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Oodles of Vegetarian Chow Fun noodles

Mention Chow Fun noodles to anyone who grew up in Hawaii, and chances are what immediately comes to mind is the “Manapua Man”, or an Okazuya. For the latter, my pick for “best Chow Fun” goes to Matsumoto’s on Gulick, and the “keep it simple” approach to perfection at St. Louis Delicatessen on Waialae.

Chow Fun is another of those seemingly simple dishes, yet it can also be ambiguously complex, with so many interpretations, and no “local standard”. It’s easy to mess up it up by overdoing it and adding too many ingredients, where it ends up “lost”.

Recently a new member on a discussion board I frequent shared a recipe for her “Vegetarian Chow Fun”, which had me intrigued to try, since she mentioned she used to operate an Okazuya shop herself.

I’m assuming it’s called “vegetarian” due to the lack of chicken, charsiu or luncheon meat in it, which is most often what Chow Fun is prepared with here in the islands. But what had me most curious was the use of Hijiki, which I’ve never cooked with before.

So I went for it. Here’s the recipe…

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Vegetarian Chow Fun Noodles
by kani-lehua
Serves 4

Ingredients:
• 1 package dried chow fun noodles (Hula brand)
• Shiitake mushrooms (don’t forget to soak them first, julienned)
• Carrots and onions, julienned
• Green onions, chopped (for garnish)
• Broccoli and zucchini, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 can water chestnuts (the ones already sliced)
• Hijiki (dried black looking seaweed, soak in water to rehydrate)
• Oil for stir frying
• Sesame oil for drizzling when everthing is pau cooked.
• Grated ginger and garlic (according to taste)
• 2T shoyu (i guess you could sub bragg’s amino acids, but i don’t know)
• 1T vegetarian style oyster sauce (if no more, use regular)

Boil noodles until al dente. You have to keep checking on them. app. 9 minutes. rinse in cold water and drain. Cut noodles in half and set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, saute the garlic and ginger (do not burn) for app. 1-2 minutes in the oil. add the shoyu or bragg’s and oyster sauce. mix until well blended.

Stir fry all the veggies until al dente. Add the cooled noodles and heat through. Drizzle with sesame oil (don’t over do it) and then toss in the hijiki at the end.

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What’s obviously the most important factor in this recipe is the type of Chow Fun noodles, as in this case is called for HULA BRAND…

Hula Brand Chow Funn, purchased recently at Tropic Fish & Vegetable Center on GOB clearance for just 50 cents a bag!

Interestingly, when uncooked and dry, these noodles appear “pasty” and delicate, but once they begin to cook in the water, they really tighten-up and become resilient. I think that has something to do with the Potassium Carbonate in it. I’d go as far saying you could make a darned tasty Fetuccini Alfredo out of this.

What’s nice about this package is that it includes 4 individual servings bundled up separately, which should come in handy for restaurant service.

Here’s the cooked Chow Fun (Funn), perfectly al dente…

So while that’s set aside, you saute all the veggies…

When these are all cooked, throw the cooked Chow Fun into the pan with it, combine and finish the dish according to the instructions in the recipe above.

I actually rushed this job, not paying particular attention to how I cut the veggies, as you can tell. As far as the quantity of veggies, it’s really up to you. For that one package of Chow Funn, I used half a Zucchini, 1 large carrot, and about 8 medium-sized Shiitake mushrooms. I also only used only about 1/3 of the can of sliced water chestnuts, as any more than that looked like it would have been too much.

I must note, sometimes the noodles may be sticky or dry from sitting, so when I added them in, I also sprinkled some water and a drizzle of extra cooking oil to “loosen” it up. That worked. I also had to readjust by adding a little more Oyster Sauce.

Speaking of Oyster sauce, that’s another key ingredient here, as that’s the main “flavorizer”. In this preparation, I used Shirakiku brand Premium Oyster Sauce, which was fantastic. Others swear by the Lee Kum Kee brand. Up to you.

I added very very little Sesame oil at the end, as the stuff can be overpowering. But what little was added gave it that “nuttyness” that helped punch out the flavor of the Shiitake mushrooms.

That first photo shows the finished dish in the pan, all done and ready to serve.

Note that I also added Beni Shoga on the right side (red stuff), which goes well with anything savory.

What does bring savoriness to the table here is of course the Shiitake mushrooms, but also the Oyster sauce, along with the way the garlic, ginger and onions are sauteed in the oil before everything goes in.

The Hijiki added a “seafood” like element to it, along with it’s crunchy texture, yet I added just enough, but not too much where it may have been overpowering. You have to be careful how much you add in.

As for the “vegetarian” part, most carnivores would be hard-pressed to find anything “not meaty” about this dish. It doesn’t miss the chicken, char siu or luncheon meat at all.

Now the devil on my right shoulder knocks on my brain and says, “Wait a minute? No meat you say? Well, let’s add some on top of it, Okazuya style!”
So I added a cooked Teriyaki Winner on top. This kine..

I swear, these are one of the BEST hot dogs on the market. I’m not really a huge Teriyaki fan, and I try not to eat too many hot dogs for health reasons, but for what it’s worth, this one has that perfect balance of savory-sweet going on, with hint of shoyu-laced depth that’s unlike any other hot dog I’ve ever had. Knowing how popular Teriyaki is in Hawaii, If Costco sold these at their concession, they’d probably move containers full of the stuff.

The devil made me do it…

I think I’ll name this one “Da’ Hana-koko-lele” Okazuya plate

Hey, this was somethin’ yum! There’s almost this “surf ‘n turf” thing going on with the combination of the Hijiki and the savory-sweet hot dog. I’d take out the Shiitake mushrooms next time though, if I’m gonna’ “carnivorize” this Chow Fun, as that, combined with the porky wiener was a little too “meaty”. Still ono though.

Back to the original recipe, this Vegetarian Chow Fun recipe, as is, turned out to be a winner. It’s relatively cheap and easy to make, and best of all, it can be served as a delicious, satisfying, nutritionally balanced, guilt-free (if you resist the hotdog!), all-in-one meal.

Mahalo kani-lehua for sharing it!

Hot on the heels, err, make that bowl of yesterday’s Gyudon, I present to you my very own creation here in what we’ll affectionately name SPAM Donburi! I’m not sure if anyone out there has done this before, as I couldn’t find one online with proof. So I figured, what the heck; if SPAM tastes great on a musubi, it’s gotta’ work as a donburi, right?

So this morning I put on my “Doctah’ FrankenSPAM” lab coat and went to work.

I took the basic Gyudon broth recipe, which is 2-1/2 cups of water, 1 packet of dashino-moto, 5 tbsp. each of shoyu, mirin and sake, and simmered thin, bite-size slivers of SPAM in it, along with sliced onions and shiitake mushrooms. Simmered it long enough for the onions to soften and the SPAM to cook through. Test-tasted to make sure the SPAM absorbed some of the flavor from the broth and that it tasted cooked. Poured all that over hot rice, along with extra broth, and topped it with Beni Shoga.

And how did this SPAM Donburi taste? Ono! A little salty, since I used regular SPAM. But oh man.. the combination of the SPAM with the Shiitake, onions and Beni Shoga is a winner! Add that tasty, broth-enhanced rice as the supporting act and this bowl rocks!

Next time I’ll try using the low-sodium SPAM (or Tulip). I also may add an egg in there, either in raw form and let it cook with the other stuff like Oyako Donburi, or cook an omelet on the side and then slice it up and add it with the other ingredients in already-cooked form. Perhaps some Furikake sprinkled over it might work too.

Seriously, you should try it. Especially if you’re a SPAM-with-rice fan. This is certainly an interesting and unique twist on it.

See Nate what you got me started on!

Gyudon “Beef Bowl”

Get your groove on with Gyudon! A simple all-in-one “beef bowl” made with thin strips of beef and onion, cooked fairly quick in a savory-sweet Dashi-based broth and served over hot steamed rice and garnished with Beni Shoga, an Umezu pickled red ginger.

It’s one of the most popular fast food dishes in Japan, thanks to chain restaurants such as Yoshinoya and Sukiya. Think of it like this: Where as in the US we have hamburgers, in Japan, they have Gyudon.

