RECIPE: Oven cooked Hāngī kono

We always look forward to a traditional hāngī, and it’s a joy to see our tamariki involved, working alongside my husband, and our chief hāngī maker - Grandad. He’s been using the same hāngī pit for 40 years now, but there are times when it’s just not practical. If you live in the Manawatu like us, the backyard turns into a swamp during winter!

Matariki is a time of celebrating the harvest and a full pataka (storehouse), and remembering those who have passed. This year we honour our Nana, with her method of an oven cooked hāngī to appease these hāngī longing bellies, and a warm winter pudding.

OVEN COOKED HĀNGĪ KONO 

These kono (food baskets) are simply meat, root vegetables and stuffing steamed inside cabbage leaf parcels. You can use any cuts of meat, but pork and lamb are hāngī favourites. 

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours
Serves 4 as a main

INGREDIENTS

4 x 150g pork chops, well salted
4  x 150g lamb chops, well salted
2 large kumara (400g)
4 potatoes (400g)
¼ of a pumpkin (400g)
(Vegetables peeled and chopped into 3cm chunks, other root vegetables can be used too)
Salt
1 green cabbage
½ cup of water

STUFFING:

8 slices of bread
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp mixed herbs
2 tsp salt
100g butter, melted

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

Prepare stuffing:
Break bread into small chunks by hand, or in food processor. 
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Line large roasting dish with 2 layers of cabbage leaves (smaller inner leaves).
Using 4 large cabbage leaves as “baskets”, fill each with meat, 6 to 8 vegetables, and top with stuffing.
Place each cabbage basket into roasting dish, season with salt, and cover each with two large cabbage leaves.
Pour the water over the whole dish, and cover snuggly with two layers of tinfoil.
Cook in the oven at 200C for 1 hour, and at 160C for a further 2 hours.
Remove from oven and serve immediately, using a spatula to place each kono on plates for everyone to open and enjoy. 

This recipe was originally featured in Stuff publications: https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/300050730/recipe-for-matariki-ovencooked-hng-kono