Hawaiian Food Recipes for Your Maui Vacation

One good way to save money on your Maui vacation is to cook instead of eating out or ordering room service for every meal. That's one of the reasons why our West Maui condos are so popular. Full kitchens are a common feature. If you'd like to make use of them, why not keep things in theme with your vacation and try some Hawaiian recipes?

Hawaiian cuisine includes a very broad range of dishes thanks to the many cultures who came together in Hawaii's history to create something new. There are influences from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Portugal, and others. Some dishes are more traditionally Hawaiian than others, such as Kalua pig, but the local favorites are variable. Some are complicated to make, others simple. Here are some suggestions.

Kalua Pig: This is a local favorite that traditionally involved digging a pit and slow cooking an entire pig inside, but there are modern options that conveniently just involve an oven or crock pot. Here is an oven recipe. Although it is simple, it takes a long time to cook, but the results will be worth it.

Ingredients
Pork Butt (Boston Butt) or Pork Shoulder Bone-In
Couple of Tbsp Hawaiian Salt or Kosher Salt for rub
2 Tbsp Liquid Smoke
6 Ti Leaves to wrap pork

Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Prep Ti Leaves by removing the spines of the leaves. Cut some slits in pork, about 1 in. Rub Pork with salt and make sure to put some salt in the slits. Add 2 Tbsp of liquid smoke over pork. Wrap pork with Ti Leaves and tie closed. Place in Roasting Pan and top with aluminum foil tightly. Bake in oven 10-12 hours at 250. Pork will steam in its own liquid in the roasting pan. When complete let pork rest for 30-60 minutes. Open foil, unwrap Ti Leaves and pull pork. You can serve the pork over white rice and/or you can mix the pork with some steamed cabbage.

Ahi Poke: For lovers of raw fish, this is another island favorite, and what better place to get a hold of some good raw ahi tuna than Maui? Note - Poke is pronounced like the word "okay."

Ingredients
2 pounds fresh tuna steaks, cubed
1 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons finely chopped macadamia nuts

Cooking Instructions
In a medium size non-reactive bowl, combine Ahi, soy sauce, green onions, sesame oil, sesame seeds, chili pepper, and macadamia nuts; mix well. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Spam Musubi: Many visitors are totally mystified with Hawaii's attachment to spam. You might understand why if you try this common favorite.

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
2 cups water
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/2 cup white sugar
1 (12 ounce) container fully cooked luncheon meat (e.g. Spam)
5 sheets sushi nori (dry seaweed)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Cooking Instructions
Soak uncooked rice for 4 hours; drain and rinse.
In a saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in rice vinegar, and set aside to cool.
In a separate bowl, stir together soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Slice luncheon meat lengthwise into 10 slices, or to desired thickness, and marinate in sauce for 5 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Cook slices for 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Cut nori sheets in half and lay on a flat work surface. Place a rice press in the center of the sheet, and press rice tightly inside. Top with a slice of luncheon meat, and remove press. Wrap nori around rice mold, sealing edges with a small amount of water. (Rice may also be formed by hand in the shape of the meat slices, 1 inch thick.) Musubi may be served warm or chilled.

Banana Bread: It seems like every other island mom swears that her banana bread recipe is the best! Try this one.

Ingredients
1 cup Butter Crisco or real butter
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp baking soda
6 real ripe bananas (rotten the best)
Dates, raisins and nuts

Cooking Instructions
Mix flour, salt and baking soda. In separate bowl cream eggs, shortening and sugar. Add vanilla. Cut in flour mixture, then bananas, with dates or nuts. Pour into loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 3 large loaves.

Lava Flow: Last, here's a tropical beverage that is sweet and refreshing.

Ingredients
1 oz Light rum
1 oz Malibu rum
2 oz Strawberries
1 Banana
2 oz Pineapple juice
2 oz Coconut cream

Cooking Instructions
Blend banana, coconut cream, and pineapple juice in blender and set aside. In bottom of hurricane glass, stir together both rums and strawberries. Pour banana/coconut/pineapple mix into glass slowly. The strawberry/rum mix should creep up the sides of the glass to make a wonderful looking (and tasting) summertime cocktail!

Good luck with your culinary adventures! We hope you have a fantastic vacation. If you need any assistance with your accommodations, you'll find our contact information at the bottom of the page. Mahalo!