HDS Kalua Puaʻa and Kalo Pot Pie

Directions

Pie Crust

1. To make the pie crust, place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and begin to mix in the grated pieces of butter until they become pea sized and the butter begins to absorb the flour. At this point, add in the water and mix until a dough begins to form. If the mix is still dry, add in another Tbsp of water and mix in until a crumbly but solid dough is formed.

2. The dough should be combined but not heavily kneaded. The dough should still crumble slightly but is able to be rolled. At this point, form the dough into a disc and cover with plastic wrap or put it into a large Ziploc bag and chill it for at least an hour to allow the butter to firm up inside the dough so it can be rolled without it melting out.

Filling

1. While the pie dough is chilling, begin to make the filling by prepping all the ingredients prior to any cooking.

2. Once prepared, start by heating a large sauce pan or pot on medium high heat and add in the butter. Once the butter is fully melted and starts to bubble in the pan, sauté the garlic until fragrant (1 minute) then add in the carrots, onion, and celery and sweat for 5 minutes to allow them to cook slightly, but not browning.

3. Once the vegetables are just cooked, add in the cooked Kalua pig, and allow it to reheat and release its fats, cooking for about 3 minutes.

4. Add in the 1/3 cup flour and allow it to coat the vegetables and combine with the fats in the pan creating a roux that will be used as the thickener for the filling.

5. Add in half the chicken stock and stir, allowing the stock to thicken. Add in the remaining stock along with the coconut milk, salt, pepper, and thyme and bring to a boil.

6. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and add in the kalo and cook for 2 minutes. Taste the filling and make sure it is seasoned to your liking. If you desire more thyme, salt, and pepper, feel free to add to your preference.

7. Continue to cook on medium low until a thick mixture is formed in the pan / pot. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl and cool at room temp for 5 minutes before placing in the refrigerator to cool down. If you try to place the hot filling into the pie dough it will melt the butter in the dough and will give you a gummy pot pie crust that is not desirable.

Finishing

1. Once the filling goes into the fridge to cool, pre heat your oven to 425 Fahrenheit and remove the pie dough from the fridge and allow it to sit out for about 5-10 minutes to come back to room temperature.

2. Grease a medium or large pie tin with butter or spray grease and set aside.

3. Unwrap the pie dough and place on the counter. Dust some flour on the counter as well as on the dough and cut the dough in half. Using a rolling pin (or large cylinder object that can roll) roll one half of the dough out to about ¼ inch thick, rotating and flipping the dough over to make a circle large enough to cover the whole pie tin (or baking dish desired) up to the edges. Once rolled out, place it in the baking dish and press into the sides. It’s okay if there is dough hanging over the edges.

4. Take out the chilled filling from the fridge and scoop out enough to fill just slightly above the edge of the tin, so it looks like a mound in the center.

5. Roll out the other half of your pie dough to the same thickness (1/4 inch) as the bottom crust portion and then lay it carefully over filling. Trim the overhanging dough around the baking dish and if desired, you can crimp the edges to make a design. Doing so seals the top and bottom dough together and prevents it from separating when it bakes. At this time, you can also make an X cut in the center of the pie so as to allow steam to escape from the center.

6. Brush top of pie dough with egg wash and sprinkle with some salt and bake at 425F for 20 minutes then reduce heat to 350 for 35-40 minutes. Once baked, remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes then serve warm and enjoy!