Day 73 Hawaii (USA)

A few years ago my family and I vacationed in Maui and were initiated into Polynesian culture with an elaborate Luau. An entire Kalua pig roasting on a spit, the distinct influences of Japan, Korea and China evident in the form of noodles, dim sum and sushi, a fish repertoire that is much more than Ahi Tuna or Mahimahi - all of this took me by surprise. I was expecting a whole lot of taro and pineapple, but quickly learnt otherwise. Today's menu pick is a Kalakaua Royal Crown Roast of Pork, which is named in honor of a certain Hawaiian royalty from eons ago.

Unfortunately, a crown roast has to be at least 14 ribs long in order to form a crown- way too much for my family dinner, but that didn't deter me. Instead of picking a different recipe, I picked up a smaller cut- a pork loin bone-in center cut roast. It may not look as extravagant but it tasted just as good.
The excess fat was trimmed off and the bone tips cleaned up. A slit was made along the thickest part of the meat to fill in with the stuffing( I had to improvise this part). A marinade was made with garlic and onions, basil and parsley leaves chopped finely, olive oil and lemon juice, pepper and salt( I finally got to use my pink Hawaiian sea salt). This was rubbed inside and out and the roast was left to marinate for a few hours.

The stuffing was made with onions, garlic and celery sautéed in butter. An egg, bread crumbs, chopped macadamia nuts, chicken broth, red wine, thyme, sage, salt and pepper were mixed in and this mixture stuffed into the cut made in the meat. I trussed it up nice and tight to keep the stuffing inside and roasted it at 375 degrees for about an hour, after which the lid was removed and the roast cooked for an additional half hour in order for it to brown evenly.

Moving west to sunny California....