Hawaiian Lau Lau

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1. 1Step 1: Prep the two types of leaves. For luau leaves: wash them thoroughly one by one. Chop off the bottom stem that extends past the bottom of the leaf. Chop that stem into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside. For ti leaves: wash and pat dry. Remove the main/thickest vein that runs through the center of the ti leaf. Removing this vein allows the ti leaf to be more pliable and easy to fold as you will be using it to wrap the fillings. Set aside.
2. 2Step 2: At a clean workstation, stack 3-5 luau leaves on the counter. Arrange them so that the biggest leaf is on the bottom and the smallest leaf is on top.
3. 3Step 3: In the center of the leaf, put in a few chunks of the pork butt and butterfish. Add 2-3 pieces each cubed carrots and purple Okinawan sweet potato, if using. Add several of the chopped luau leaf stems. Sprinkle over Hawaiian sea salt.
4. 4Step 4: Use the luau leaves to fold and wrap all the fillings in a tight bundle.
5. 5Step 5: Next, wrap the ti leaves around the luau leaf bundle. Use the ti leaf ends to tie a topknot. If the ends are too short, use a string to tie/secure the bundle.
6. 6Step 6: Put the wrapped lau lau in a steamer. Steam for three to four hours till nice and tender. Remove the ti leaf (you can't eat the ti leaf), and serve! Ideally with rice and/or poi, chili pepper water and all your favorite Hawaiian side dishes like lomi lomi salmon and chicken long rice. Don't forget the kulolo for dessert.