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Hawaiian Pulled Pork

Posted on June 17, 2014 by AnniesChamorroKitchen Leave a comment

This is a cross between two of my family’s favorites — Kahlua Pork and traditional pulled pork with BBQ sauce.

The pork has that hint of smokiness like with Kahlua Pork, thanks to a bit of liquid smoke. The addition of pineapple juice and brown sugar gives the pork a touch of sweetness, but not too much sweetness that you can’t eat the roast pork with our Chamorro standard fare of steamed rice and fina’denne if that’s what you prefer. 😉

In fact, my household is split in how we eat this succulent, fall-apart, fork-tender pork roast. My oldest daughter and I like to create pulled pork sandwiches topped with my sweet and tangy Pineapple BBQ Sauce. My husband and youngest daughter prefer it without the sauce — hubby likes it with rice, fina’denne’ and Tabasco, and daughter dearest likes it as a sandwich with a side of the broth (au jus) to dip her sandwich into.

If you’re as busy as I am, you’re usually looking for quick meals to prepare. One of the last things I want to do when I come home from work is figure out what to cook for dinner. Thankfully, this is a very easy recipe to prepare. The pork itself cooks for several hours in a slow cooker or crock pot, and the sauce takes only minutes to cook. Start cooking the roast in your crock pot when you wake up in the morning, and you’ll have dinner ready by the time you get home from work later in the day.

If you have any leftover pork and sauce, mix them together for the perfect filling for siopao.

Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Hawaiian Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

9-10 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons SEA salt (do not use regular table salt or it will be too salty)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Directions:

1. Rinse the pork and trim off any excess fat. Poke holes over the entire piece of pork (or pierce it with a sharp knife). Place the pork into a crock pot with the remaining ingredients for the roast. Give it a stir to roughly mix the ingredients together. Set the crock pot to it’s medium-high setting (I use “auto-shift” on mine). Cook the pork for at least 8 or 9 hours, 10 if you have the time.

2. After 8-9 hours of cooking, the pork will be tender enough to shred. Skim off the fat from the broth and discard.

3. Serve with rolls and top with Pineapple BBQ Sauce or with some broth in a small dish on the side to dip your sandwich in.

ENJOY!

Pineapple BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup (you can also use chili sauce)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Pinch of ground black pepper
1/4 cup pineapple juice mixed with 1 tablespoon corn starch

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a small sauce pan, EXCEPT FOR the pineapple juice-corn starch mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil.

2. Whisk in the pineapple juice-corn starch mixture. Cook for a minute or two, just until the sauce thickens.

Serve with my Hawaiian Pulled Pork and ENJOY!

If you have any leftover pulled pork (about 4 cups of meat), use it to make my Pork Siopao. Find my recipe here.

Posted in Dinner, ETHNIC, Hawaiian, Lunch, MEALS, MEAT, Pork

Japanese Salad Dressing

Posted on May 11, 2014 by AnniesChamorroKitchen 25 comments

There is a sushi restaurant I frequent that serves a creamy white salad dressing with their salads that I just love. It’s sweet, savory, and slightly tangy, and has a definite sesame flavor that makes this dressing stand out.

This is my version of that dressing. It’s quick and easy to prepare; you can mix some up in just a few short minutes. My recipe below makes enough dressing for several servings. Keep it refrigerated and it can last for about a week. In addition to tossing salad greens with this dressing, it’s perfect for a Japanese-style cole slaw; just drizzle it over finely shredded cabbage leaves and carrots and you’ll have a delicious and uniquely tasting cole slaw.

I use Kewpie mayonnaise instead of regular mayonnaise because it’s a little sweeter and richer. You can find kewpie mayo at most Japanese or Asian markets. However, be forewarned — kewpie mayo contains monosodium glutamate. If you’re allergic to MSG, use regular mayo when you make this.

If you can interchange the types of mayo, why use kewpie, you may be wondering? Well, kewpie is creamier and slightly yellower than mayo brands like Best Foods or Hellman’s. That’s because kewpie mayo is made using only egg yolks — Hellman’s or Best Foods uses whole eggs. Kewpie is also made with different types of vinegar, whereas the other regular mayo brands use lemon juice.

Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Japanese Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup kewpie mayonnaise
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of black pepper

Optional Ingredients:

1 tablespoon grated onion
1 teaspoon grated ginger root

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together until creamy. Serve over salad greens or shredded cabbage. Refrigerate any unused dressing.

Enjoy!

Posted in Dressings, ETHNIC, Japanese, SAUCES & SEASONINGS

Hannah’s Carne Asada Tacos

Posted on February 21, 2014 by AnniesChamorroKitchen Leave a comment

My daughter loves to cook as much as I do, and she loves to experiment with new dishes. This is her take on Carne Asada Tacos, complete with her recipes for the Marinade, Guacamole, and Pico de Gallo.

