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Don’t Forget to attends Hawaii’s 13th Annual “Taste of Honolulu” this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 25, 26, & 27. To be held on the Honolulu Civic Center Grounds . This years event features more than 20 booths for your eating, drinking. And gaming entertainment. And you can top it all off with entertainment from some of Hawaii’s own top entertainers, such as Kapena, Rolando Sanchez, and Simplicity. Just to give you a pre-taste; some of the restaurants providing foods will be the new Jackie Chan’s Jackie’s Kitchen, Hilton Hawaiian Village By the Sea, and Genki Sushi. See you there. Don’t forget to look for the guide map to all the fun in this week’s Mid-Week Magazine. Now, with Best Wishes for your own Happy Grilling Summer, free of all pilikia ( problems, trouble, or difficulties); here are your Yala Yana Grilling Tips for Summer 2004: BAR B QUE TIPS Generally Speaking The Fire Before you place your meats on the grill it must be very very Hot, creating a thin seal/crust on the food, ensuring that their juices and flavor are sealed in as they cook. To test the heat of your flame, whether cooking with gas or charcoals, the simplest and handiest method seems to be as follows: If you can only keep your hand there for: 6-7 seconds - the coals are low 5-6 seconds - the coals are medium 3-4 seconds - the coals are medium hot 1-2 seconds - the coals are hot…Quickly remove your hand to prevent burning! Meats Make sure any meats that you plan to cook are fully defrosted and do not place the meats directly on the grill immediately after removing them from the fridge. Always allow the meat sit on the counter for approximately 25-30 minutes before placing on the grill. * If you plan to marinate; first pat the meat dry with paper towels. This will ensure that the meat cooks evenly. * If you plan to use a water smoker or an aluminum pan in the grill, always use hot water; making sure that the water is already hot and quickly able to create steam. As well, this way you don’t waste fuel & energy needed to heat cold water on the grill. * Always use a thermometer to help you regulate the grill or pit temperature. * If, when you check the thermometer, you find that the cooker or kettle cooking temperature needs to be increased; always add lighted charcoal to the existing fire. Not charcoal which will have to ignite. * Although it is difficult sometime, try not to lift the cover and peek. Only lift the lid for the purposes of adding lighted charcoal or basting the meats. Charcoal/Wood Chunks should be added at the same time that you baste the meat. Each time you lift the lid heat, smoke, and steam are released. Therefore, the more you lift, the longer it will take for your great-tasting meats to get done. A Little Bit About Marinating To add excitement to your barbecue--- Marinades, Rubs and Mops. These three serve two specific purposes; they tenderize tough cuts of meat and/or flavor almost any cut. We’ll provide the info. You decide which one is best for you. Marinades: Are mixtures of liquids and spices used to flavor and tenderize meats in a soak. Most poultry and meats require, at least, a minimum of two hours of marinating, overnight in the fridge is even better. Fish, on the other hand, only need one half an hour in a marinade soak. Dry Rubs Are mixtures of spices, rubbed into meat or fish to add flavor. Though components of rubs vary ( we’ll discuss those later) a cut of meat/fish usually only needs 30 minutes or so in a dry rub to absorb sufficient flavoring. Leave it longer for more intense flavor. Remember that if you chose a rub for fish, be gentle. Mops Actually just a basting sauce, and generally sugar when used as a glaze or finishing sauce during the last 3-5 minutes of cooking. Otherwise a mustard and vinegar mix may be used as a tenderizer during the normal basting process. Branding it or Great Grill Marks The professional-looking criss-cross pattern on grilled meats comes from marking the meat first, then finishing the cooking. The trick is to lay the meat down on the grill, thinking in terms of a clock face, select a point on the piece of meat and place that point of the meat at the 11 o'clock position, then turning that point to face the 1 o'clock position. It is said that the best BBQ chefs use what’s called indirect cooking for the perfectly cooked meat. So---, if you are using thickly sliced meats, grill them on both sides to create grill lines, then move the meat to an area slightly away from the direct flames. This indirect heating/cooking method will allow the inside to cook completely without drying the meat out! You’ll get juicy, tasty, ono-licious meats every time. Taking it off the Grill Another secret of great BBQ chefs is: In order to get truly tender meat, always let the meat rest for 5 minutes after removing it from the grill. This allows the juices to redistribute within the meat. There’ll be a noticeable difference in the tenderness. Yumm! Just a Few More Tips *Whenever barbecuing, use tongs to turn the meat rather than a fork, which punches holes in the meat; allowing the natural juices to escape, causing the meat to lose flavor and become chewy. *When grilling meat to a medium or greater doneness, a lid may be helpful to assist in cooking. This will decrease the cooking time by applying heat to all sides of the meat at once. *When roasting or grilling on a closed BBQ pit, you may wish to open a can of beer and pour the