“HynPake” Nate recently blogged his Gyudon recipe, which looked and sounded really oishii and easy to make, so I decided to give it a try. The following recipe is based on his, yet I modified it just ever-so-slightly, based on the ingredients I had on hand, taste and serving portions needed.

So let’s get our groove on and do this!

GYUDON
“Beef Bowl”
Serves 2

Ingredients:
• 8-10 oz. (approx. 1/2 lb.) beef, thinly sliced and cut into bite-size strips (pre-cut “Sukiyaki” beef is an ideal choice for this, if available)
• 1 handful (about 5-7 caps) Shiitake Mushrooms, cut into thin strips (if dried, soak in hot water for 20 minutes and squeeze excess water)
• 1 medium-sized white onion, sliced
• 2½ cups water
• 1 packet dashino-moto
• 5 tbsp. shoyu
• 5 tbsp. mirin
• 5 tbsp. sake
• Cooked white rice (enough for 2 generous servings)
• Beni Shoga (Umezu pickled red ginger)

This highly-marbelized, thinly sliced Sukiyaki beef cooks quickly, is very tender and takes on the flavor of the broth quite well. One of the slices are folded over on the left corner so you can see just how thin it is.

Raw ingredients: Sliced Onions, Shiitake Mushrooms and Beef

Dashino-moto powdered soup base

Beni Shoga - Ginger pickled with Umezu and colored red. This large package was just $2.99 at Marukai. It was transferred into a glass jar for easier storage in the fridge.

Directions:

Begin by adding water, dashino-moto powder, shoyu, mirin & sake in a deep skillet pan. Heat on stove then add onions…

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let the onions simmer in the broth for 10 minutes, or until they soften.

Add the sliced Shiitake Mushrooms and beef…

Use a spoon or chopsticks to gently incorporate and mix all the ingredients evenly in the pan with the broth. Cook another 2 minutes longer, or until the beef is just cooked through, then turn heat off.

Using a slotted spoon, serve the cooked beef, shiitake and onions over a bowl of hot steaming rice, and top with Beni Shoga. Pour extra sauce into the bowl over the rice to your own taste. Serve immediately while it’s hot.

Itadakimasu!

Notice the unorthodox rectangle serving “bowl”. Think of this as the “Wendy’s hamburger” of Gyudon. You rebel. lol!

Notice that I also added chopped green onion, julienned fresh daikon and carrots on the side, which not only added color, but also a crisp and fresh texture and flavor contrast to the savory beef and onions. “Hardcore” Gyudon enthusiasts may frown upon that, but hey, this is MY kitchen!

So this was actually the second night in a row that I made this, as I really enjoyed the first night’s bowl. Only thing was, the market didn’t have Sukiyaki beef at the time, so on my first Gyudon session I used Teriyaki-style cuts of Beef…

Teriyaki beef (not marinated, just cut in that style)

Notice how there’s much less fat marbeling, and also what you can’t see is that it’s sliced a bit thicker than Sukiyaki… about a 1/4″, compared to the Sukiyaki, which is about 1/8″. This made it more difficult for the broth to penetrate and flavor it. So I ended up simmering longer than usual to absorb the flavors and cook through. The teriyaki-cut beef was also half the price of Sukiyaki, which says something about the difference in quality. Because this is a quick-cooking method, you need the best quality possible in order for it to be tender.

I also didn’t have Shiitake on the first session. Here you can see how the slices of beef are a bit thicker, more like stir-fry cuts…

So here you can see the finished “Gyudon” on my first night..

Looks pretty, but those cuts of beef are way too thick. It appears more like a stir-fry than Gyudon. It was still oishii, but I’ll stick with the Sukiyaki beef, which was much more tender and flavorful, and true to the dish.

I’ll also have to say you MUST have it with the Beni Shoga, or at least Daikon or some kind of tsukemono, as, IMO, the dish needs that contrast to really shine. The combination of the savory beef and onions, and slightly sweet “sauce”, along with the tangy-bite and crunch of the Beni Shoga is a fantastic marriage, and provides that critical and most tasty finishing touch.

So get your groove on and give Gyudon a try. A perfect comfort food for these chilly winter nights. Highly recommended. Arigato Nate!

A thick, juicy slab of medium-rare prime rib

The classic American Thanksgiving Turkey feast is undeniably fantastic. The question is, how soon do you want an encore? If you’re asking me, after about two weeks of re-reinventing turkey leftovers, I’ve had enough until, perhaps, Easter. With Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to move on to the next level: Prime Rib!

Of course, “prime” is a misnomer if you’re cooking a standing rib eye roast at home, as most cuts sold at the local supermarkets and big boxers are graded as “Choice”. O.K, fine then. Even though it’s “Choice Rib”, we’re still calling it “Prime Rib”. It just sounds better. Ha!

The following recipe and cooking method is a finely-honed hybrid of one I got from The Plaza Club (courtesy of mom), and also reading recipe after recipe, and watching several done on TV cooking shows. This method works like a charm, as I’ve done this 5 times already, never failing to get a perfect medium-rare finish, with a delicious, flavor-packed crust, and overall quite honestly, one that EVERYONE at the dinner table always raves about.

The seasonings are simply Hawaiian Salt, fresh cracked pepper, garlic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

So let’s get our roast on!

Where’s the beef? Here it is…

This is a 9.67 lb bone-in choice grade rib eye roast, which went for $6.99/lb. on sale. Sliced properly, this was more than enough for our 10-person Christmas party. Notice the fat layer cap on top has already been pre-trimmed by the butcher. Most rib eye roasts in the market nowadays come that way. Also notice the marbeling and deeper layers of fat within, which are sure to provide tons of flavor and moisture inside.

Notice it’s on a roasting rack, which sits nicely within a roasting pan. You don’t need the rack, as you can sit it on its own bones, but I find the rack keeps it nicely away from its own drippings, making it easier and less messy (of drippings) afterwards to remove.

Before you’re ready to cook it, remove it from the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature for at least a half hour. You don’t want to start the rib roast from too cold a temperature, or the inside will remain raw and the doneness will be uneven.

Place it in the roasting pan (with rack if you have one).

Now let’s season it. Begin by taking whole, peeled garlic gloves and slicing them into manageable slivers (see following photo), then use the point of a sharp knife and poke a slit about 3/4″ deep (not too deep) into sections of the rib roast and insert the a garlic sliver (or two) into into each hole. Do it one at a time as you insert the garlic, or you might lose where all the other slits are. Start from the underside (bone side)…

… and work your way across in evenly-spaced rows, making your way to the top-side (fat side)…

After you’ve evenly “plugged” the entire rib roast with garlic, rub it lightly with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This will help the salt and pepper adhere to it and infuse with the meat. If you don’t have that, regular cooking oil should be fine. I wouldn’t use butter, as butter burns faster, and may result in a burnt crust.

Now generously coat the rib roast with Hawaiian Salt and fresh cracked pepper. Not too heavy on the salt; use a sprinkling technique. That should be perfect. You can go as light or heavy with the cracked pepper as you want. I think the more pepper the better. Here you can see how I do mine…

That is one HAPPY rib roast!

Recap: garlic placed in sliced “pukas”, EVOO rub, Hawaiian Salt and fresh cracked pepper. That’s it.

Time to hit the heat.

By far the most important tool you should have when cooking a prime rib is a meat thermometer. It takes all the guess work out of how long and/or hot to cook it. With that, I use a simple, yet very accurate analog Cooper meat thermometer, with detailed reading all the way from 0 to 220ºF.

Here, I’ve stuck the oven-safe thermometer into the very center of the rib roast, careful to get the probe end right in the middle of the meat WITHOUT touching the bone…

Don’t let it touch the bone, as the bone carries a higher heat and will give you a false reading. Notice the internal temperature reading dropped to about 40ºF after it was inserted, below the 80º room temperature reading it was at.

So what internal temperature are we shooting for to get a perfect medium-rare? As soon as it hits 120ºF remove it. You can even as low as 110ºF if you like it “bloody” rare on the very inside. With that 120ºF goal, notice that I placed that temperature at the “12 o’clock” position, which makes it that much easier to check through the oven window.

