Crock Pot Food: Beef & Barley Soup

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.  I broke down and invited some old aunties over for a simple lunch.  I didn't go nuts (local style), and I limited the food to traditional fare:  turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, candied yams, roasted asparagus, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pumpkin crunch cake.  Everyone took home enough leftovers for at least another meal, and I was left with a manageable amount of everything.  I'm sure my mom pooh-poohed the amount of food, but I think I made more than enough.  Kikukat Mom grew up in Hawaii, so by her measure, if I didn't make enough to hold the party 3x over, I really didn't make enough.  Well, I don't care if she thought that because the whole thing was over by 2:40!  That gave The Help enough time to help Kikukat Mom with her printer troubles.

It was nice to see the old aunties.  ABetty (of corned beef hash fame) is doing much better and moving around well. . .well enough to help herself to a second serving.  AJanice asked me if there was a book she could get which defines slang and text jargon.  She said she is currently reading a J. K. Rowling book with all kinds of profanity.  "I know what fuck and shit are, but I don't know what snogging means," said AJanice.  I had to laugh.  AJanice earned a living as a speech therapist just outside the Beltway, so "fuck" and "shit" were enunciated with utmost precision as ABetty looked on unfazed.  ABetty, the older of the two is closing in on 90, but even she will say a "fuck" here and there.  If I ever live that long. . .

The Ds popped in for a short time to get changed for a brunch.  D1 looked towering in her heels, and D2 looked so pretty in a floral dress.  Nice to see her wearing something other than a t-shirt and shorts.  Neither D is big on turkey so I hope their brunch served other things as well.

Even though the leftovers were manageable for me, I'm turkey'd out for a while.  I decided to buy a turkey breast roast (even if the whole turkey was much cheaper).  Nobody here really cares for dark meat so I figured the thighs and drumstick would only get in the way.  Glad I did.  The turkey breast cooked in under 3 hours, and because I brined it, it was juicy and seasoned throughout.  3M offered to deep fry my turkey, and I may take her up on it next year...if I buy a whole turkey.

I'm also kinda ham'd out.  I made Sugar Bath Ham.  The Help and I had ham sandwiches for a few days.  I like ham, but after 3 days, even ham loses its welcome.  I'm looking forward to eating "plain" food now.

Oahu and Kauai were under flash flood watch this past weekend, and I couldn't help but wonder if the rains would eventually reach us here.  While the weather wasn't all that great, it was primarily dry.  The Help watched a lot of football in between doing his chores (taking care of animals, washing car, etc.).  I managed to throw together this soup in the crock pot.  It was a nice break from turkey & ham.  It also went well with the leftover rolls from turkey day (giant bag from Safeway was $6.99).  Although the instructions say to initially add the barley to part of the vegetables on the stove, I'm quite certain everything could be just thrown into the crock pot. 

With the craziness of Thanksgiving behind us, its now time to do the countdown until the next break:  Winter Vacation!!!  15 work days stands between now and another break.  If I call in sick or take personal leave, I can shave off a day or two too!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Beef & Barley Soup

     1- 1 1/2 lbs beef chuck, cut in 3/4" cubes

     1 tbsp oil

     1 c chopped onion

     1 c diced carrots

     1/2 c diced celery

     1 clove garlic, minced

     12-16 oz mushrooms, cut in quarters (or smaller)

     3 sprigs thyme

     1/2 c pearl barley, rinsed and drained

     1 can beef broth

     1 can chicken broth

     2 c hot water

     1/8 tsp pepper

     1 tsp salt

     fresh Italian parsley

Heat oil in large skillet.  Saute beef cubes til no longer pink.  Using a slotted spoon, remove meat to 4-quart or larger crock pot.  Add beef broth, cover, and cook on high.  Using same skillet, add onion, carrots, and celery.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add garlic, mushrooms, and thyme.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, place at least half of vegetable mixture in crock pot.  To remaining vegetable mixture, add pearl barley and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil then add to crock pot, along with hot water, pepper, and salt.  Cook on high for 5 hours.  Remove thyme sprigs before serving.  Garnish with parsley.

