Nowadays all sorts of things get added to the pork, pineapple, ginger, coconut milk, etc, etc.

The deep rich smokiness is very hard to recreate in a standard smoker, the smoke just doesn't permeate through the banana leaves like it does in the pit.
Most Hawaiians and other people will recreate the smokiness using a generous amount of liquid smoke.

As for the banana leaves which I take the time to source, others use foil or unwaxed butcher paper , or even a slow cooker (gasp!) which yield similar results, but without the subtle flavor of the banana leaves

I've done a couple of takes on the modern recipes.
And they have turned out pretty damn tasty.

Here is one,

Two Pigs in Blankets

Two Pigs in Blankets For quite awhile I've been wanting to cook two different styles of Butts. 'Mexican Puerco Pibil' and 'Hawaiian Kalua Pork. Both these tasty dishes are traditionally cooked wrapped in banana leaves and in a pit. Banana leaves, not a problem. Digging a pit in Mama's...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Here is another,

Hawaiian Hog

Okay, I can't even pretend to call this Kalua Pork, it's just too far off the traditional recipe. So going forward I'm just gonna call it Hawaiian Hog. Kalua Pork If you go to a luau in Hawaii you're going to see pork one of two ways, whole pig or pig parts wrapped in banana and/or Ti leaves...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[chilerelleno]

Cooking that many butts can add time to your cook, you can shorten your cooking time and not sacrifice any flavor by simply increasing temps to 275°.
This ^^^ especially if you marinate or inject the meat which can add significant time to cooking.
If you wrap from the start there no need to open the pit until it's time to start probing for tenderness around 195°.
This too will shorten the cook, ya know the ol'saying "If your looking ya ain't cooking."

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

Like chilerelleno said…. Kalua pork is huge in Hawaii, along with luau’s. Try to get your hands on some banana leaves

 

[Big Grouch]

Cooking that many butts can add time to your cook, you can shorten your cooking time and not sacrifice any flavor by simply increasing temps to 275°.
This ^^^ especially if you marinate or inject the meat which can add significant time to cooking.
If you wrap from the start there no need to open the pit until it's time to start probing for tenderness around 195°.
This too will shorten the cook, ya know the ol'saying "If your looking ya ain't cooking."

Thank you, that helps me a lot. The whole block is coming, I'm nervous about getting everything done in time. I let them know that "barbecue is done when it's done" but I want to do my best. Also have six racks of baby backs in the WSM, but my first cook with a Thermoworks Billows made this baby very close to set and forget. I suspect my mixology skills will mean I'll be bartending as well. Thank you very much.

 

[olaf]

I've used adobo seasoning on pulled pork for some Hawaiians and they freaked out "kahlua pork and pork adobo are two different things." They couldn't stop eating it, so if you use adobo seasoning just dont tell them.

 

[Winterrider]

Kinda got your hands full, but Chili's got ya some good ideas. Best of luck !

 

[Big Grouch]

I won't be fooling anybody with thinking this is authentic Hawaiian barbecue, just hoping it will be edible. GF thinks I'll be wearing a grass skirt and coconut bra, she better think again.

 

[Inscrutable]

I won't be fooling anybody with thinking this is authentic Hawaiian barbecue, just hoping it will be edible. GF thinks I'll be wearing a grass skirt and coconut bra, she better think again.

One year I helped organize our local company Christmas party. Had it at Rum Runners, a dueling piano bar, Christmas in the islands theme, most of us in island attire, several of us in grass skirts, and during the chorus of Lucille (“you picked a fine time to leave me Lucille …”) it’s customary for the audience to inject “you bitch, you slut, you whore” … can’t imagine why I wasn’t asked to organize it again

 

[sawhorseray]

Put on the grass skirt and coconuts, put this on for the crowd, move to the music. Everyone will be thrilled, except for you of course! RAY

(140) Mele Kalikimaka - Bing Crosby - HD Audio - YouTube

 

[chilerelleno]

Thank you, that helps me a lot. The hole block is coming, I'm nervous about getting everything done in time. I let them know that "barbecue is done when it's done" but I want to do my best. Also have six racks of baby backs in the WSM, but my first cook with a Thermoworks Billows made this baby very close to set and forget. I suspect my mixology skills will mean I'll be bartending as well. Thank you very much.

Don't be nervous, plan accordingly and give yourself time. Give those butts at least 4-6 hours more than you think, and then hold them in a cooler, they'll stay HOT for 3-4 hrs and above minimum safe for 5-6 hrs.
Ribs can be held in a 170° oven, they can hold in a cooler too but won't stay hot as long due to less mass.

Have it all ready and waiting for your guests, not your guests hungry and waiting.
Then be the star behind the bar!

 

[chilerelleno]

Have a pitcher or punchbowl full of Mai Tais and lots of fresh cut fruit on bamboo skewers with umbrellas ready to go in every cup .
Tell them it's mandatory for the Luau.

Get them snockered and they'll think the dinner is manna from heaven.

 

[m10man]

I have smoked butts for friends that lived in Hawaii. They were happy with the results.
It took some trial runs to get it to the flavor profile they remembered.
My method is to use mesquite and smoke them for about three or four hours then wrap in banana leaves and back into the smoke for the remainder of cook. For seasoning/rub I just use kosher salt until they had friends send Alea salt.

 

[forktender]

Don't be nervous, plan accordingly and give yourself time. Give those butts at least 4-6 hours more than you think, and then hold them in a cooler, they'll stay HOT for 3-4 hrs and above minimum safe for 5-6 hrs.
Ribs can be held in a 170° oven, they can hold in a cooler too but won't stay hot as long due to less mass.

Have it all ready and waiting for your guests, not your guests hungry and waiting.
Then be the star behind the bar!

I'd keep things simple by basting them with pineapple juice with a little Island Girl Teriyaki mixed in. Smoke them for 4-6 hours then transfer them to cheap foil pans than cover them with banana leaf then cover tightly with foil until they probe like butter.

Better yet smoke them the day before, rest them in a cooler than right before everyone shows up throw them on the smoker to reheat them for the party.

 

[zwiller]

Great advice so far. As was mentioned, I would definitely do them in advance, probably 2-3 batches. Huge fan of injecting so I'd inject with pineapple juice, salt, and fish sauce/msg. Sounds like mesquite is a must so I'd run that. Reheat in whatever, crock, roaster, but admit I am getting a visual of using the smoker and all butts broke down in foil pans covered with banana leaves. Not really luau material but I'd still make some ChefJJ finish sauce for those that want to kick it up a little.