O.K., the rib roast is all seasoned up and the thermometer placed and ready to sizzle. Great. Let it sit there. Now fire-up your oven on BAKE or ROAST (not broil) to the hottest it will get, which for most home ovens is about 500ºF. What this high temperature will do is sear the outside and create a crust that will seal the juices within the meat. Sounds good, right? Once the oven is preheated to temperature, place the rib roast in there…

Now close the oven door and, if you can help it, DON’T open the door! Roast at 500ºF for 30 minutes, then reduce the tempurature to 325ºF. That’s it. It will take about 1-1/2 hours total cooking time for most rib roasts to reach that magical 120ºF internal temperature. Plus or minus of course, depending on your even, the size of the roast and other slight variables. That’s why the meat thermometer is such an invaluable tool in cooking perfect “Prime” Rib. It takes all the guesswork out. Just watch for 120ºF and yank it.

This really is an easy job, as the oven does most of the work, but I still would recommend keeping an eye on it. Especially if you’re not familiar with your oven. If you notice the outside is starts to look like it’s burnt, like getting blackened scorched areas, simply cover it with tin foil, wrapped around the thermometer so you can still see that.

Well, time’s up, the thermometer hit 120ºF, time to turn off the oven and remove it!..

Looks great. Now don’t go cutting into just yet! Patience my friend. You need to let it stand for about a half-hour to rest. Cover it with tin foil as it rests on the countertop (in room temperature conditions). This will retain the heat. During this resting period, not only will the residual heat continue to cook it, but it will also allow the juices to redistribute within the meat fibers, so you lose less of that as you cut into it. You DO want succulent, tender and JUICY prime rib, right? This resting period will almost guarantee that! By the time it fully rested, the temperature reading went up about 7ºF, finishing out just under 130ºF when the thermometer was pulled out.

Now get that HUGE cutting board out, and your best meat-cutting knife. Or, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND USING AN ELECTRIC KNIFE…

This wonder-gadget is very affordable (you can get a basic one from those Wal guys for about $10). The advantage of an electric knife is that its reciprocating cutting action requires less pressure on the meat, resulting in less “juice” loss. This is also an invaluable tool for carving, yes, turkey! Of course, be careful and cut THE MEAT, not YOUR meat (as in fingers). lol

Before you cut slices for serving, first remove the rib bones in one fell swoop. Start from one end of the bones, then just saw away, following the bone as a guide. This makes it SO MUCH EASIER to cut the main part into serving size slices. Sorry, I didn’t get a picture of this step. Next time! But folks, the meat around them bones is arguably the best part. But sorry, the chef gets that! Ha ha!

Time to serve! Using your wonderful electric knife, slice away to each person’s desire…

I cannot even describe how absolutely ONO this tastes!

What’s beautiful about cooking it medium-rare like this, is that there’s actually more medium sections towards the ends, as this cut shown in the photo just above was taken nearer to there, resulting in more medium-medium-rare doneness. There were certainly a few folks who wanted medium, if not well done, so they got the end slices. Us “bloody and still moo’ing” folks opted for the rarest center cuts. Like “buttah”!

So what do you serve with prime rib?

Of course, Au Jus. I make mine “semi-home-made”, using half packaged and half from scratch using the drippings from the pan. What I do is make a pot of the packaged (just add water) stuff on the side. Then with the drippings in the pan, drain the fat (oil), then add about a cup of red wine to deglaze, scraping off the fond “yum yums” from the pan and stir, letting the wine reduce just a bit. Then add about 2 cups of beef broth and about a pat of butter and salt to taste. Stir until that reduces just a bit, skimming off any more fat (this takes a little effort) using a spoon. Then combine this pan-made au jus to the packaged one simmering on the stove. Oh my God! Just pour this on mashed potatoes or rice and it’d be good! lol

Pour Au Jus in a gravy boat for service. Also serve with (bottled) Horseradish.

Side dishes we like are roasted potatoes (which can be done in the same pan with the prime rib), mashed potatoes, baked potato and/or of course, rice. Veggies can be anything from various preparations of broccoli, asparagus or mixed green salad. The simpler the better. Make the star the star: the Prime Rib.

Here’s a photo of a past Easter Sunday Prime Rib feast I prepared, so you can see the entire spread, as it should be shown…

In closing, I’ll say the Prime Rib is a sure guest-pleaser, and easy to do RIGHT as long as you have a meat thermometer, preferably an electric carving knife, and stick with basic seasonings. Even just Kosher salt and pepper would work. But garlic helps! Never mind any other herbs or getting fancy. No need. Let the beef speak. Prime Rib, next to a great steak is the ultimate speaker of all that is BEEF!

So what holiday do we have next? New Year’s Day! And you know what happens then! The Sugar Bowl! Go Warriors! And there’s only one thing that goes with that.. SASHIMI! and POKE! That will be my next post.

Hot on the heels (or should we say fins?) of the first installment of this quest for making perfect Fish ‘N Chips, here’s the second attempt, this time using Pancake mix.

We had a huge Costco-sized 10 lb. bag of Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix sitting in the pantry…

So I thought “What the heck? Let’s try it!” Being in experimentation mode, I also picked up this fish called Izumidai, a.k.a. Tilapia…

Izumidai (Tilapia) Block for Sashimi (previously frozen), $5.99/lbs.

These two beautful slabs of white meat fish, being just under a half-pound costed only $2.10. Yasui desu yo!

The batter recipe is simply equal parts pancake mix to equal parts water, which has a thinner viscosity than the intended pancake recipe. It’s already preseasoned with salt, and of course the added richness of Buttermilk, so nothing else is needed.

Here it is.

Easy Buttermilk Pancake Battered Fish ‘N Chips
Batter-up:
• 1/2 lb. white meat fish fillets, cut into 2″x6″ strips
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk Pancake mix
• 1/2 cup water
1st base (the dry dredge):
• 1 cup Buttermilk Pancake mix
2nd base:
• 3 cups canola oil
3rd base:
• Chips (I used frozen Ore-Ida seasoned fries (with skin). Cook enough for the amount of people you’re serving.
Home Run:
• Cocktail Sauce (the stuff used for Shrimp Cocktail)
• Tartar Sauce
• Fresh Lemon Wedges
• Garnish (optional, but highly recommended!) such as chopped fresh Green Onion, Chives, or Parsley

In a bowl, combine equal parts pancake mix with water and whisk until smooth . In another bowl, first dredge the fish strips into the dry pancake mix (this helps the wet batter bind, and also adds body), then dip in wet batter mix…

Here you can see the thinned-down viscosity of the pancake-based batter mix. It sort of lumped there in this shot, but I shook it off. Immediately drop the evenly coated fish in properly heated deep frying oil and cook, turning it ocasionally to reach an even golden-brown and delicious finish (”GBD”). That takes approximately 3 minutes.

Serve with chips (fries), condiments and garnish.

Here’s a cross-cut view of the pancake battered fish after it’s cooked…

Witness how moist and tender this fully cooked white-fleshed Izumidai is.

So how is this pancake batter crust for Fish ‘N Chips? Simply said, excellent! It’s more of a flaky texture, and a bit less glutenous than the beer batter version. But it’s seasoned perfectly out of the bag, and being converted into a different element than breakfast pancakes - namely being deep-fried - it takes on a whole new level of flavor. I’d liken it to Andagi in flavor, sans the sweetness and chew that Andagi has.

And that Izumidai (Tilapia) fish is fantastic! Way better than Pollock. Even though this was also previously frozen, it had much character to its flavor and texture. It tasted like fish, without being “fishy”, know what I mean? Kinda’ like Mahimahi. As long as it wasn’t caught in the Ala Wai canal, it’s A-O.K. with me. lol

Here’s a few photo-to-photo comparisons of the pancake batter Fish ‘N Chips and the beer batter Fish ‘N Chips…

The Tasty Island’s Pancake Batter Fish ‘N Chips: Project II

The Tasty Island’s Beer Batter Fish ‘N Chips: Project I

You can see that the beer batter has a smoother, sealed crust, while the pancake batter has more texture to it.


