# Two Pigs in Blankets



## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

*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 backyard, problem.
We shall overcome!

*Puerco Pibil*
Pork shoulder/butt traditionally marinated in a mixture Sour Orange juice, salt and spices.
I don't have Sour Orange, but a 50/50 mix of grapefruit and orange juices works as a good substitute. Achiote (ground annatto) paste and various chiles, usually gaujillo, gives it it's red color.

*Marinade*
1.5C each Grapefruit and Orange juices
4T Achiote paste
2T Arbol chile powder
1T minced garlic
2T salt
Marinated overnight, then dusted with more achiote and chile powders and salt.
Wrapped in banana leaves and trussed.





































*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 and sometimes burlap and cooked in a rock lined pit with hardwood coals. Kiawe is the commonly used wood, us mainlanders know it as Mesquite.
In researching I found a dozen ways to marinate and spice it, from half a dozen sources, including some folks I know who live in a Hawaii.

I ended up doing it this way,
*Marinade*
3C Orange juice
1C Pineapple juice
1C diced pineapple
1/4C Soy sauce
1/8C Fish sauce
1/2C minced ginger
1T minced garlic
3T salt

Marinated overnight, and then wrap in banana leaves and trussed.






































Fire up the smoke with a 60/40 mix of mesquite and hickory.
This is one time where I want a heavier smoke, not Thin Blue Smoke.
Because the meat is well protected by the leaves it can take it, it really needs it.
Normally both Puerco pibil and kalua Pork are confined in an almost airtight pit and both are known for their intense smokey flavor.










Fours hours into the cook, the leaves look dry and brittle but they're not.










*Stay tuned Pork Fans!*


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## LY-zer (Jan 16, 2019)

Does anyone else have trouble seeing these enormous pictures? I can only see a corner of the picture.


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

LY-zer said:


> Does anyone else have trouble seeing these enormous pictures? I can only see a corner of the picture.


I've not had that issue mentioned before.


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## Murphy's Law (Sep 27, 2007)

They show up just fine for me

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## specktackler57 (May 15, 2011)

Can’t wait to see end result.


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## LY-zer (Jan 16, 2019)

Nevermind, I just spoke to my IT guy and he told me it is my ad blocker. So it really is just me.


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## Deeplines (Sep 28, 2007)

This just isn't fair chile.......


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

They’re big on my desktop, but my phone and tablet size them down to scale


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

Out of the smoker the outer layers are dry and brittle, but not terribly so. The inner layers are still moist and pliable, and they've treated the pork most righteously... OH Man, the smell of the Kalua pork.










*The Pibil Problem*
So... I ended up burning the sauce that was supposed to go in with the Puerco pibil.
Bummer, the sauce it stews/braises in is what makes it.

Anyways, the plan was to open the banana packet, pour the sauce in and let it finish cooking for about the last hour or so.
It didn't happen, and I threw together a fruity/spicy pineapple salsa with plenty of achiote and chile powder and added it after the cook.
It had a good kick to it, but perhaps it needed more, some Habenero perhaps.


*Yep, the Kalua Stole the Show*
This stuff was great, even if it wasn't as smokey as I hoped.
And I might add some coconut milk next time to the marinade, and definitely more pineapple and ginger in with the wrapped pork.
But I'm my own worst critic and seldom happy with something new.
But the family declared it the winner.

Kalua









Pibil









The bones slid out clean.










And it pulled like Pulled Pork should.






The Kalua plated with Rice and a Caesar salad.
I splashed some Ponzu sauce on the rice, it got on the pork and it was a match made in Heaven.


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## specktackler57 (May 15, 2011)

Awesome


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## dsar592 (Oct 12, 2007)

looks great


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## Murphy's Law (Sep 27, 2007)

Looks awesome as always !

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## huntnflorida (May 24, 2008)

How long was the cook?


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## Shark Sugar (May 26, 2015)

Definitely gonna make that kalua pork this week


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

huntnflorida said:


> How long was the cook?


Approx 12hrs.


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

Shark Sugar said:


> Definitely gonna make that kalua pork this week


Oh yeah, you'll like it.


Put most of the pineapple and ginger from the marinade in with the pork, I only put a little in and it needed more.
When cooked and it gets mixed in the pulled pork it is divine.


And go find a bottle of Ponzu sauce, it really compliments the flavor of the pork as a finishing sauce.


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

Thanks to everyone for the compliments and Likes on this recipe.


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## CalvinandHobbes (Jan 25, 2014)

Looks amazing to me!


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## Shark Sugar (May 26, 2015)

Where do you get the banana leaves?


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## Shark Sugar (May 26, 2015)

I found some at our Asian market in crestview...got it on the pit barrel at about 9 this morning. I used 1 entire pack of leaves to wrap the pork, a 1b pack. Hopefully it's not too much/little...


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