Give her recipes a try. I think you’ll like them. 🙂

Hannah’s Carne Asada Tacos

Ingredients:

4 pounds skirt steak, with excess fat trimmed off
12 corn tortillas
Sour cream
Guacamole
Pico de gallo
Shredded Mexican cheese blend

Hannah’s Carne Asada Marinade:

1/2 cup lime juice
The juice of 2 oranges
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup of chopped cilantro

Hannah’s Pico de Gallo:

1 large tomato, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup chopped cilantro
The juice of 2 limes
Salt, to taste
Optional: chopped hot peppers

Hannah’s Guacamole:

3 large avocados, peeled, seeded, and cut into small pieces
1 small red onion, finely minced
The juice of 3-4 limes
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons chili powder
Optional: 1 medium tomato, diced (the guac pictured here doesn’t have any tomatoes since I made pico de gallo)
Optional: diced hot peppers, like jalapenos

1. MARINADE AND GRILLING DIRECTIONS:

Mix all marinade ingredients together. Pour over the skirt steak (I recommend marinating the steak in a ziplock bag). Let the steak marinate for at least 2 hours. Grill until done to your liking. Slice the meat against the grain (so that it isn’t tough when you bite into it).

2. PICO DE GALLO DIRECTIONS:

Mix all the Pico de Gallo ingredients together. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Serve with your carne asada tacos.

3. GUACAMOLE DIRECTIONS:

Mix all the guacamole ingredients together. I like to gently stir my guacamole so that you still have chunks of avocado. If you prefer, you can mash the avocados with a fork for a smooth texture. Serve with your carne asada tacos or with chips.

4. TACO ASSEMBLY:

Grill a tortilla until warmed. Fill with slices of carne asada, some guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream and cheese. Enjoy!

Posted in APPETIZERS, Beef, Dinner, ETHNIC, FAMILY RECIPES, Hannah's Recipes, Lunch, Marinades, MEALS, MEAT, Mexican, SAUCES & SEASONINGS

Easy Guava Cake

Posted on February 13, 2014 by AnniesChamorroKitchen 104 comments

Guava Cake is a delicious Hawaiian dessert that is quickly becoming popular nationwide. It’s traditionally made with chiffon cake, but my quick and easy recipe uses boxed cake mix.

I like using strawberry cake mix for my recipe–it amps up the guava flavor in my opinion.

Give my recipe a try. I think you like it. 🙂

Easy Guava Cake

Ingredients:

1 12-oz can frozen concentrated guava nectar
1 1/2 cups water
8 ounces cream cheese
12 ounces Cool Whip
1 box strawberry cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons corn starch
4 tablespoons water
Optional: 1 cup guava jelly

Directions:

1. Prepare the Guava Juice.

Empty the contents of the frozen concentrated guava nectar into a small bowl or measuring cup.

Remove 2 teaspoons of the concentrated nectar and place into a small mixing bowl. Set this aside for now (you will use this when you make the frosting).

Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the remaining frozen concentrated nectar. Stir until the frozen nectar completely dissolves/melts and combines with the water. You should have about 3 cups of juice. Set aside.

2. Make the frosting.

Add the cream cheese to the mixing bowl with the reserved 2 teaspoons frozen concentrated guava nectar.

Note: I had a jar of guava jam in the fridge; I also added a teaspoon of jam to the bowl, but this is totally optional. If you don’t have any guava jam, don’t worry about it. I just like to add it to the frosting to give it a guava flavor.

Using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese and guava nectar until creamy.

Add the Cool Whip to the mixing bowl.

Mix until creamy. Place the frosting in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3. Bake the cake.

Empty the contents of the cake mix into a mixing bowl.

Into the bowl add the eggs, vegetable oil, and 1 cup of the guava juice (set the remaining juice aside–it will be used later to make the guava sauce).

Using a whisk or mixing spoon, mix the ingredients together. Don’t over-mix the batter; mix only until the large lumps disappear.

Split the batter between two small pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely (I inverted it onto a plate to finish cooling).

OPTIONAL:

To give your guava cake a boost of guava flavor, split the cakes in half while still warm. Heat the jelly in a microwave-safe cup for one minute. Spread the guava jelly over the top surface of each of the cake halves. Allow to cool then place the halves back together. Proceed with the remaining instructions.

4. Make the guava sauce.

Place the remaining 2 cups of guava juice into a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium high.

Mix the cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of water. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan, mixing with a whisk.

Continue whisking the mixture over medium high heat, cooking until the sauce begins to thicken.

The sauce will thicken only after it comes to a boil. Once the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium low; continue cooking for a couple of minutes then remove from the heat.

Pour the sauce into a small bowl or measuring cup. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Note: Let the sauce cool completely before pouring onto the cake.

5. Assemble the cake.

Place one of the cake layers onto a serving plate.

Spread a thin layer of frosting onto the cake.