The Tasty Island’s Pancake Batter Fish ‘N Chips: Project II

The Tasty Island’s Beer Batter Fish ‘N Chips: Project I

The name also has to sound alluring. “Buttermilk Batter Fish ‘N Chip” sounds good to me! Almost better than “Beer Batter Fish ‘N Chips”. Almost.

Well this project isn’t done yet. While both so far are excellent, tried-and-true recipes (as you see it), there’s still more batter to beat and bigger fish to fry!

And to everyone on this Christmas eve… MELE KALIKAMAKI!

Tasty Island’s Beer Battered Pollock Fish ‘N Chips with tartar and cocktail sauce.
Prepared, photographed and (quickly) consumed 12.15.07.
Hawaiian Flag in background.

Ever since childhood, I was always crazy for Fish ‘N Chips. Having English heritage (my grandmother was 1/2 English, 1/2 Hawaiian), I’m not surprised. While this dish isn’t exactly common in the islands as it should be (we ARE surrounded by the ocean!), there are some great places if you look for it.

One of the of the best I’ve had is Alexander’s in Kihei, Maui (now under new ownership), where they use a “secret” seasoned tempura-based batter. It’s fantastic. What’s also unique is that they offer 4 of the most popular game fish caught in Hawaiian waters for the customer to choose from: Ahi, Mahimahi, Ono or Marlin. Also Shrimp and clams. Nice.

I’m bent on perfecting the art and science of preparing this seemingly simple, yet can-be-complex dish. My quest for perfect Fish ‘N Chips starts here.

I’ve searched the web trying to find the definitive classic English batter recipe, only to find there are more variables than constants from one to the other. Go see for yourself. Some use beer, some use milk. For lightness, some use peaked egg whites, while others use baking powder. Some pre-dredge in dry flour, some don’t. Others use varying types of flours and even cornmeal. But I can’t find a common denominator!

Preparations I disagree with are those that use bread crumbs or panko. That to me is more like a fish cutlet. That texture just changes the whole thing.

There are premixed boxed Fish ‘N Chips batter mixes out there that are pretty good, such as one by McCormick.

But I want to master this from scratch (less the chips), and being a simple kinda’ guy, I went with a simple beer batter recipe found online and modified it just slightly to put my signature on it… if that’s even possible. I substituted rice (Mochiko) flour for the first dredge, adjusted the salt and beer quanties and a put out a full line-up of condiments, which is how I learned to eat it at Alexander’s.

Following is my first, very succesful attempt at Fish ‘N Chips, beer batter style. Enjoy!

TASTY ISLAND’s
FISH ‘N CHIPS PROJECT
with Simple Beer Batter
Serves 2-4 people

Batter up:
1-2 lbs. fish fillets (white flesh such as Pollock, Cod, Mahimahi & Ono), cut into strips
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 medium or large egg (white and yolk)
1-1/2 cups beer (whatever you’ve got, just make sure it has carbonation, as you need those bubbles for the batter to be light)

1st base:
1/2 cup rice (Mochiko) flour for first dredge (use APF, if rice flour not available)

2nd base:
3 cups canola oil

3rd base:
Chips (I used frozen Ore-Ida seasoned fries (with skin). Cook enough for the amount of people you’re serving.

Home Run:
Cocktail Sauce (the stuff used for Shrimp Cocktail)
Tartar Sauce
Fresh Lemon Wedges
Garnish (optional) such as chopped fresh Green Onion, Chives, or Parsley

If you prefer, substitute the lemon wedges with Malt Vinegar. Another English tradition. Or heck, use both!

Directions:
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg with beer (the wet stuff). Add all other dry batter ingredients into another bowl, then slowly add egg and beer liquid mixture and whisk until fully combined into a consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Like a thin milk shake consistency. Let that sit in bowl at room temperature for 15 minutes to set.

Set up your fry station:
Place additional rice flour (1st base) in a shallow bowl or plate. Have batter mixture next to that. Heat cooking oil in pot on stove to 350º F. (about medium heat). If you have a deep fryer, great. I don’t, so the pot of oil works.

Fry it:
First fry the chips (fries) according to directions on package. Remove to paper towel to soak excess oil.

Now, one by one, dredge each fish piece in dry rice flour and shake off excess…

Then dip fish in batter mixture to evenly and thoroughly coat…

Notice the batter’s thin milk shake-like viscosity, yet the initial dredge of flour gives it good “batter body”

Then immediately place into pot of hot cooking oil…

Don’t overcrowd oil, as that will drop the temperature and make it greasy. 3 pieces max./session. Turn with tongs and cook until it’s an even light golden brown, which happens within minutes. Remove and place on plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Serve it up. Layer a bed of fries on plate, then place 2 to 3 fish pieces over it. Serve with tartar sauce, cocktail sauce and lemon wedge, then finish with green garnishment (optional, but highly recommended).

Note that I serve not one, but two dipping sauces, which truly is the icing on the cake. The richness and pickled accent of the mayo’-based tartar sauce, along with the savory tomato and horseradish bite of the cocktail sauce each on their own compliment the deep-fried, battered fish perfectly. Another one of those culinary marriages made in heaven. A squeeze of lemon juice, a dip in one of the sauces, then sink it down with some chips and, BOOM!, perfect Fish ‘N Chips! Simplicity at its finest. So awesome.

A key to making it come out golden-brown and delicious is oil temperature management. I usually test the oil by dropping just batter in first to see where it’s at. If it sinks and doesn’t bubble, it’s not hot enough. If it immediately burns, it’s too hot. It’s gotta immediately bubble, yet have time to cook the fish inside first. And keep an eye on it. Walk away for a minute and it could go from GBD to burnt in a split. Not good. If you’ve done it right, the oil will seal the batter around the fish, creating a “capsule” that steams it inside, making it moist and tender inside, and light and crispy outside without being greasy. Oh and believe me, these were beautifully tender!…

Tender and moist inside, with a flavorful, crispy, light and golden brown crust

To be honest, Pollock is a bit too mild for me. Especially being this stuff was previously frozen, which surely robbed some of its flavor. Next time I’ll make it using FRESH Ono, Marlin or Mahimahi, which I know has more punch, and definitely rules over Pollock for the “Ultimate Fish N’ Chips”. Still, the pollock matches, is very moist and overall works quite nicely.

And those seasoned Ore-Ida fries “chips”? Forget baking ‘em, this is fish n chips, baby… fry ‘em! Awesome! The “chips” are just as important as the fish in this simple dish, and have to be right, and these do the dish proud. It doesn’t have to be this brand, but I’ve only had good experience with these.

You can also add a simple coleslaw as a side dish, which is what Alexander’s served with theirs. This actually makes for a more complete meal. Gotta’ have your veggies! Next time I’ll add that.

Well that looks quite fab’ I must admit, and it tasted pretty darned great! Next time I’ll do that Ono or Mahimahi. I’ll also try different seasonings in the batter. I can get into this kinda’ project.

Mmm, mmm, mm. Gotta’ love them Fish ‘N Chips. Good day, mates!

Pomai’s finished version of Okinawan Pig’s Feet Soup

Still bearing “Okinawan fever”, this past week I decided for the first time to attempt (stress ATTEMPT) making Okinawan Pig’s Feet Soup, which is called Ashitibichi. I have little exposure to this delicacy, except for the one I tried at the culture festival two weeks ago, which I absolutely loved!…

Okinawan Pig’s Feet Soup from the 2007 Culture Festival

There’s a considerable difference in both color AND flavor of the broth in my version, when compared with the version from the Okinawan Festival.

The simplicity of its flavor being key. Mine was too complex, probably because I didn’t stick with the original online recipe published by the Star Bulletin, or my other reference from the KaukauTime food blog.

My Pig’s Feet Soup tasted more like Oden, a Japanese fish cake “stew”…

Playing “doctor”, I think I made the mistake of putting too much dashi (a recipe from a book) and too much Kombu (sea kelp), including not rinsing the salt off the Konbu. Don’t get me wrong. My soup was absolutely delicious (I love Oden!), but it wasn’t as mild and simple in flavor like I remember the Pig’s Feet Soup from the Okinawan Festival, which had a very simple & mild ginger, pork and salt flavor profile.

I’ll recap on my deviations of the original recipe(s) later.

