Kalua Pork (L&L style)

[DisplacedCoonass]

So we got some leftover pulled pork from yesterday and my wife wants to turn some into Kalua Pork.  Our only reference is the stuff we've had (and loved) from L&L BBQ.  Anyone have any recipes or ideas for us?

[Ka Honu]

Kalua pig is our local version of pulled pork.  Whole pig (or pork butt) rubbed with Hawaiian salt, wrapped in banana and ti leaves and cooked/smoked on hot stones (over kiawe/mesquite) in an imu (underground oven).  Can't do it with leftover pulled pork but pretty easy to fake in a smoker, crockpot or oven.

[DisplacedCoonass]

Any ideas for a fair imitation then?  She's gonna go forward with this one way or another.  I might as well try and make her happy with the attempt.  ;D

[Ka Honu]

Here's the recipe for kalua pork or turkey made in the oven.  I usually do two or three turkeys a year like this - good with cabbage over rice (and the leftover freezes well so I usually have some available).  If you do turkey, make sure the breast is one the bottom so the white meat doesn't dry out.  I think you can get frozen banana leaves at a good (or Asian) supermarket and you can do without the ti leaves if you don't have any around.

  Ingredients
     Ti leaves
     Banana leaf
     6-lb boneless pork shoulder cut across grain into 6 pieces and pierced (1/2 inch deep) with small knife or 12-lb whole turkey (rinsed, dried)
     2 1/2 tablespoons Hawaiian salt (sea salt works)
     2 1/2 tablespoons natural liquid smoke-flavoring (mesquite or hickory)

  Directions
     Lay 2 sheets of foil (each about 1 foot long) on a work surface with long sides overlapping by about 4 inches (fold to create seam). 

     Wash/strip (stalk/vein) ti & banana leaves.  Center ti leaf "star" on foil, top with 1/2 banana leaf.

     Put meat on banana leaf (turkey breast down), rub in salt and liquid smoke. Cover top with other half of banana leaf, fold ti leaves up into "pouch" (add more on top to cover if needed). 

     Cover with 2 seamed sheets of foil (each about 1 1/2 feet long) and crimp edges tightly to form a packet.  Put on rack in a large roasting pan.  Add (1 inch) water to roasting pan and cover pan tightly with more foil.

     Bake pork at 500 for 30 minutes then 350 for 35 minutes per pound.
     Bake turkey at 350 for 2 hours, then at 225 for 15 minutes/pound.

     Allow to cool and shred (removing skin and bones as necessary).