HAWAIIAN LUAU
Serves 6
This nose-to-tail masterpiece was Richie Farina’s creation. He starts with a whole hog from Catalpa Grove Farm in Dwight, Illinois. The various cuts are then braised, smoked, seared, or deep-fried. Inspired by the Hawaiian tradition of roasting a whole pig in banana leaves, this course is bursting with tropical and Asian flavors. Tender pork shoulder is braised in coconut milk until it is meltingly tender. We take the leg and make a smoky Li Hing seasoned ham. Li Hing powder, which is made with dried plum seeds, sweetener, and licorice, is a popular seasoning for fruit in Hawaii. The meats are accompanied by plantains and pineapple salsa. As a final touch, edible paper seasoned with bacon illustrates all of the different cuts of pork.
LI HING HAM:
25 grams Li Hing powder (see Sources, here)
10 grams sugar
0.25 gram salt
60 grams boneless pork leg
BRAISED PORK BELLY:
60 grams pork belly
1.5 grams salt
250 grams pork stock or dark chicken stock
CRISPY SKIN:
60 grams pig skin, cleaned (ask your butcher to reserve some for you)
1.5 grams salt
Canola oil for frying
CRISPY SPICY PIG’S EARS:
2 pig’s ears
200 grams vegetable stock
10 grams Wondra flour (see Sources, here)
200 grams canola oil for frying
Salt for seasoning
5 grams Sriracha hot sauce
BRAISED PORK SHOULDER:
120 grams boneless pork shoulder
1 gram salt
10 grams canola oil
60 grams coconut milk
2.5 grams fresh lime juice
SAKE AND SOY MARINATED PORK LOIN:
25 grams soy sauce
25 grams sake
8 grams sugar
1.5 grams salt
60 grams pork loin
10 grams canola oil
PLANTAIN PUREE:
Canola oil for frying
50 grams plantains
150 grams vegetable stock
5 grams salt
PLANTAIN CROUTONS:
25 grams plantains
2.5 grams salt
PINEAPPLE SALSA:
500 grams pineapple, cut into small dice
13 grams red bell pepper, cut into small dice
5 grams scallion, thinly sliced
10 grams fresh lime juice
5 grams sugar
2.5 grams salt
TO FINISH:
5 grams microgreens mix
4 grams freeze-dried mango, ground to a fine powder in a spice grinder
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Dehydrator (optional)
Edible paper for printing (see Sources, here)
Printer and ink for edible printing (see Sources, here)
Handheld steamer (optional)
Smoker
Applewood chips
Butane torch
BACON PAPER:
Freeze the slab of bacon overnight.
Preheat a dehydrator to 140°F or set your oven to the lowest setting.
Line a dehydrator tray or sheet pan with a silicone mat. Use a Microplane to grate the bacon onto the silicone mat. Dehydrate the bacon for 4 hours, or until it is completely dry. Check the bacon after 2 hours if you are using a higher heat setting.
Meanwhile, print a piece of edible paper with 6 small pictures of the primal cuts of the pig. Lay the paper, image side down, on a piece of parchment paper. Steam the printed paper with a handheld steamer or brush the back of the paper lightly with boiling water to soften the top layer and make it sticky. Use a small strainer to dust the dehydrated bacon onto the back of the paper. Put another sheet of parchment on top of the seasoned paper and set a cutting board on top of the parchment to press the paper. Once the paper is dry, 20 to 30 minutes, use a paper cutter or sharp knife to cut out the pictures into individual bites. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
LI HING HAM:
Put the Li Hing powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Rub the outside of the pork leg with the seasoning. Wrap the leg in plastic wrap and let cure for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Preheat a smoker to 200°F.
Smoke in a smoker for 3 hours over applewood chips, until tender. Remove the ham from the smoker, slice the meat into 6 equal portions, and keep warm until ready to plate.
BRAISED PORK BELLY:
Season the pork belly with the salt, set it on a plate, and let it cure for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Put the oil in a medium sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. Sear the belly skin side down for 3 to 4 minutes, until it is a deep golden brown. Transfer the belly to a small saucepot and cover with the pork stock. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover and put the pot in the oven to braise for 2 hours, until tender.
Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Remove the belly from the oven, take it out of the liquid, and set it on the prepared pan. Lay another piece of parchment paper on top of the meat, and set another pan on top of it, making sure that the flat bottom surface is against the meat. Set a couple of plates on the sheet pan to weigh it down. Wrap the whole thing with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. Keep refrigerated until ready to plate.