Instead of providing a formal written recipe with instructions, Here’s a pictorial narrative of the ingredients in approximate quantities, and the method that I followed…

The Pig’s front foot. Yeah, looks gross, but there’s TONS of flavor in the bones here! I found this at Foodland in the freezer section, which is where most of the “other cuts” of pork are found.

Mustard Cabbage, a.k.a. “Gai Choy” (Chinese) or “Takana” (Japanese). This stuff really has a mustard-like flavor to it with some bite.

Left to right: Ginger, Daikon (radish) and long squash. I’m told the usual ingredient is Winter Melon (Togan), but because the Togan in the store was so big (it looks like a dark watermelon), I opted for the long squash. The daikon is easy to peel using a standard vegetable peeler. The squash’s skin had to be cut off using a knife.

Dashino-moto, a Bonito-flavored (dried fish) seasoning with plenty of MSG in it. It’s commonly used in various Japanese soups, including Miso soup. I added 4 packets of this stuff in my broth. Too much.

Nishimi Kombu (sea kelp).

I also used shoyu and sake for flavoring the broth.

First I boiled the pig’s feet…

Then I added ginger, kombu and sake…

After letting that boil and then simmer for about 1-1/2 hours, I put it in the refrigerator overnight to harden the fat given off from the pig’s feet on the top surface…

Yeah, looks kinda’ gross, but this is a necessary step that makes it easier to remove the fat from the pig’s feet stock. So I scooped that out using a large spoon and discarded it.

Then I soaked, but didn’t rinse the Kombu to be tied for the finished soup, as I wanted the salt on them to help flavor the broth…

The look like long “leafy strips” when rehydrated. I cut the kombu in 4″ lengths and tied a knot in the middle of each one…

Isn’t that pretty? lol

Then peeled and diced the squash…

and the Daikon (turnip)…

Reheated the broth, strained it through a sieve and cut the pig’s feet (and lower leg) into bite size pieces (this looks gross too, but this is the “soul” of the dish!)…

Then added all the cut up pig’s feet parts back in the pot. Note that I also added some cut up belly pork just to have more meat…

Then added the bow-tied Kombu, diced daikon, squash, some chopped mustard cabbage stump pieces, along with the strained broth back into the pot with the pig’s feet and simmered it for about an hour to cook until everything was tender. At the last moment, I also decided to add some soaked Shiitake mushrooms. I adjusted the flavor with shoyu.

Here’s the finished pot of Pig’s Feet Soup…

Once again, here’s the finished bowl, my first attempt at Okinawan Pig’s Feet Soup…

And here’s a nifty way to make use of saved S&S Saimin bowls!….

I dished single servings for that I can freeze to enjoy this soup later, with an equal amount of each ingredient bowled in each one. Cool huh?!

Note that I put in pieces of mustard cabbage raw at the last moment, as they heat from the broth quickly breaks it down and soften it.

Now to recap where I deviated from the recipe, and why it came out tasting “different” than the one from the Okinawan Festival.

• First, note that I put in an excessive amount of Dashi; some recipes don’t call for dashi at all, but use Miso and/or shoyu only.
• Second was that I used Kombu when boiling the pig’s feet, thinking that would enhance the flavor. Well, it did actually, but it also CHANGED it considerably.
• Third was that I put in over 1 cup of Sake, when the recipe only called for a few tablespoons. Go easy now!
• Fourth is that I didn’t rinse the tied kombu, so the natural sea salt on them was somewhat noticeable, taking away from the star of the show, the pig’s feet!
• The Shiitake Mushrooms also was somewhat dominant and also masked the pig’s feet flavor.
• I’m also not sure if I boiled the pig’s feet properly. Either not long enough, or overdone.
• Perhaps I needed more pig’s feet? Is just one enough? I didn’t want to spend too much money on an experiment, so I only bought one as shown, which costed about $8.
• Perhaps my substitution of long squash for winter melon, a.k.a. Togan, affected the outcome.

Which is why I’ve called this a “project”. Therefore I ask YOU, my fellow bloggers and visitors, if you have any tips, family recipe or other suggestions for making authentic Okinawan Pig’s Feet Soup the way you know it should be, please leave a comment. That will be highly appreciated!

Like I said, this came out absolutely oishii. Sugoi oishii desu! But it was too complex, and more Oden-like. I will thoroughly enjoy each and every one of those “Pig’s Feet Soup S&S bowls”, but I’m gonna’ try it again by following the original recipe to the “T”, and perhaps by also following suggestions by you folks.

As always, big mahalo for visiting The Tasty Island, and I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did making the soup for it! Kampai!

“Ashitibichi, in Okinawan, is warm, soul-satisfying, comfort food, considered health food, actually, because the gelatin that slowly cooks out of the feet and into the broth and is believed to prevent deterioration of the knee ligaments.

That gelatin, released over two or more hours of cooking, is also what gives the soup its special taste.” - Betty Shimabukuro, Honolulu Star Bulletin

Kurume Tonkotsu Ramen

The latest ramen import from Japan available at our local Marukai market arrives under the name Kurume of Ogawaya, exported by Kawa Corporation. There are 5 different flavors, packaged the same way as our locally-made Sun Noodle brand, with fresh ramen noodles and a liquid soup base. Because the noodles are fresh, they require refrigeration. You can also place them in the freezer for long-term storage.

What stood out was this 2-flavor twin pack…

Kurume Ramen Futatsuno Aji

Yes, this package includes two “futatsu no” different broth flavor packets…

The red packet on the left is Tonkotsu, and the white one the right is Tonkotsu Shoyu. How cool!

Here’s a package of Kurume Ichiban Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen…

Kurume Ichiban Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen

There were several other flavors I have yet to try such as Nagohamakko Ramen Tonkotsu Miso Aji and Pirikara Hakata Tonkotsu Miso Ramen, the latter being a spicy type. There’s a fanstastic review of those flavors, as well as the ones I’m reviewing at this ramen blog!

Here’s how the ramen noodles look unpacked and uncooked…

Begin by boiling about 7 cups (or a full pot) of water.

A good tip is to place the broth packet(s) in the boiling water for about 20 seconds to loosen the oils that are in there, making it easier to get it all out. Remember, with ramen it’s all about the BROTH. And you want ALL THAT GOODNESS in your bowl, not in the rubbish.

Empty the soup broth packet(s) in your serving bowl(s)…

Kurume Tonkotsu broth soup base

Kurume Tonkotsu Shoyu broth soup base

Pour about 1-1/2 cubs of boiling water for the ramen noodles and add it to your bowl with the broth soup base and stir to combine.

Here’s the Tonkotsu broth, after the water has been added…

Kurume Ramen Tonkotsu Soup Broth

And here’s the Tonkotsu Shoyu soup broth (white packet)…

Kurume Ramen Tonkotsu Shoyu soup broth

The Tonkotsu Shoyu soup broth is noticeably darker for an obvious reason.. there’s shoyu in it!

Add the ramen noodles to the rapidly boing water, separating them from sticking together using a chopstick. These type of fresh noodles cook quickly in about 2 to 3 minutes. As soon as they’re done al dente (test one out with your chopsticks), drain the noodles in a colander and vigorously shake the water out, and do NOT rinse them under water! The starchy coating is what gives great ramen that desirable silky texture.

Now gently add the ramen noodles to the broth in your ramen bowl…

Now comes the fun part.. add the toppings! Here, sky’s the limit, and every ramen shop has their own twist. Here’s mine…

Kurume Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen

And once again, flavor number two…

Kurume Tonkotsu Ramen

Notice in the bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen that I wrapped Nori around the Chashu pork. Pretty cool, huh?! Here’s how I did that…

Chashu pork for ramen, wrapped with Nori (dried seaweed)

Yes, Mr. Spam Musubi has every influence in this idea. And you know what? It tastes awesome! The Nori compliments the pork and the ramen beautifully. Just beautiful. Chashu pork is a key flavor component to great ramen, and I’ll get more to that later.

Another key topping in these two ramen bowls are Menma, which are sliced bamboo shoots that are marinated in water, shoyu, sugar, vinegar and sesame oil. It’s hard to describe the flavor, but trust me, you NEED menma in Ramen, or, well, it just isn’t ramen. You might as well add spaghetti sauce. lol

Here’s how a package of Menma, so you know what to look for in the store…

Agitsuke Menma. 10.56 oz. $3.59 at Marukai

I’ve tried better brands of Menma, but this one works.

