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    Home » Recipes » Cuisine

    Updated: Jun 7, 2022 by Marc · 28 Comments

    Pandan wrapped roast pork

    A few months ago, I was at my favourite Thai grocery store picking up some kaffir lime leaves when I noticed they had frozen packages of pandan leaves. I’ve had pandan flavoured dishes before, but I’d never actually seen the leaves. Curiosity perked, I threw the package into the basket. Upon getting home, my newly
    Recipe Pin

    A few months ago, I was at my favourite Thai grocery store picking up some kaffir lime leaves when I noticed they had frozen packages of pandan leaves. I've had pandan flavoured dishes before, but I'd never actually seen the leaves. Curiosity perked, I threw the package into the basket. Upon getting home, my newly discovered pandan leaves found themselves in the freezer where over time, they were covered over in layers of other shiny new ingredients, until they were all but forgotten.

    During a recent expedition into the frozen depths of the my freezer, I decided to do something with the 4lbs of rib tips I'd picked up for $1.29/lb at Fresh Direct. Digging a little further I uncovered a corner of something curiously green. Tossing aside some chicken thighs, a puck of pie dough, and some frozen strawberries, I uncovered a slightly frosty bag of bright green pandan leaves. "Perfect!" I thought.

    In case you're not familiar with pandan, they're the leaves of the pandanus plant, which grows all over Asia, going by names such as screw pine (English), cây cơm nếp (Vietnamese), and Nioi-takonoki (Japanese). It's commonly used in both desserts and savoury dishes in Thai, Filipino, Indonesian, and other Southeast Asian cuisines, adding an earthy green flavour to everything it touches. The flowers and fruit are also used and the leaves are even woven into bags and mats.

    Since I've never cooked with pandan before, I knew this experiment could go horribly wrong, but my fears were quickly allayed as the earthy tea-like smell of the roasting pandan wafted through my apartment. This was soon joined by the smell of smoky savoury pork and as the day passed, the aroma grew sweeter and more intense, sending me into a dizzying spell of hunger pangs.

    Five hours later, I was rewarded for my patience by a mound of steaming pork with a depth of flavour I wouldn't have though possible given that it was only seasoned with smoked salt and pandan leaves. I served this with rice and lomi lomi salmon which made for a perfect balance of colours and flavours. While the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, it was a little hard to eat due to all the bone and cartilage, so next time I'm going to try using pork butt.

    As I was cleaning up, I noticed there was a lot of caramelized brown goodness at the bottom of the pandan weave. Thinking it was a shame to waste all that fond, I tossed all the leaves into a pot with a few cups of water and cooked it for 20 minutes. The result was a mahogany brown pork stock that was the liquid version of what I'd just eaten. The next day, I tossed the leftover pork in a rice cooker with the stock, rice, tomato, chili peppers, garlic, cumin and cinnamon. It was delicious.

    📖 Recipe

    Pandan wrapped roast pork

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    Units

    Ingredients 

    • 4 pork pork chunks butt or other well marbled cut of cut into large chunks
    • sea salt smoked

    Instructions

    • Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 275 degrees F.
    • Lay down a wide piece of aluminum foil on a roasting pan and assemble a 7 x 7 weave of pandan leaves.
    • Add the pork and sprinkle generously with smoked salt, turning the pork several times to ensure the pieces are well coated. Fold the ends of the pandan over the pork, continuing the weave to cover the meat. Wrap the foil around the entire bundle, sealing loosely at the top so steam can escape.
    • Put it in the oven for 4-5 hours or until the pork is fork tender.
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      Recipe Rating




    1. paoix says

      February 23, 2009 at 2:24 pm

      this looks really good! i love the fragrance that pandan gives off

      Reply
    2. Holly says

      February 23, 2009 at 2:27 pm

      Great idea using the smoked salt. For the Hawaiian Kalua Pork, it is usually wrapped in ti leaves and then cooked in a underground oven called an imu. People make a home oven recipe using Hawaiian Salt and liquid smoke. The smoked salt seems much better. BTW in the imu pork they don't salt it until after it comes out of the oven and then a salt water mixuture is poured over it.

      Reply
    3. Kim, Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet says

      February 23, 2009 at 4:49 pm

      I love how you described the entire experience! Made me think I was in the kitchen too! Now I'm hungry!! Thanks!!! LOL

      Reply
    4. pigpigscorner says

      February 23, 2009 at 4:58 pm

      I love pandan especially grilled pandan chicken wings! Yours with pork looks amazing...

      Reply
    5. paoix says

      February 23, 2009 at 6:24 pm

      this looks really good! i love the fragrance that pandan gives off

      Reply
    6. Holly says

      February 23, 2009 at 6:27 pm

      Great idea using the smoked salt. For the Hawaiian Kalua Pork, it is usually wrapped in ti leaves and then cooked in a underground oven called an imu. People make a home oven recipe using Hawaiian Salt and liquid smoke. The smoked salt seems much better. BTW in the imu pork they don't salt it until after it comes out of the oven and then a salt water mixuture is poured over it.

      Reply
    7. helen says

      February 23, 2009 at 6:35 pm

      My goodness. How does one get a dinner invitation to your place?

