Clem Heu has prepared kalua pig for the Iolani School carnival for 25 years

Clem Heu is Iolani School's expert in kalua-pig making, as he should be. Heu has been working the imu for the school for 25 years.

"Some is fatter, some is leaner," he said. "They all come out of the imu plenty tender."

This year's edition of Heu's imu pig will be available at "Planet Iolani," the school's fund-raising fair this weekend.

Heu, who used to coach baseball at Iolani, dug the first pit on the edge of the baseball field. "We used to make 800 pounds of stew beef, up from 50 pounds," Heu said. "Then we started imu-ing the pig, and when someone donates the pig, 100 percent profit for the school."

Heu now bakes the pig a couple of weeks before the fair. "We dig the pit at Iolani Thursday; Friday, light the fire; Saturday, the pig come out. It normally takes seven to eight hours, but the longer the pig stay in, the more tender."

His recipe is just plenty of good Hawaiian salt. The pigs are about 250 to 300 pounds after dressing. "The only thing hard to get now is good kiawe wood."

On the kiawe coals are placed a banana stump, then banana leaves, then ti leaves, then the pig, then burlap soaked in water and more ti leaves. The banana stump and leaves are full of moisture and help steam the pig.

"It's just one big steam cooker," said Heu.

"In the old days, we used to cover with leaves and dirt. But we learned to put on construction plastic instead and seal up the edges. Works just as well, and not as messy."