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View Full Version : Happy Thanks Giving to Ya'll



abunaitoo
11-24-2016, 06:24 PM
Thank you to all those who helped me out this past year.

Cooking Turkey in a little different here.
Lazy old farts like me just take it to the Chinese restaurant and have them slow cook it.
Most still cook it the traditional way in the oven, or deep fry.
Some cook it in a hole in the ground (Imu). We call it Kalua. like Kalua pork.
Need to start the morning before cooking day to collect materials.
Earlier if you need to dig the hole.
Fill the hole with lots of wood(pallet wood) and paper(news paper), stack lava rocks on the wood, light it. No lighter fluid or gasoline.
After about an hour or so, when the rocks are glowing red, throw chopped up banana stumps on top, fallowed by banana leaves.
Next is a big screen to make it easier to take the food out.
Meat, turkey, beef, pork, chicken, almost anything that people want to cook, are wrapped in foil and banana leaves or taro leaves.
Can eat the taro leaves. Not the banana. But the banana is free.
Some put it in a tin pan, some just as is.
More banana leaves over everything, then soaking wet burlap.
Cover it all with a tarp and seal down the sides with dirt.
Gotta be air tight. No steam coming out.
Now have to wait...drink beer....wait....drink more beer...
Can't fall asleep. Need to watch, and seal, any leaks that will pop up.
10 hours later, or more, it's time to start taking everything out.
Everyone who put something in, has to be there to help take everything out.
Remove the tarp and burlap. Take off the banana leaves.
Everyone grab the screen and lift it out, making sure not to drop any of the food.
Remove the foil and leaves, put it in a large pan, with two forks brake apart the meat.
it just falls off the bone. Season if needed.
Time to eat!!!!

Sounds easy, but it's not. Lots can go wrong.
Most times it's the rocks not hot enough.
Not enough banana stumps and leaves.
Frozen meat from people who just don't know better.
Start to late and take out to early.

One deawback is no crispy skin.
Some people deep fry chicken skin to make up for it.
lots of work. I don't do it anymore.
Some schools do a fund raiser by doing an Imu.

Hope I made you hungry.
Happy Thanksgiving

runfiverun
11-24-2016, 08:23 PM
hole...check.
lava rocks....check.
wood....check.
tarp....check.
metal screen...metal screen...check.

I got no banana tree stumps or leaves... got plenty of snow?
any suggestions for substitutes?

Thumbcocker
11-24-2016, 08:58 PM
I have heard of grape leaves and sycamore leaves being used.

Handloader109
11-24-2016, 09:05 PM
Whew! Too much work, but I guess it is really tasty! I'll settle for the turkey breast my dear wife brined the other day and baked this morning! And some leftovers went into the turkey Tetrazzini we just had for dinner!
Happy Thanksgiving to you too!