When ready to serve, set a medium sauté pan over medium heat and, when the pan is hot, add the braised pork belly, skin side down. Sear the belly for 2 to 3 minutes to re-crisp the skin, flip it over, and sear for 2 to 3 minutes on the bottom. Transfer to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice the belly into 6 equal portions.
CRISPY SKIN:
Put the pig skin in a large pot and add water to cover the skin by several inches. Set the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 3 hours.
Remove the skin from the pot of water and run it under cold water to cool. Lay it on a cutting board, outer skin side down. Use a bench scraper to remove the layers of fat and cartilage underneath the skin, scraping it until the skin is smooth. It should be about ¼ inch thick when you’re done. Once all the fat has been removed, cut the skin into 6 equal pieces. Put the pieces on a dehydrator tray or sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Dehydrate for 12 hours at 90°F, until completely dry. Alternatively, you can dry them on a sheet pan at the lowest setting of your oven, 8 to 10 hours.
Just before you’re ready to serve, preheat a deep fat fryer or pot of oil to 375°F. Line a plate with paper towels. Fry the dried skin, one small piece at a time, until it puffs and triples in size. Transfer to the prepared plate and season with salt.
CRISPY SPICY PIG’S EARS:
Use a butane torch to burn off any excess hair on the ears. Put the ears in a pressure cooker and cover with vegetable stock. Cook for 20 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure dissipate naturally. Remove the ears from the pressure cooker and let them cool to room temperature.
Preheat a deep fat fryer or pot of oil to 300°F.
Line a plate with paper towels. Once the ears are cool, remove the cartilage by peeling off the outer layers of the ears and discarding the rest. Pat the ears dry, slice the outer layers into thin strips, and put them in a mixing bowl. Add the Wondra flour and toss well to coat the pig skin with the flour. Fry the ears for 1 minute, until they puff and turn a light golden brown. Transfer the ears to the prepared plate to drain slightly, then put them in a mixing bowl and season lightly with salt. Add the Sriracha to the bowl and toss to coat the ears. Keep in a warm, dry place until ready to plate.
BRAISED PORK SHOULDER:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Season the pork shoulder with salt. Set a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add the canola oil. Once the oil is hot, sear the pork on all sides. Pour out any excess fat and add the coconut milk and lime juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cover the pot with the lid or with foil. Put it in the oven and braise for 2 to 3 hours, until the pork is completely tender.
SAKE AND SOY MARINATED PORK LOIN:
Put the soy sauce, sake, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Once the sugar and salt have dissolved, add the pork loin and turn it in the marinade to coat. Transfer the pork loin and marinade to a zipper-lock bag, squeeze out the excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.
Put the canola oil in a medium sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. Remove the pork loin from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. When the oil is hot, put the loin in the sauté pan and sear it, turning often, until it is golden brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Slice the meat into 6 equal pieces.
PLANTAIN PUREE:
Preheat a deep fat fryer or pot of oil to 300°F.
Peel the plantains and slice them into thin rings. Line a plate with paper towels. Fry the plantains for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer the plantains to the prepared plate to drain and then put them in a blender with the vegetable stock and salt. Puree for 1 minute, until smooth. Transfer to a small pot and keep warm until ready to plate. Reserve the pot of oil for the Plantain Croutons.
PLANTAIN CROUTONS:
Peel and cut the plantains into ½-inch dice. Line a plate with paper towels. Fry the croutons in the same 300°F oil you used for the Plantain Puree. Fry for 1 minute, until golden brown. Transfer the croutons to the prepared plate and season with the salt. Once the croutons are cool, reserve them in an airtight container until ready to plate.
PINEAPPLE SALSA:
Put the pineapple, red pepper, scallions, lime juice, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl and stir until combined. Keep cool until ready to plate.
TO FINISH:
Spoon 25 grams of Plantain Puree on the bottom of each plate, shaping it into an oval. Starting in the bottom left of the oval, put 1 portion of the Li Hing Ham on each plate, followed by 1 portion of Braised Pork Belly, then 7 grams of Crispy Spicy Pig’s Ears, followed by 1 portion of Braised Pork Shoulder, 1 portion of Crispy Skin, and 1 portion of Sake and Soy Marinated Pork Loin. Put the Bacon Paper on top. Sprinkle 2 grams of Plantain Croutons on each plate. Add 10 grams of Pineapple Salsa to each plate. Scatter a few microgreens over the meat and sprinkle dried mango powder over the dish. Serve immediately.