beer over the hottest part of the fire. The beer will boil and super saturate the air inside the pit with water vapor, beer flavors and alcohol. This will help in keeping the roasting meats moist, while adding flavor to the meat. This also works well with pieces of pineapple peel placed upon the charcoals. *Tomato and/or sugar based BBQ sauces should only be added near the end of the grilling process to prevent easily burning, as well, they do not serve as internal meat flavoring. Now that we’ve covered the ‘how-to’s let’s get down to business Let’s Talk About Sauces and Rub Recipes (1) Coconut Five Spice Barbecue Sauce Ingredients: 1 quart plain flavored BBQ sauce 1 small can coconut milk (8 ounce) 1/4 cup five spice powder 1 cup sweet soy sauce 2 cups soy sauce 2 cups pineapple juice Instructions: Combine all ingredients and simmer over a low flame until the liquid is reduced by 1/4. This usually takes about 1 1/2 hours. Stir often so the liquid doesn't burn on the bottom. The sweet soy, five spice and coconut milk can be found at an Asian market or in a specialty grocery store. (2) Queens Royal Rub Ingredients: 1/4 cup mixed peppercorns, black, white, pink 1/4 cup mustard seed 1/4 cup sesame seeds, lightly toasted 1/4 cup ground New Mexican chiles 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup kosher salt 1/4 cup hot Hungarian paprika 1 dried ancho chile 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon rubbed sage 1 tablespoon cayenne 1 tablespoon allspice 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 tablespoon dried tarragon Instructions: Combine peppercorns, mustard seeds, sesame seeds, salt and the ancho chile in a food processor and pulverize. (3) Caribbean Jerk Rub Use as a coating for pork chops, ribs, tenderloin or kabobs. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons dried minced onion 1 tablespoon garlic powder 4 teaspoons dry thyme leaves, crushed 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Instructions: In jar with tight-fitting lid, shake together all ingredients. Store tightly covered at room temperature until ready to use. Makes about 1/2 cup. (4) Cinnamon-Clove Barbecue Sauce Ingredients: 2 medium onions, sliced 1 cup condensed tomato soup 3/4 cup water 3 tablespoons vinegar 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/8 teaspoon cloves Instructions: Combine all ingredients; heat and use to baste meat or fish. Makes 2 cups. (5) Mango Barbecue Sauce Ingredients: 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and cut into small cubes 1 cup prepared mango chutney 1 cup finely chopped onion 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 (28 ounce) can peeled plum tomatoes, crushed, with juices 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon molasses 1 teaspoon Tabasco® sauce Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Cool slightly. Purée sauce until smooth in a food process or blender. This is also great for barbecuing salmon. (6) Best of the West Barbecue Sauce Ingredients: 1 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups white onion, diced 1 1/2 cups catsup 1 1/2 cups bottled water 1/3 cup lemon juice 1/3 cup Mexican lime juice 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce 3 teaspoons prepared mustard 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon dried sweet basil 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/3 cup pancake syrup Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Simmer slowly at least 2 hours uncovered. Sauce will become bitter if cooked with a lid. Makes about 4 cups. (7) Chef Ray's Jack Daniels Habanero Bar-B-Que Sauce Ingredients: 1 #10 can catsup 1 #10 can tomato puree 1 liter water 3 cups white vinegar 3 cups molasses 36 bay leaves 7 habanera peppers cut in half with seeds removed 1 1/2 pounds dark brown sugar 1/2 cup tamarind paste (available at Mexican or Indian specialty stores) 5 pounds diced tomatoes 1 cup finely chopped garlic 24 whole cloves 3 medium onions, diced and caramelized 3 teaspoons spiced smoked salt 2 teaspoons white pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 3 cups Jack Daniels whiskey Instructions: Mix all ingredients together except cayenne pepper and Jack Daniels. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from burning. Add more water if the sauce becomes too thick. One- half hour before sauce is ready, add cayenne pepper and Jack Daniels. Use sauce on ribs, lamb, chicken, or beef. Makes 1 1/2 gallons of sauce. (8) Maui Secret BBQ Sauce Ingredients: 5 Tablespoons hoisin sauce 3 Tablespoons plum sauce 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce 2 Tablespoons soy sauce 2 Tablespoons honey 1 Tablespoon dry sherry 1 Tablespoon peanut oil 1 teaspoon chili sauce 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder 1 Tablespoon finely minced garlic 1 Tablespoon finely minced ginger Instructions: Combine all ingredients and stir. Cook slowly over a low heat if desired. "Sauce can be made in large quantities and stored in the refrigerator indefinitely but it's so "ono" it will be gone before you know it! Best used for BBQ...but can be used in oven." Sources: Chef Jamie Gwen, Barbeque Man, Inc., DJ CHEF Marc Weiss, Recipe Goldmine, and Aloha Joe ** We Are Now Ready To Start Que’n ** Mahalo (Thank You) and A hui hou (Till we meet again) From IslandGinger  GREAT LINKS | Contact Us | Hono Ha ’waii | ISLAND POETRY | ISLAND PLACES | Recipes | | Return Home | |
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