Crock Pot Food: Beef Stew

Now that there is a definite nip in the air, I'm all psyched to cook hearty, cold weather food.  And there is nothing that screams "hearty" like beef stew.

Before I go on, let me get this off my chest:  I am not a huge fan of beef stew.  I am not kidding.   Yes, I grew up in Hawaii.  Yes, beef stew is served at practically every self-respecting "local" restaurant.  Yes, it was served in my house growing up.  Yet, I am not a big fan.

So why would someone who is clearly not a fan of beef stew be dedicating a precious weekly post to the unofficial most popular home-cooked meal in Hawaii?  Its because the majority of people I share my house with are huge fans.

My dislike for stew goes back years decades.  I remember my mom making it.  I remember my grandma going to the emergency room because she nearly sliced her index finger off while trying to cut out all the fat from pieces of stew meat.  I even remember my older cousin trying to force me to eat a bowl of it, indignantly telling me after the 3rd time I declined, "My mother made it."  I still didn't eat it.

The stew I grew up with was rather thin, and it didn't have much color.  The meat chunks tended to be large and fatty.  The vegetables were huge and it seemed to be more liquid that chunks.  Maybe that explains why stew seemed like it lasted forever, another demerit for stew.  We weren't poor, so it beats the crap outta me why my parents HAD to make a huge pot of stew every time.  Kikukat Mom did not make stew with any tomato base either.  It was "brown" or "natural", as Kikukat Dad once called it.  I can't remember what kind of stew my grandma made...main thing it didn't contain any finger bits! 

When I was living on my own in Honolulu (when I started working), I decided to have another go at stew.  I bought one of those packet mixes and followed the directions.  It was horrible...there was some spice in there that I found irritating.  I even tried some stew special at Zippy's.  It was nasty too.  I decided to avoid making/eating stew.  This worked out okay because Mr. Dependable didn't like stew either!

And then the Ds came along.  Having dinner at my parents' house, they both ate "stool soup" and would come home raving.  Ugh.  I was actually impressed at how fitting the term "stool soup" was for it because that's what I was thinking for years.  And one day, the unthinkable happened.  Someone bought me dinner from Cafe 100. . .and it was beef stew!!!  I can't remember the exact situation, but I was forced to eat it, and thats when things began to look a little brighter.

Cafe 100 beef stew has a tomato base.  Eating it, I realized that stew tastes pretty decent when eaten with a scoop of potato salad.  I also noticed that there were pieces of meat and vegetables enrobed in a hearty sauce (not thin and watery).  Turned out that the Ds weren't picky...they loved tomato-based stew too.

Since then, I've actually gone back to making and (sometimes) eating beef stew.  I've even made it for parties, as I've come to realize that some of my uncles love beef stew (one of them goes there weekly to get it).  I've made it in a pressure cooker for a quick meal (must have a fat separator), and most recently, I made it in the crock pot.  The crock pot method works best if you have enough forethought to make it a day before you plan to eat it.  Chilling the mixture before reheating the next day will allow you to remove the hardened fat.  The best part about crock pot stew is that the meat does not require browning prior to cooking.

My parents still make the same stew I grew up eating, and I still decline (politely) when they offer some to me.  But now, I make my own stew and offer it to them (and they always accept).  The Ds both boldly proclaim "grandma makes the best stew".  I suppose I should prepare myself for the day one of the Ds offers me some"natural" stew.  Blecchhhhh.

What kind of stew did you grow up eating?

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Crock Pot Beef Stew

     2 lbs beef stew meat
     1 large onion, diced
     1 c celery, sliced
     2 large carrots, cut in 1" chunks
     4 potatoes, cut in 1 1/2" chunks
     3 tbsp minute tapioca
     1 tbsp sugar
     2 1/2 tsp salt
     1/2 tsp pepper
     1 can tomato soup combined with 2 c water

In a 5 quart crock pot, layer ingredients in the above order.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Refrigerate overnight.  Spoon off hardened fat.  Reheat on high for 2 hours, stirring after 20 minutes.

