Kalua Pig

Typically, this Hawaiian dish is cooked in an underground pit - but since that's not the most convenient method available to me, I found this recipe that uses an oven.  You can use Hawaiian smoked salt, which my parents brought me from Hawaii when they went in April, or a combination of sea salt and liquid smoke.  

I found banana leaves in the freezer section of my local Asian market.

(adapted from Epicurious)

1 large banana leaf
6-lb boneless pork shoulder Boston roast (Boston butt), cut across grain into 6 pieces
2 tablespoons Hawaiian smoke salt (or 2 tbsp sea salt plus 2 tbsp liquid smoke)

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Lay 2 sheets of foil (each about 1 feet long) on a work surface with long sides overlapping by about 4 inches. 

Cut 2 (12-inch) lengths from banana leaf and center 1 on foil. 

Put pork on banana leaf and sprinkle with salt. 

Cover top of pork with other 12-inch length of banana leaf and 2 overlapping sheets of foil (each about 1 1/2 feet long). 

Crimp edges of foil tightly to form a packet and put in a large roasting pan. Add 2 inches of water and cover pan tightly with more foil.
Bake pork in middle of oven 3 1/2 hours. 

If necessary, replenish water in the pan while cooking.

Remove foil covering, and transfer foil to a flat surface.  

Remove the meat from the foil and banana leaf packet, place in a bowl, and shred with forks. 

Serve warm.