Laulau is among the oldest Hawaiian dishes — pork and salted butterfish (black cod) wrapped in luau leaves (taro leaves) and ti leaves, then steamed for several hours until the meat is completely tender and the taro leaves have broken down into a silky, slightly earthy wrapping. The dish predates European contact and is cooked in exactly the same way today as it was in pre-contact Hawaii: protein wrapped in leaves, long and low steaming, natural fat from the pork doing all the work.
The Taro Leaf
Taro leaves (luau leaves) must be cooked thoroughly — they contain calcium oxalate crystals that cause intense throat irritation when raw or undercooked. The extended steaming time (3-4 hours) is not optional; it is what makes the leaves safe and palatable. Properly cooked taro leaves become silky, earthy, and rich — one of the most distinctive and satisfying vegetable preparations in any cuisine. Taro leaves are available frozen at Hawaiian and Asian grocery stores. Spinach is a very poor but functional substitute.
Butterfish
The fish in laulau is traditionally butterfish — black cod (sablefish), a Pacific fish of extraordinary fat content and silky texture. It is salted before wrapping, which seasons the entire bundle during the long steam. If black cod is unavailable, a fatty fish like salmon or a piece of salt pork can substitute. The fish provides a secondary flavour note rather than being the primary protein.
Serves 4 · Prep 30 min · Cook 3.5 hours
Ingredients
- 600g pork shoulder, cut into 4 pieces
- 200g butterfish (black cod) or salmon, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 tbsp Hawaiian sea salt
- 12-16 taro leaves (luau leaves), fresh or frozen and thawed
- 8 ti leaves (or banana leaves), centre rib removed
- String or toothpicks to secure
Method
- Salt the pork and fish pieces generously. Let sit 15 minutes.
- Lay 3-4 taro leaves flat, overlapping. Place a piece of pork and fish in the centre.
- Fold the taro leaves around the protein to enclose completely.
- Wrap in ti leaves or banana leaves and secure with string or a toothpick.
- Place in a steamer over boiling water. Steam 3-3.5 hours, replenishing water as needed.
- Unwrap at the table — the bundle should open to reveal silky leaves and fork-tender meat.
Why the Long Steam
Three to four hours of steam is required to fully break down the calcium oxalate in the taro leaves AND to bring the pork shoulder to the fall-apart tenderness that defines the dish. The steam environment also prevents the taro leaves from drying out, keeping them silky rather than fibrous. This is a dish that rewards patience — check at 3 hours, but do not rush it.
Can I use a slow cooker for laulau?
Yes — wrap the bundles as described, place in the slow cooker with a cup of water, cook on low for 8 hours. The result is very similar to the steamed version.
Are taro leaves the same as poi?
No — poi is made from the taro root, not the leaves. Taro leaves are the large green leaves of the same plant.
Where to find ti leaves?
Hawaiian and some Asian grocery stores carry ti leaves. They are also available online from Hawaiian specialty suppliers. Banana leaves are a reasonable substitute.
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