Hāngī
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The Tale of Hāngī
Story updated
Hāngī is the traditional Māori method of cooking food in an earth oven, where meat and vegetables are lowered onto heated stones in a pit and covered to steam slowly underground. Used for centuries for communal feasts, it remains a living tradition at ceremonial and celebratory gatherings today.
Ingredients
Scale:· 10 servings
- 4 lbs pork shoulder or lamb
- 1 whole chicken, jointed
- 6 kumara (sweet potatoes), peeled
- 6 potatoes, peeled
- 1 small pumpkin, cut into wedges
- 2 cabbages, halved
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chicken wire and clean cloth sacks (traditional method)
Instructions
- 1Dig a pit and build a large fire over river stones, letting it burn down until the stones are white-hot, about 2-3 hours.
- 2Season the meats generously with salt and pepper and wrap the meat and vegetables separately in cloth sacks or foil.
- 3Carefully lower the wrapped meat onto the hot stones in the pit, followed by the vegetables on top.
- 4Cover everything with wet cloth sacks, then a layer of soil, sealing in the steam completely.
- 5Leave the hāngī to cook undisturbed for 3-4 hours.
- 6Carefully uncover the pit, lift out the food, and unwrap.
- 7Serve the smoky, tender meat and vegetables together on a large platter.
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