# A question for smokers...



## Kayelle (Oct 23, 2015)

Not a tobacco question...

I know there are lots here who smoke meat, and I wonder if anyone has had success with attempting to duplicate Hawaiian Kalua Pork on a smoker?

I've done it in the oven, thanks to our Hawaiian Kgirl,, by wrapping a pork shoulder in banana leaves with salt and liquid smoke. I've also done it in the crock pot, and both methods have given good results.

I'm just wondering if anyone has thought about replicating an Imu pit in a smoker?


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## CraigC (Oct 23, 2015)

Kayelle said:


> Not a tobacco question...
> 
> I know there are lots here who smoke meat, and I wonder if anyone has had success with attempting to duplicate Hawaiian Kalua Pork on a smoker?
> 
> ...



I could not duplicate the technique in my off-set. I could probably get close in the Egg, but it is too small for whole hog. Remember the Cochinita Pibil I made with a pork butt? I wrapped it in banana leaves. A Caja China would probably do the closest, but the heat source is on top. Trying to dig a pit in south Florida is generally an exercise in futility. We have a very shallow water table in most areas.


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## Kayelle (Oct 23, 2015)

CraigC said:


> I could not duplicate the technique in my off-set. I could probably get close in the Egg, but it is too small for whole hog. Remember the Cochinita Pibil I made with a pork butt? I wrapped it in banana leaves. A Caja China would probably do the closest, but the heat source is on top. *Trying to dig a pit in south Florida is generally an exercise in futility. We have a very shallow water table in most areas.*



And maybe cause a dreaded sink hole.

Thanks for the info Craig. I wasn't talking a whole pig though, just a shoulder.


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## CraigC (Oct 24, 2015)

Kayelle said:


> And maybe cause a dreaded sink hole.
> 
> Thanks for the info Craig. I wasn't talking a whole pig though, just a shoulder.



That's what happens when you do a "drive by" read, you miss things. A shoulder would not be a problem in the Egg or the Weber using the snake method for a long cook. I would skip the liquid smoke as the meat would get smoke naturally.


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## Whiskadoodle (Oct 24, 2015)

I have yet to smoke grill a pork shoulder/butt on my Weber.   Dx will probably eat 1 sandwich worth, and Yes, it can be packaged and frozen and pull out a little at a time as I want.   Truthfully,  I think I od'd myself on pulled pork, (either regular pulled pork or kahlua pork) because I probably over-compensated whenever she didn't keep up with her share of the spoils.   Does this mean it's not my fault?   

I had to look up the grilling "snake method".    I was pretty sure what it means.   Here's a look-see for yourself.  

Snake Method for Indirect Smoking - BBQ Like It's Hot!


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## Kayelle (Oct 24, 2015)

Thanks for that *most* interesting link Whiska. Ohh how I miss my charcoal Webber, but with the gas grill, we just don't have room for my dream of owning an Egg.


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## Whiskadoodle (Oct 25, 2015)

For a gas grill,  do you have a little smoker box.   Available var styles at Home Depot/ Lowes/ wherever gas grills are sold.


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## Kayelle (Oct 25, 2015)

We have this dandy little smoker box Whiska. It fits under the grate between the gas burners. I think it's really an ingenious design as it takes no grill space.


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## forty_caliber (Oct 26, 2015)

I've not attempted the Hawaiian style pork on Joe but have done the more traditional smoked but many times.   I may give this a try at some point.  From looking at a few recipes it seems like Hawaiian salt is a key difference.  Banana leaves would pretty hard to find in these parts.  

Hawaiian Style Kalua Pulled Pork on the BGE | Big Green Egg Blog

.40


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## Roll_Bones (Oct 26, 2015)

Kayelle said:


> We have this dandy little smoker box Whiska. It fits under the grate between the gas burners. I think it's really an ingenious design as it takes no grill space.



Now that look like it would work perfectly.
Only draw back is, its under the grates and removing a grate is required to add more material. (wood chips or dust)
I guess its something you have to live with as pictured above, the smoker box on top of the grates would never get hot enough to make smoke.
Mine is cast iron and it would take a whole tank of gas to get it hot enough if its located above the grates.
IMO, gas grills are for grilling, not BBQ'ing.


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## RPCookin (Oct 26, 2015)

Roll_Bones said:


> Now that look like it would work perfectly.
> Only draw back is, its under the grates and removing a grate is required to add more material. (wood chips or dust)
> I guess its something you have to live with as pictured above, the smoker box on top of the grates would never get hot enough to make smoke.
> Mine is cast iron and it would take a whole tank of gas to get it hot enough if its located above the grates.
> IMO, gas grills are for grilling, not BBQ'ing.



I would dispute your last statement.  Barbecue is just low and slow indirect cooking, and that can be done on a decent gas grill just as easily as with charcoal.  I've done a 7 hour smoke and BBQ on a pork butt with excellent results.  It takes a bit more care than a smoker, but it's a perfectly viable way to achieve the end result.  Not everyone can afford a cool smoker, or a BGE, or multiple cookers to cover all the bases.  

I'd rather have a versatile gas grill than a one dimensional smoker.  For me, that's what works best in both an economical and a culinary sense.

As far as using a chip box, I've tried several and I'm still convinced that the best one is a foil pouch with a few holes poked in the top.


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## GotGarlic (Oct 26, 2015)

Roll_Bones said:


> I guess its something you have to live with as pictured above, the smoker box on top of the grates would never get hot enough to make smoke.
> Mine is cast iron and it would take a whole tank of gas to get it hot enough if its located above the grates.



This isn't true. Before I bought DH a smoker for Christmas last year, we used a cast iron smoking box on top of the grates and successfully smoked meats. 



Roll_Bones said:


> IMO, gas grills are for grilling, not BBQ'ing.



They can be used for both.


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