Ramen is pretty much a meal in itself. Sure, you can add Gyoza or Yakitori (grilled chicken) skewers as a side dish, but at home that’s too much hassle. So I try to balance the ramen by itself. With that, I finish it with chopped green onions (Negi would be better, but I didn’t have some on this occasion), bean sprouts and, if in the mood, half a boiled egg.

So how does this Kurume brand taste? Pretty good. The ramen noodles taste like the Yamachan brand. Hawaii’s own Sun Noodle brand is still the best, IMO. The Kurume noodles taste more starchy, while the Sun Noodle brand has a more interesting egg-like character to it that I remember so fondly from the Ramen shops we used to frequent in Tokyo.

The Kurume Tonkotsu Shoyu and Tonkotsu broth both have a similar flavor, with the one without Shoyu just tasting lighter. Simple as that. I actually prefer the Tonkotsu over the Tonkotsu Shoyu, as it let the toppings stand out more and wasn’t as overpowering.

For semi-home made, Ramen shop-like quality Ramen, Kurume is certainly good stuff and worth buying and trying, especially if it’s on sale, as was the case here at $2.59 package. Not a bad deal for two bowls of ramen, huh? Still, Sun Noodle is the best.

An interesting thing about great ramen is how simple the dish is, yet arrives that way through several deeper components. First is the broth, which I won’t even get into right now. That’s the most complex and defining part of the dish. Then you have the ramen noodles, which are just as important. Then you have the toppings, which can also make or break the dish.

Along with Menma, I stand by Chashu pork as THE topping of all toppings. The term “Chashu” is obviously a Japanese spin on Chinese Char Siu, which is a sweet roasted pork.

I’ve posted a Chashu recipe here before, but this time I’ll walk you through with pictures!…

Ramen Chashu Pork Recipe

Chashu (for Chashumen)

1 pork butt or belly
1 cup shoyu
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup sake
1 finger fresh ginger, slivered

Here’s the players…

First, brown the whole piece of pork in cooking pot on medium-high heat with a little oil..

Doing this will give the Chashu a slightly crisp edge to each slice, which compliments the silky ramen noodles beautifully.

After the pork is browned, remove it and set aside. Drain any excess oil out of the pot then add the shoyu, mirin, sake and ginger in the same pot over medium-low heat and stir to combine. In this case, since I had so much green onions, I added that as well. You can play with this recipe, but make sure you at least have the Shoyu and Sake in there. I’ve done it without Mirin, substituting a small amount of sugar, which also tasted oishii!

After the shoyu, sake, mirin (or sugar) liquids and ginger are incorporated, add the pork back in, turn it around in the liquid and let it simmer for 1-1/2 hours, turning it over occasionally.

You want the pork to be tender enough that you can slice through it with a knife easily, but not where it falls apart. About 1.5 hours simmering in the pot will get you there. Make sure to turn it over occasionally, so the meat infuses all that liquid goodness.

After it’s done, pull the (now) chashu pork out and let it cool. You can add a little of that shoyu-sake broth to your ramen bowl if you want. Up to you.

Here’s how it looks when it’s done…

After the Chashu pork is cool, slice into thin serving-size pieces…

And that’s all she wrote (well that I wrote, anyway). Place a few pieces of Chashu in your ramen and you’re set for great semi-home made bowl of authentic Japanese Ramen.

Itadakimasu!

Kurume Ichiban Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen

http://www.ogawaya-jp.com/

Portuguese Bean Soup, with a spoonful of tender Portuguese Sausage, kidney beans, carrot, potato and macaroni. Yum!

Portuguese Bean Soup (Sopa de Feijao) is another Hawaii favorite that can often be found at local eateries as the soup of the day or as a regular menu item. This is comfort food at its best. With the surplus of leftover Portuguese Sausage I had in the refrigerator from the recent “Portuguese Sausage Shootout“, instead of freezing the remaining uncooked sausage, I took this opportunity to use it all up and make this dish.

The following recipe is my rendition, with references from Auntie Lynn and Reid over at Ono ‘Kine Grindz. Mahalo!

Portuguese Bean Soup
Serves approx. 10-12

Ingredients:
3 Smoked Ham Hocks (these are usually available in the meat freezer section. Make sure they’re SMOKED)
1 Large Portuguese Sausage (any brand), cut into bite-size pieces (I used MUCH more than 1 for this batch, since that’s how much I had)
1 bag of dry kidney beans
1-2 cups (uncooked) macaroni (add more or less at your discretion)
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 white round onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (save some extra unchopped for garnish)
2 bay leaves
1 six oz. can Tomato Paste (this will help to slightly thicken it)
1 fourteen oz. can Stewed Tomatoes
1 fourteen oz. can chicken stock
Salt and Pepper
Water
5 quart (or larger) pot or dutch oven
*Options: You can also add chopped celery and/or cabbage. I didn’t because there was no room for it. You can also substitute canned Kidney Beans for the uncooked type used here.

The most important part of this soup is the ham hock soup stock base it’s started with. This provides the dish with its “porky”, slightly smoky signature.

Ham Hocks & Cilantro (Chinese Parlsey)

Begin by placing the 3 ham hocks, 1 bay leaf and the chopped cilantro in the pot, then add the can of chicken stock and just just enough water to cover the ham hocks. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for approximately 2-1/2 hours, covered to prevent evaporation. Note that this is a stock-making process, so you don’t put all the ingredients in from the start, as they’ll obviously over-cook and become mush.

This will give you time to prepare the uncooked kidney beans. First wash and rinse them in a collander, then place in a pot of water, bring to boil for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let them sit in the heated water for about an hour, check for tenderness (bite-test one), then drain the now ready-to-use beans in the collander.

The uncooked kidney beans as they’re first placed in the pot with water

Prepare the cut-up Portuguese Sausage by frying them until slightly browned, then place on paper towel to drain oil…

After over 2 hours of simmering, the ham hock stock will look like this…

PBS stock made with ham hocks, cilantro, bay leaf, chicken stock and water

Notice the rich brown color and the porky aroma! Fish out the now-tender ham hocks and place them on a cutting board, let them cool, then remove the meat from bone with a fork and knife and discard the bone…

Tender, fully cooked ham hocks with meat removed

Now you begin throwing everything else into the pot. Add the ham hock meat, kidney beans, Portuguese Sausage, uncooked macaroni, potatoes, chopped onions, carrots, crushed garlic, the other bay leaf and stewed tomatoes (don’t add the tomato paste yet), then add enough water to cover, and let it simmer for about another hour, stirring occasionally.

The finished pot of Portuguese Bean Soup

Finish it by stirring in the tomato paste by spoonfuls until the soup reaches the desired thickness and taste. Some like it more “tomato-ey” than others. Up to you. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste, then ring the bell for dinner and enjoy!

Garnish each bowl with a sprig of Cilantro and serve with your favorite bread and butter (personally I like Safeway’s French Bread with plenty of margarine spread on it) or soda crackers.

Mechado Filipino Beef Stew

A friend of mine, originally from the Philippines, recently introduced me to this most delicious variant of beef stew I’ve ever tried. While it’s not far off from the familiar “local style” beef stew, what sets Mechado apart is the flavor imparted by the chopped and sliced red bell peppers, accentuated by the depth of the  soy sauce, along with the Bay Leaves to round it out.

If you search for recipes on the web, you’ll find that other variants of Mechado which call for an acidic component such as Calamansi, lemon, lime or vinegar. But this recipe has none. What also sets this recipe from others apart is the use of Beef Bullion cubes (Knorr brand), adding even further depth of flavor.

This recipe for Mechado Filipino Beef Stew recipe has been prepared and presented exclusively here at the Tasty Island and is proven to be an absolute winner that’s sure to please!

Mechado
Filipino Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2 - 3 lbs. Beef with bones preferred or boneless chuck roast (sliced in cubes)
8 Cloves garlic (chopped)
1 Medium onion (chopped)
1 Large red bell pepper (half chopped and half cube sliced)
1 Medium canned tomato sauce
1 Piece bay leaf
½ Cup Silver Swan Soy Sauce*
2 Cubes of beef bouillon
4 Medium potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters)

Optional: May also add celery and carrots (which I did, as shown in next photo).