      Reply
    8. Jenni Field says

      February 23, 2009 at 7:04 pm

      Seriously, Marc, are you trying to kill me with this?! This is minimalist cooking at its finest. Bravo, dude:D

      Reply
    9. Kim, Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet says

      February 23, 2009 at 8:49 pm

      I love how you described the entire experience! Made me think I was in the kitchen too! Now I'm hungry!! Thanks!!! LOL

      Reply
    10. pigpigscorner says

      February 23, 2009 at 8:58 pm

      I love pandan especially grilled pandan chicken wings! Yours with pork looks amazing...

      Reply
    11. Gera says

      February 23, 2009 at 9:12 pm

      You've had so many patience with the smoky-flavorful pork but at last you were awarded indeed!
      I'm sure it must taste absolutely delicious--gorgeous work, Marc 🙂

      Cheers!
      Gera

      Reply
    12. Natasha aka 5 Star Foodie says

      February 23, 2009 at 10:02 pm

      That pork has to come out super flavorful! Great recipe!

      Reply
    13. helen says

      February 23, 2009 at 10:35 pm

      My goodness. How does one get a dinner invitation to your place?

      Reply
    14. Jenni Field says

      February 23, 2009 at 11:04 pm

      Seriously, Marc, are you trying to kill me with this?! This is minimalist cooking at its finest. Bravo, dude:D

      Reply
    15. steamy kitchen says

      February 23, 2009 at 11:12 pm

      pork belly! lovin' your blog more and more...

      jaden

      Reply
    16. Gera says

      February 24, 2009 at 1:12 am

      You've had so many patience with the smoky-flavorful pork but at last you were awarded indeed!
      I'm sure it must taste absolutely delicious--gorgeous work, Marc 🙂

      Cheers!
      Gera

      Reply
    17. Elra says

      February 24, 2009 at 1:47 am

      I love pandan leaves. In Bali, beside for cooking, they also use this for offering. First they take layers of the leave, then slice them into super thin strips. Sprinkle this on top of the flowers for the offering to God. I miss the smell sometimes. I can only get them frozen here, so it doesn't have the same fragrant as the fresh one.

      I must admit that your recipe is really unusual and very creative too. Pork sounds absolutely delicious Marc.
      Cheers,
      Elra

      Reply
    18. Natasha aka 5 Star Foodie says

      February 24, 2009 at 2:02 am

      That pork has to come out super flavorful! Great recipe!

      Reply
    19. steamy kitchen says

      February 24, 2009 at 3:12 am

      pork belly! lovin' your blog more and more...

      jaden

      Reply
    20. Elra says

      February 24, 2009 at 5:47 am

      I love pandan leaves. In Bali, beside for cooking, they also use this for offering. First they take layers of the leave, then slice them into super thin strips. Sprinkle this on top of the flowers for the offering to God. I miss the smell sometimes. I can only get them frozen here, so it doesn't have the same fragrant as the fresh one.

      I must admit that your recipe is really unusual and very creative too. Pork sounds absolutely delicious Marc.
      Cheers,
      Elra

      Reply
    21. Just Cook It says

      February 24, 2009 at 5:55 am

      Looks, and sounds, amazing.

      Reply
    22. Just Cook It says

      February 24, 2009 at 9:55 am

      Looks, and sounds, amazing.

      Reply
    23. veggiebelly says

      February 24, 2009 at 1:37 pm

      Beautiful! You have me salivating at the "earthy tea like smell" description! Ive been curious about pandan for a while now, I'm so glad you posted this. I'm wondering if I can roast veggies and tofu this way..hmmm...

      Reply
    24. veggiebelly says

      February 24, 2009 at 5:37 pm

      Beautiful! You have me salivating at the "earthy tea like smell" description! Ive been curious about pandan for a while now, I'm so glad you posted this. I'm wondering if I can roast veggies and tofu this way..hmmm...

      Reply
    25. banu gökşin - tule - istanbul says

      February 24, 2009 at 8:39 pm

      looks great very different
      delicious

      Reply
    26. banu gökşin - tule - istanbul says

      February 25, 2009 at 12:39 am

      looks great very different
      delicious

      Reply
    27. katiek says

      March 12, 2009 at 6:04 pm

      OOOOOH. I just made Cochinita pibil, a yucatecan banana leaf wrapped pork which is smothered in ground annatto seeds and other spices.

      I cooked it low and slow too!

      It turned out beautifully - a sort of confit.

      But then I imagined thai flavors for wrapped pork and my imagination took off. Nice to see that some people are thinking just what i'm thinking...

      Next time I will try and dig a hole in the ground.

      Reply
    28. katiek says

      March 12, 2009 at 10:04 pm

      OOOOOH. I just made Cochinita pibil, a yucatecan banana leaf wrapped pork which is smothered in ground annatto seeds and other spices.

      I cooked it low and slow too!

      It turned out beautifully - a sort of confit.

      But then I imagined thai flavors for wrapped pork and my imagination took off. Nice to see that some people are thinking just what i'm thinking...

      Next time I will try and dig a hole in the ground.

      Reply

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    Trending Recipes

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