Instant Pot Lūʻau Stew

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Lūʻau stew is one of Grandma Hughes' go to soups made over a span of two days in her huge soup pot. I never have time for that and when I am on Oʻahu, I do not actually have a working range and stove, so Grandma's way is the best, but this modern, Instant Pot shortcut is the next best thing

Lūʻau stew is simple. This version is made up of lūʻau leaves, stew meat, Hawaiian salt and beef broth, then time. 

Lūʻau Leaves: The star of the dish is the young, heart-shaped leaves of the kalo (taro) plant. The leaves must be cooked thoroughly to remove calcium oxalate crystals, which can otherwise cause an itchy sensation in the throat. While I am cleaning the leaves and stripping the stems, my hands get a little itchy, however, I learned from a kalo farmer in Waipiʻo valley that as long as you are working, you wonʻt feel the itchy. 
E hoʻohuli ka lima i lalo (Pukuʻi, #281) - when the palms of the hands face down, they are occupied and productive--working the land, cultivating food, and serving others.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound stew meat (if you can get stew bones, better yet)
  • 1 pound lūʻau leaves and stems 
  • 1-2 cups beef broth (I swear by Better than Bouillon - 2 tsp and 2 c boiling water) - see Notes
  • Hawaiian salt to taste
  • onion (opt.)
  • ginger (opt.)

Directions:

  1. Prepare the leaves - cut the stems from the leaves and trim off thick veins. Wash the leaves, roll them up and cut the leaves into ribbons. Use your finger to peel the outer skin of the stems (like deveining celery). Cut the stems into bite size lengths.
  2. Salt the meat, cut the onions and peel and smash a thumb size piece of ginger if using.
  3. Put Instant Pot on sauté and add a little oil or butter. Sear meat and soften onions a little. 
  4. Add the beef broth. Use a wooden spoon to get any brown bits off the bottom.
  5. Add the ginger, leaves and stems. You may need to push the leaves down to close the cover.
  6. Set the Instant Pot for meat/stew 35 minutes with quick release or 10 minutes natural pressure release. 

Notes:

Grandma-sized portions

My Instant Pot recipes are normally for 5 people, but this was so easy and quick that I made 2 batches. Put the first finished batch in a slow cooker and set the slow cooker to keep warm. For an oval ceramic slow cooker, two batches fit into the slow cooker. 

The "color change" warning 

The leaves will turn from a vibrant green to a deep, dark forest green (almost brownish).  In many dishes, that color means that the greens are "overcooked," but for lūʻau stew, this color change means that the "itch" is gone. 

Scaling the Liquid

Lūʻau leaves release a lot of moisture. If you are doubling the recipe, you do not necessarily need to double the broth. It depends on how "soupy" you want it. Some people like a thicker soup. If I do not have poi (see pairing suggestions), then I want a thinner soup to go with rice. Use your "makaz" - your eyes and preference.
Best Served With
  • Hot, white rice
  • Poi
  • Lomi salmon or poke
  • Chili pepper water
  • Coconut milk



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