Saute garlic, onion and chopped red bell peppers. Cook for about five minutes, or until softened, stirring constantly…

Add the beef and mix well. Add the bay leaf and cook until the beef turns to medium brown and all the juice comes out from the meat…

What’s different here is, instead of searing the outside of the beef, you just brown it and let the juices naturally flow out, which creates its own starting stock base.

Add the soy sauce and beef bouillon. Mix well and cook for about seven minutes.

*The recipe calls for Silver Swan Soy Sauce (imported from the Philippines), but the market I bought the ingredients from this day didn’t have any in stock. So I opted instead for this TROPICS brand, also imported from P.I.. It has a slightly more “caramelized” flavor than typical Japanese style Shoyu styles.

Then, add the tomato sauce. Pour water into the tomato sauce can up to the rim and pour into the pot. Mix and cover the pot. Boil and cook over low heat…

Taste for saltiness. Mix occasionally to prevent the meat from sticking into the bottom of the pot. Cook until the beef is tender enough to bite and the sauce is slightly thick.

Add the remaining red bell pepper and the soft potatoes (cooked from the microware). Mix it well again, cover the pot and turn off the heat…

Serve over hot white rice. Enjoy!

Big Island Smoked Pork, served with a bowl of Poi… Broke Da’ Mout’!

Big Island Smoked Pork, also casually called “smoked meat” is a family tradition that goes back to generations of wild pig hunters and Paniolo ranchers on the island of Hawaii. It’s probably done a similar way on most other Hawaiian islands, and everyone has their own secret flavoring or method to make it their own.

Presented here by yours truly is the basic way to make smoked pork “Big Island style”.

Enjoy!

Big Island Smoked Pork (smoked meat)

The meat:

• Pork Butt, 5 lbs. or more, preferably boneless (easier to cut into steaks)
• Hawaiian Salt (rock salt)

The marinade*:

• Shoyu (use your favorite brand), 3 cups
• Sugar, 1-2 cups
• Fresh Ginger, 1 large finger
• Fresh Garlic, 5 large cloves, chopped
• Hawaiian Chili Pepper, 3 pieces

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a pot on the stove heated to medium. Add the sugar gradually and adjust to how sweet you want it. Make the shoyu/sugar ratio between 1:1 and 2:1 - the latter being less sweet. Up to you. You can also adjust the Chili Pepper heat to your own liking too. Again use your taste buds for best judgement! After the marinade ingredients are well incorporated and you’re happy with the flavor, put it in the refrigerator to cool at least to cool.

*In this demo I substituted the Shoyu and Sugar with a premixed bottle of Aloha Teriyaki Mango and Pineapple sauce, which has a nice shoyu-sugar balance right out of the bottle. All I added to it was the ginger, garlic and chili pepper. Never needed to heat it on the stove since the sugar was already incorporated.

Marinade base: Aloha Shoyu

Marinade flavor components (clockwise from bottom left): Hawaiian Salt, Ginger, Hawaiian Chili Pepper (very hot!), Sugar (Hawaiian Cane variety shown) and Garlic

I found this bottle of Mango Pineapple Teriyaki Glaze on clearance at Costco for a song ($1.97/half-gallon)! So I substituted the marinade foundation using this. So easy!

Prepare the pork butt…

5 lbs. of boneless Pork Butt well marbelized with fat (for flavor of course!)

Safety first! Remember to always wash your hands, cutting board and utensils thoroughly after handling pork. And don’t cut yourself, just the pork!

Cut the pork butt into “steaks” approximately 3/4″ to 1″ thick. There’s no rhyme or reason, but don’t make them too thin, or the finished pieces could end up dry. Here’s that same piece after the knife…

Boneless Pork Butt cut into steaks

While they’re spread out on the cutting board, sprinkle each piece lightly with Hawaiian Salt and lomi (massage) the salt into the all sides of the meat. This will add a burst of flavor to the finished product and also help the brining process. Be careful not to overdo it.

Place the cut up and salted pork butt into a pan deep enough to marinade them in (or you can put them in Ziploc bags if you prefer)…

The shoyu/sugar/ginger/garlic/chili pepper marinade begins to impart their ono flavor!

Remove the cooled shoyu-based marinade from the refrigerator and pour it over the  pork then toss to coat thoroughly. You can also lomi the marinade into the pork. Cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap (or zip up the bag) and place the marinaded pork butt into the refrigerator and and let it soak overnight or up to 24 hours. Perhaps you can let it marinade longer, but this is the longest I’ve done it.

Let’s get smokin’!

Traditionally, many big island folks have a “smoke house” that’s built specifically for this duty. Others have consumer brand smokers such as the Weber Smokey Mountain “WSM” model. Well, I’m just a casual smokin’ hobbiest, so what I have here is my method using an off the shelf Weber 22-1/2″ model Kettle Barbecue grill. Who woulda’ thought?!

The tools and fuel of this trade:

• Large, charcoal burning barbecue grill with a cover (in this case the Weber Classic 22″ kettle model)
• Smoking wood: Kiawe branches/logs and/or; Mesquite and/or: Guava branches/logs
• Charcoal briquettes (at least 5 lbs. worth to be safe)
• Lighter fluid or a chimney starter and newspaper (firestarter equipment
• A lighter or matches
• Small disposable foil pan for water
• 9″x13″ disposable foil service pan used to make modifications (see following instructions)
• Water

Because this is a low temperature smoking process of around 200 degrees F., you need to create a heat shield in the grill to protect the meat from burning or overcooking. Here’s how!

First you take an aluminum disposable pan and cut the corner walls so you can shape it into a “shield”…

Then you set up the grill for smoking like this…

In the photo above, about 10 briquettes of charcoal are placed on one side of the grill. Then “heat shield” pan is bent into a position over the coals at an angle to shield the charcoal flame-up area as shown. It’s held in place by the weight of the water-filled pan placed on one of the “shield pan’s” flap at the center. This looks strange, but’s it’s very effective at keeping the heat away from the meat and maximizing the smoking space in the grill. If this looks like too much extra set-up work for you, just go buy a smoker, but this does indeed work!

Now you’ll start the briquettes using the lighter fluid. Once they’re ashed over, place the cooking grate on the grill, and begin layout out the marinaded pork on the grate like this…

Notice how the aluminum heat shield below the opening of the grate comes right to up to that point, maximizing the effective smoking capacity inside the grill

Make sure to positions the cooking grate where the opening is over the charcoal, so you can add smoking wood without having to remove the grate every time. This will make life much easier here!

Once you have all your raw, marinaded (brined) pork spread out on the grill surface, you can add your smoking wood to the charcoal pyre through the opening as shown above. The initial wood I’m using here is Mesquite wood chips that have been pre-soaked in water.

As soon as the wet mesquite are added, it begins to smoke…

What else to do? COVER IT!…

Yes, cover it and set the vents underneath the fire and on the lid to full open position. You want as much air circulation as possible.

What do you do now? Go grab a cold beverage and let’s talk a little about smoking woods!

In Hawaii, three types of smoking woods are typically mentioned: Kiawe (same family as Mesquite, and the most popular), Guava (yes from the fruit tree’s namesake) and Lychee.

Here I have three varieties I’ve used for this particular smoking session..

Top to bottom: Kiawe, Guava and Mesquite (chips, pre-soaked in water)

The Kiawe shown above are smaller pieces that I prefer using for this duty, as they’re easier to add through that small opening in the grill grate. All these woods are very dense and fairly difficult to cut in comparison to other woods, whether you’re using an axe, handsaw or chainsaw. They’ll give you and your saw blade a workout!

The Kiawe - especially the large pieces - have the longest burn time of the three here. Because the Mesquite is store-bought, they’re already very dry and need the water soak in order to give off smoke. The Guava and Kiawe, found right in our backyard and/or given to us by relatives, still had residual moisture and therefore smoked naturally without the need for a water soak. But you could do that if necessary.

