Da Best Mainland Lau Lau Ever!

I've been experimenting with different ways to make lau lau that tastes like the real stuff in Hawaii. Finally I came up with this recipe that is easy to make and tastes virtually the same as the real stuff.

Da Best Mainland Lau Lau Ever!

Ingredients (approximate due to wrapping procedure):

2lb 900g medium/lean ground pork (the fatter the more authentic)
1/4 lb bacon slices  (low salt preferred to accomodate the salty fish sauce)
1 lb basa fillets
4 tbsp fish sauce (Filipino/Chinese type, the fermented anchovy salty liquid stuff)
1/2 package dried bamboo leaves (not edible, too fibrous)
3-5 bunches Swiss Chard (da best substitute of luau/taro leaves) cut the long stem off for soup
Pressure cooker or regular steamer

Procedures:

1. Boil bamboo leaves to sterilize and soften. Then let cool down for handling.
2. Mix fish sauce and ground pork.
3. Cut bacon slices to 1/2 inch length pieces.
4. Cut basa into 1/2 inch cubes.
5. Working with a few bamboo leaves at a time to prevent drying, tear wide ones into half lengthwise. Cut narrow tips off.
6. Set up pressure cooker for steaming (mine is 1/2 cup of water at the bottom, then the basket).
7. Start wrapping: wrap in swiss chard leave 1 inch ball of pork, 1 piece of fish and 1 piece of bacon. Put this on a narrow bamboo leave, shiny side up. Fold bamboo leave over from both sides and cut off excess bamboo leave. Turn sideway and roll this up in a wide bamboo leave, shiny side up. This will look like those small chicken sticky rice wrap in a Chinese dim sum restaurant.
8. Place roll carefully into steamer. Pack and stack them.
9. Turn on steamer. Pressure cooker for 1 hour, steamer for 2 hours.
10. Open the lid and serve. Discard bamboo leaves before eating.

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Memory Box Bundle of Hearts die
Inkadinkado stamps Hearts
Lisa Pavelka texture Love Letter

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This is a play with Distress Oxide and Zig Clean Color markers.

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Supplies:
Simon Says Stamp Balloon Bouquet
Tim Holtz Bird Talk
Hero Arts 19th Century French Script
Tim Holtz Wildflowers dies
Tim Holtz Mixed Media dies
White Gelly Roll
Pigma Micron
Dr Ph Martin's Hydrus
Americana Acrylic paint
Staples cardstock

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Simon Says Stamp Luminary Circles die
Silver embossing powder
Alcohol ink felts
Glossy Accents
Water soluble pencil

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Supplies:
Recollection cardstock
Staples cardstock
Dr.Martin Hydrus watercolor
Penny Black Flower Gallery
Raffia
Brusho Emerald Green
Tim Holtz Bird Talk stamp, die and stencil set
We R Memory embossing folder Polka Dot
Colorbox pigment ink pad
Ranger Archival Jet Black ink pad
Sakura gelly roll metallicn orange
Brillance Cosmic Copper ink pad
Spellbinders Label 17

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Tim Holtz Limitations stamp and die set
Tim Holtz Flower Garland die
Tim Holtz Layering Stencil Flourish
Crafter's Workshop stencil Ferns
Spellbinder Moroccan Motif
Lalaland Filigree corner die
Folkart Extreme Glitter Hologram
Americana acrylic
Memento dark cocoa ink pad
Intense pencils
Recollections brads
Recollecions cardstock colored
Staples cardstock white
Homemade gesso
Dollarstore gem
Old book page

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Colourful butterfly...

Sizzix Tim Holtz Limitations
Sizzix Tim Holtz Mixed Media die
Americana acrylic
Perfect Pearl
Mod Mold
Seam binding cut in half
Brillance Galaxy Gold
Inktense pencils
Hero Art Leafy Vines
Mod Podge Dimensional Magic
Memento Dew Drop rich cocoa
Sakura Koi watercolor for brown edge
Homemade gesso

Butterfly Beauty

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Supplies:
Dollarstore watercolor paper, glitter and glass beads
Brusho
Inkadinkado Inchie Insects
Sharpie Pen black
Masking tape
Folkart Extreme Glitter acrylic paint
Lisa Pavelka texture stamp (text background)
Sakura Quickie glue pen

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Hero Arts 19th Century French Script
Americana acrylic paint with glycerine for background
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Fiskars Intricate Punch butterfly
Recollections cardstock cream

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Americana acrylic paint - sponge moistened with 1 drop of glycerin, then sponged acrylic paint background.
Recollections cardstock
Prismacolor pencils
Sakura Gelly Roll white
Martha Steward adhesive stencil (leaves, butterfly)
Decoart Gloss Enamel stencil (flowers)

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Supplies:
Tim Holtz dies flower garland
Crafters Workshop stencil Mini Texturized
Tsukineko Brilliance galaxy gold
Recollections brads
Corrugated cardboard
Americana acrylic paint pot regular 16 set
Old book page
Art Minds decoupage sealer gloss
Sakura pigma micron 08 black
Inkadinkado vintage bottle flower wood stamp
Tim Holtz clear stamp and stencil set
Recollections cardstock
Versafine onyx black
Glycerine - 1 drop to moisten sponge prior to dipping into acrylic for smooth gradient effect

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Supplies:
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Recollections cardstocks
Staples 110lb white cardstock
Spellbinders Sprigs
Grumbacker Miskit - the bricks
Martha Steward Punch Around the Page Swirling Lace
Fiskars edging scissors
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Marta Steward punch Hydrangea
Prismacolor Pencils - the wood
Inkadinkado Stamping Gear square and rectangle set

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Supplies:
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Penny Black Flourish creative die
Dollar store sequins
Americana acrylic paint regular 16 paint pot set - colour flowers
Sakura pigma micron black 05 - flowers
Sakura Koi pocket set 24 colour - colour leaves
Dollar store glass beads
Sakura gelly roll white
Recollections cardstocks
Staples 110lb white cardstock
Spellbinders Rose Creation
Spellbinders Sprigs
Crayola felt marker and water for the purple flower

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Materials:
Paper Smooches dies - Flowers
We R Memory Keepers alphabet dies - Sugar Cookie, High Rise, Lemon Drop
Mod Molds - Sea Life
Recollections cardstocks
Americana DecoArt acrylic paint
Sakura Koi watercolor
Sakura Pigma Pen 005
Sharpie Pen
Raffia

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