Spread some of the guava sauce on top of the frosting, staying about one inch from the edge.

Place the second layer of cake on top of the first layer.

Frost the cake (top and sides) with the remaining frosting.

Pour the remaining sauce on top of the cake. If you have room in your fridge, refrigerate the cake until the sauce and frosting sets completely. If you have a cake decorating bag and tips, you can be fancy and pipe a border around the edge to keep the sauce nice and pretty in the middle of the cake.

I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop there. I’m a sauce kind of girl, so I just HAD to pour MORE sauce over the cake, letting it drip down the sides (yum!). 😉

Slice, serve, and ENJOY!

I couldn’t wait for the sauce to set, so I cut into this cake IMMEDIATELY. Ahh…it’s all good. DELICIOUS in fact. 😀

If you have any sauce left, pour some over the cake–man oh man–I want some more cake (I ate 3–yes 3–pieces).

ENJOY!

I also made some guava cupcakes. You can place some guava sauce in the middle (cut a piece of cake out of the top), top it with frosting, then drizzle more sauce on top.

Posted in Cakes, DESSERTS, ETHNIC, Hawaiian

The Best Sashimi Ever

Posted on January 14, 2014 by AnniesChamorroKitchen 11 comments

I love sashimi!

If you don’t care to eat raw fish, then I’m sorry, but this recipe is not for you. BUT, you can share it with someone who does! 🙂

In the words of my daughter, “I love, love, love this! It’s almost as good as your tuna poki!” That’s my picky-eater daughter, mind you. She even eats the shredded RAW RADISH in this dish! YES!

Radish, you ask? In sashimi? Don’t knock it ’till you try it.

My inspiration is from this fantastic sushi restaurant in Vegas (sorry, folks, I can’t name the restaurant here), but if you’ve lived in Vegas before, you’ve probably been to or heard of this place — look at the photo below, recognize it yet? 😉

This recipe is all about the sauce, I think. It’s my version of ponzu sauce.

Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it.

The Best Sashimi Ever!

Ingredients:

Good quality ahi tuna, thinly sliced

1 bunch green onions

1 long white radish (the one below is called an Icicle Radish)

Sashimi Sauce:

The juice of 3 lemons and 2 limes

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup mirin

1 small piece of dried kelp, about a 4-inch piece will do. You can find this and the other ingredients for this recipe at most Asian markets.

2 packets dried bonito flakes (0.17 oz. per packet). The kind I buy comes in a package that contains 5 of these packets.

1-inch piece ginger, grated

Cayenne pepper, about 1/4 teaspoon, more or less to taste. I like using Cayenne — it dissolves easily, and it’s not too spicy. Even my “little” one eats it. Well, she’s not so little anymore, but she’s sooooo picky!

Kewpie mayonnaise. Don’t substitute with regular mayo. The main difference between Kewpie and regular mayo is that kewpie is made with the egg yolks only, whereas some regular mayos are made with either only egg whites or whole eggs. Kewpie is also creamier and just a tad bit sweeter that regular mayo. Anyhow…look for and use kewpie mayo for this dish (no subs).

Directions:

Rinse, peel, and grate the radish. I used a box grater, grating the radish on the side with the second smallest holes. Set aside.

Place the lemon and lime juices into a mixing bowl. I picked out the seeds before squeezing the juice out of them (I like leaving the pulp in the sauce). You can use squeeze the juice into a small strainer if you want to strain out the pulp. You need about 1 cup of juice. If you have smaller fruits and get less than a cup of juice, squeeze more juice out of either a lemon or lime (your preference) to get about a cup of juice.

Pour in the rice vinegar.

Add the soy sauce.

Add the mirin.

Add the dried kelp. Leave the pieces big — you’re going to remove this later.

Add the bonito flakes.

Add the grated ginger. Use fresh ginger — the powdered stuff just won’t taste the same.

Sprinkle in as much cayenne pepper as you like. You can also add in chopped hot chili peppers.

Mix to combine. Set the mixture aside. Let it sit for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld. Use a fork to pick out the pieces of kelp; discard the kelp. If you want a smooth sauce, pour it into another bowl with a strainer over the top.

After an hour, place about 2 tablespoons of kewpie mayo into a shallow dish. Pour in 1 cup of the sauce mixture. (Refrigerate any unused sauce.)

Use a whisk or a fork to mix the kewpie mayo into the sauce mixture. I know, it doesn’t look very appetizing right now, but trust me…it’s delicious…so delicious you might just want to drink the sauce! 🙂

Place the shredded radish into the center of the dish.

Place thin slices of ahi tuna on top of the shredded radish.

Squeeze more kewpie mayo on top of the fish. Sprinkle sliced green onions on top. Drizzle more sauce over the fish. Optional: sprinkle smelt roe on top of it all.

Serve immediately (it’s delicious with steamed white rice) and ENJOY!

Posted in Japanese, Kelaguen, SEAFOOD

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