Part of the fun (yes it’s fun!) of smoking meat is the gathering of family and friends while the process goes on, and everyone anticipating the finished result. Also, something primal about tending to a smoking fire with meat on it is just, well, so satisfying and relaxing!

Back to business now! This process takes a total of 4 hours at a temperature of approximately 200 - 220 degrees F. Here I’ve used a regular old meat thermometer to read the temperature of the “smoking” chamber inside the grill…

Whenever you add more “fuel” (the smoking wood and/or charcoal), the reading will jump over 220, but then it will drop down to around there. That’s fine. Keep a watch on the smoke coming out the top vent(s). When there is absolutely no smoke escaping, it’s time to add more smoking wood. Uncover it and simply place more of either variety shown previously through the opening in the cooking grate. If the fire seems to be weak (burning embers are dying), add a few charcoal briquettes, along with the smoking wood. This will help maintain the pyre. As soon as you see it smoking again, cover it!

After 2 hours of smoking time, it will look like this…

Brush with reserve marinade

Although not necessary, at this point you may brush them with some of the reserve marinade for additional moisture and flavor. What the heck, I did.

Keep it covered and maintain a lighter smoke towards the last 2 hours of the smoking time. When it’s done, they’ll look like this!…

All pau!

Notice how the pieces closer to the fire formed a darker crust, but that’s O.K., as these pieces are thicker than the pieces surrounding it. It’s ALL GOOD!

A close-up of finished pieces…

Remove and place in a pan…

Notice (above) the grill marks from the underside of the pork, and a golden-brown caramelized finish from the sugar and shoyu marinade.

Let it cool, then you’re ready for service, and/or you can store it away in Zip Loc bags (or even better in Seal-a-Meal bags) and store in the refrigerator or freezer for a future dining event…

Be sure to mark the name and date. This stuff is considered “gold” in the freezer!

These are actually not fully cooked yet. Similar to bacon, you need to pan fry it before you serve it. In the case of Big Island Smoked Pork, the best way to to it is to fry them until the edges are “papa’a”, or slightly burnt at the edges. That’s the best!

Slice into bite size pieces like this…

Notice the pink color inside and glazed edges. Perfect! All they need now is a quick pan fry!

Place a frying pan on the stove on medium-high heat. No is oil necessary, since the fat from the pork will melt and create its own. Add the sliced smoked pork…

All that oil came from the natural fat in the pork… so bad, yet so good!

Keep a close eye, as the sugar will caramelize and burn quickly, flip them as soon as they begin to crisp on the edges like this…

When they look like this on both sides, remove them immediately onto a paper towel to drain the excess oil. If you’re doing batches (most likely), keep draining the excess oil fat from the pan into a heat-safe container and discard properly.

My favorite accompaniment with Big Island style Smoked Pork is POI! The salty rich flavor and heat of the meat, followed by a chaser of the smooth texture, cool temperature and mild flavor of the poi is as perfect as it gets. But you can just as well serve them as a pupu (appetizer) just by itself. Another good accompaniment are sliced raw Maui Onions. Stir fry perhaps? Or you could get creative and use it as a substitute for bacon in recipes that call for that.

The wafting smell of smoked pork while they’re being fried in the kitchen will have everyone running in asking, “what is that? I want some!”. Before you know it, all your Big Island Style Smoked Pork will be wiped out, so make plenty! Trust me.. this stuff goes fast!

Only when the internet has “smell-o-vision” will you fully be able to grasp how good this local delicacy really is. The closest thing to it is bacon. Go fry some and tell me that doesn’t smell awesome? Of course it does! Well this BLOWS bacon out the door and takes smoked pork to another level. While it’s not exactly healthy due to the high sodium and fat, on occasion and in moderation, it’s one of the tastiest of indulgences that you’ll ever experience.

**In Memory of Uncle Jack**

Turkey Jook garnished with Chinese Parsley

Jook (also called “Chook” and Congee) is a rice porridge soup introduced to Hawaii by Chinese immigrants during the plantation era. It’s now a local tradition to make this soup after Thankgiving with the leftover turkey. Other variations exist such as Chicken (Gai Jook). Also pork and beef, though turkey is by far the most popular version in Hawaii. I’d say it’s like the asian version of Chicken Noodle Soup. Served either as an appetizer, main dish or late night “snack”, it’s the perfect dish to sooth the soul on a cool Hawaiian winter night.

Jook
Serving size: A small army or several hungry Jook fans
Soup:
• Turkey bones (the whole carcass, including some meat still on)
• Turkey meat (whole leftover meat, white and dark), roughly cut into bite-size pieces
• Rice (white medium grain, regular ‘kine like Hinode), rinced, uncooked) - 5-10 cups, depending on size of pot
• Ginger, roughly chopped - 1 large finger
• Chung Choi (preserved salted turnip) You can find this in the asian section of any supermarket in the dry section. Chopped rough (leave the salt on) - 1-2 pieces
• Peanuts (raw, peeled) - amount at your discretion
• Water - enough to cover bones and fill pot
• Cooking Oil - 2 oz. (1/4 cup)
• Hawaiian Salt

Garnishes (see below)

*Keep the pot stirred throughout the steps of this recipe to prevent the bottom from burning.

Turkey bones from a whole turkey (this is actually from 2 turkeys in a VERY LARGE stock pot)

(1.) Brown the turkey bones in large stock pot on stove, using a little cooking oil so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. This should take about 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Browning (don’t burn them!) helps bring out the flavor of the stock.

Roughly slivered fresh ginger (skin still on) and Chung Choi (that round, rolled up stuff)

Basic Jook soup stock simmering

(2.) Once the turkey bones are browned a bit, throw in the slivered fresh Ginger and chopped Chung Choi, then fill the stock pot with hot tap water almost to the top. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low and simmer for at least 2 hours. The longer it simmers, the more flavor you’ll extract out of the bones and ginger. Remove any foam and excess oil off the top (if any) using a large spoon.

Strain all broth ingredients through colander

(3.) After several hours, the broth should have a nice golden yellow and brown color. Now transfer the broth to another stock pot the same size by pouring it through a colander. You MUST remove all the bones, ginger and chung choi by catching it in the colander and discard. These have given up all their flavor and are no longer of value in the Jook.

Rice will add the body to the Jook

(4.) Before adding the raw rice, adjust the strained stock with Kosher or Hawaiian Salt to taste. Remember you can always add, but you can’t subtract, so go gradually until the broth has a full-bodied flavor. If in doubt, slightly undersalt it and adjust it when the Jook is at its final stage. (5.) Now you add the raw rice at a ratio of approximately 1 cup rice per 3-4 quarts of water, depending how thick you like your jook. (6.) This is also the time to add leftover pieces of turkey meat (not the stuff that came out of the turkey stock!). Continued simmering will “loosen” the meat and allow it to distribute in shreds throughout the pot. It will take at least an hour more for the rice to puff up and thicken the Jook. If it seems too “loose”, you can add more (previously cooked) rice and simmer it a bit longer until you reach a slightly desired porridge-like thickness. Make a final taste test and adjust by adding more salt if necessary.

(7.) Serve and enjoy.

Jook tastes great on its own, but it is truly outstanding when you add a variety of garnishes and condiments at the time of serving. Never add these items into the pot. Place a spread of prepared items in small serving bowls at the table and let each person select their own, which they place as toppings in their own Jook bowl and eat with each spoonful.

Here’s a few suggestions…

Garnishes
• Chinese Parsley (a.k.a. Cilantro), rough chopped with stems and/or whole leaves
• Green Onions, chopped
• Chung Choi, rinse salt off and chop fine
• Water Chestnuts, drained and chopped
• Cashews (unsalted), chopped
• Lettuce, shredded
• Won Bok Cabbage, shredded
• Shoyu

The garnish and condiment possibilites are up to you.. be creative! Anything from small cubes of Tofu to Bean Sprouts to Japanese Tsukemono to various other types of nuts would work well. Think opposing flavors and textures and it’d likely work really well with Jook. It’s a very flexible dish

A hearty spoonful of Jook with Chinese Parsley garnish and some turkey meat as a bonus! Notice how the rice (that white stuff) has puffed up, gelatinized and thickened the broth.

*In case you might ask, YES, this entire demonstration and bowl of Jook was prepared by yours truly.