Get flavor of kalua pork by using meat smoker

No luau would be complete without it, but this special something isn't the hula dancers, the fruity drinks or the fire jugglers. Instead, the most important ingredient for a proper Hawaiian feast is a succulent, tender, smoked dish called Kalua Pig.

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The tradition of luaus and Kalua Pig goes back centuries. Originally, the dish was served to kings and other high-ranking men at celebrations; women were not allowed to eat pork until 1819 when the system of kapus (or taboos) was abolished.

"As I understand it, the tradition of Kalua Pig is 5,000 years old," says Shirley Fong, the author and chef featured on in-flight videos for Hawaiian Airlines. "It's part and parcel of the luau, which traditionally were celebrations thrown for life's special occasions."

To make an authentic kalua pig, a whole pig is seasoned with salt, filled with heated lava stones, then wrapped in banana, ti or taro leaves and cooked in an underground oven for several hours.

"In Hawaiian, 'ka lua' refers to cooking in a pit or an imu," Ms. Fong explains.

Rather than digging a pit, Ms. Fong suggests cooking the pork in a smoker using pure lump charcoal from a barbecue supply store. The pork, she says, should be cooked in indirect heat, and if ti or taro leaves aren't handy, damp grass trimmings can be used. You can make an oven-roasted version of kalua pork using aluminum foil and liquid smoke instead of a meat smoker.

KALUA PORK

4 pound pork roast

2 tablespoons sea or kosher salt

2 tablespoons liquid smoke

1 tablespoon grated ginger

2 cloves of crushed garlic

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Heat oven to 350. Rub salt, liquid smoke and seasonings over pork roast. Wrap securely in aluminum foil. Roast about 3 hours or until very tender.

Remove from heat, let stand for about 15 minutes. Shred, removing slabs of fat, and serve. Serves 8.

Nutritional information per serving: 350 calories, 16 grams fat, 50 grams protein, 0 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams fiber, 2180 milligrams sodium

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