An earth oven, known as hangi in New Zealand Maori cooking or an imu in Hawaii, is an underground pit used to cook food. Though this cooking method has existed for thousands of years and was once a widely used cooking method, it is now reserved for special occasions. The most popular use for this type of pit today is making a pig for a luau. Set up requires advance preparation, patience and the help of a few friends or family members, but the cooked pig will emerge with a moist, succulent flavor that no other method of cooking can produce. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Measure the pig from head to rump and from back to foot. Add 10 to 12 inches to the length and width of the pig to determine the size of the pit you need to dig.
2. Dig a pit in the ground wide and long enough to place the entire pig plus the allowance. The hole should be 1 foot deep for a 200 pound pig. This will make it easier to remove the pig from the hole.
3. Build a fire in the center of the pit, leaving enough space to place the rocks around the edges. Start by placing small pieces of kindling in the center then lighting a long piece of paper and placing on the kindling. Once the fire is well established, place the rocks around the outer edges of the pit.
4. Place wood in and around the fire and allow it to burn to coals. The wood will need to be added at a gradual pace to promote even burning across the pit. The fire is ready for a new piece to be added when the pieces already in the fire are well burnt but not yet turned to ash. You may add several pieces around the fire at a time but do not place all the pieces in one spot to allow for even burning. The pit is ready for roasting the pig once the bed of burnt wood ash is approximately one and half foot deep.
5. Prepare the pig for cooking while the fire is being built. Season the pig as directed by the chosen recipe.
6. Line the chicken wire with a layer of water soaked burlap bags, then a layer of banana leaves and a second layer of water soaked burlap bags. Place the pig on top.
7. Cut incisions in the pig's belly large enough to place the rocks inside. Use protective gloves to retrieve rocks and place inside of the pigs' belly. Wire the holes closed so that heat from the rocks does not escape.
8. Close the chicken wire around the pig with the gauged wire allowing the burlap and banana leaves to cover the pig completely. Hold the ends of the chicken wire together and weave the gauged wire in between the holes as if you were lacing a shoe. Allow enough space for the chicken wire to stick up above the pig to be used as handles for lifting the pig out of the pit when done. Lower the pig into the pit with the help of friends or family members.
9. Cover the pig with the remaining hot rocks from the pit. Brush the burning ash from the wood over the rocks and pig. Cover the mound with water soaked burlap sacks followed by the dirt that came out of the hole. Continue covering until there is no steam escaping. If using the Maori hangi method, water should be applied at each step of covering to produce more steam, which will be locked inside by covering with the soil. The pit, or mound, should be completely covered by soil so that there remains no evidence of what is inside. Extra soil may need to be shoveled from around the pit area to obtain full coverage.
10. Cook the pig for 8 to 10 hours, or approximately 15 minutes per pound.
Tags: chicken wire, place rocks, soaked burlap, water soaked, water soaked burlap, around fire, banana leaves