Imu

Bulu supervising.
Preparing the pit with wood

Chopping up the banana bark

After the wood is in the pit they fill it with pourous, black, lava rock. Then they set the wood on fire by pouring gas down the pipe in the middle. Once the lava rock becomes really hot and the wood is burned out they are ready to put the pig in.

Preparing the pig

Red hot rocks ready for the pig.

Putting the banana bark over the hot rocks.

Then putting the tea leaves on the banana bark then some wire to hold the pig.

Placing tin foil over the wire.

Placing the pig on the foil.

Putting tea leaves on top of the pig.

Totally covered with tea leaves.

Next they covered it with wet burlap sacks.

Then they covered it with a black tarp.

Covering it with dirt to not let any air escape.

The imu.

Boxes they steam the lau lau

Wrapping Lau Lau

At Gary Kaawa's home to wrap the lau lau.
D-veining the taro leaves

Preparing the beef & pork

Cutting the beef

Taking up the water off the fat

Ready to wrap the lau lau

First you start with a taro leaf and then you put in a piece of fat, piece of pork & piece of beef

Then you wrap up the taro leaf and then wrap it in a tea leaf and then wrap in foil.

Then start again...we did 700 lau lau for the Luau.
They are then put into a box and steamed for about 6-8 hours.

Pig-Cut Cut

Before photo

Ready for skinning

The hard job

Nohea trying her hand at skinning the pig

Elder getting into it.

Almost a pro

Finished product

Tomorrow we make lau lau for Leiahi's birthday party