Way to go, Vikings!

First football victory (that I know of. . .and I will be the first to admit I don't know a whole lot about high school football) over the Kealakehe Waveriders!  The final score of this defensive brawl . . . 6-3.

And what great timing. . .Homecoming!

Kalua Pig in a Crock Pot from Allrecipes

Happy Presidents Day!  I love a 3-day weekend.  Actually, this was a 5-day weekend for me because I fell ill for a few days last week.  From the office mongers gossip, I missed some action at the work place.  Actually, I'm glad I missed the action, but I wasn't having a picnic either.  What began as the "cold nose syndrome" morphed into sore throat/runny nose/stuffy nose.  Yuck.  Thanks to Nyquil, I slept right through Valentines Day. 

Well, now that's not entirely true.  Mr. Dependable texted on Valentines Day, asking if I already owned a Garmin.  I texted back that I already owned one so he didn't need to get one for me but thanks anyway.  He responded with, "no, I wasn't gonna get you one.  I want to borrow yours."  This convo proves I didn't sleep through Valentines Day.  Kalamai.  Mea culpa.  Sumimasen.

Right now is the dead of winter where I am.  Yes, I am in Hawaii, but what many people don't realize is that parts of Hawaii get cold during the winter.  The high altitude areas can get down into the 30s during the winter (at night or early morning).  This is hardly BBQ weather!

Traditional Hawaiian-style barbecue entails digging an imu (pit) in the yard for the long, slow and smoky cooking of foods.  This is our version of the famed barbecue pits in the southern parts of the United States.

Practically any meat or starch can be cooked in an imu, but while beef brisket may be king in Texas (go ask the dudes at the Salt Lick), pork reigns supreme in Hawaii.  Meats cooked in an imu are normally referred to as "kalua".

Kalua pig is standard fare at any luau.  Once the meat comes out of the imu, it is shredded (pulled. . .to you mainlanders) and salted.  No self-respecting luau is complete without kalua pig.  Kalua pig can be served with rice or poi.  In an effort to be cost-conscious or health-conscious, it can be sauteed with cabbage chunks (known locally as kalua pig and cabbage).  I have also used it to stuff steamed buns (scroll way below to see a picture).  Its great as an enchilada filling too.  Some local families will cook a turkey in the imu for Thanksgiving.  Kalua turkey is used the same way as kalua pig.

Most people don't have the time nor gumption to go digging a hole in the backyard.  And some people don't have a backyard either.  I get that.  For usual smoking, I use a charcoal kamado, but its a lot of work to get the charcoal going and maintain the temperature all day, which is how long it would take to cook a chunk of pig.  I'll do it for special occasions, but not for a weeknight meal.  And if I'm going to put in that much effort, I would make sure I cooked a massive amount for freezing or giving away.

For normal home consumption, the best way to replicate the taste of kalua pig, even in the dead of winter, is with a crock pot (it could be made in the oven, but my thinking is that a crock pot uses less electricity than an oven).  Back in the beginning of the new millennium, I posted a recipe on allrecipes.com.  I didn't realize what a hit it would become.  It even found its way into the allrecipes.com cookbook (no, I didn't buy the cookbook).   When I last checked the allrecipes site, there were over 30 pictures of this dish.  Click here for a link to the recipe on the allrecipes.com site.

The picture to the left is one way that I like to serve kalua pig:  a handful of it on steamed bread with a barbecue sauce smear.  The recipes for steamed bread and my favorite bbq sauce will be upcoming features on this blog, so please check back soon.  Right now I need to look for my Garmin to hand off to Mr. Dependable.

In an attempt to join the ranks of the living/walking, I ventured out of the house this past weekend to get the talons sharpened.  While I was with Tiffany, The Help was up to no good.  By the time I was done, he had a burning desire to go to Costco to acquire a new camera body for his collection.  He insisted he HAD to own it, giving excuses about how its meant for action shots, how he might need it for taking sports actions photos soon, etc.  Appealing to the pake, he spoke of what a great deal he'd be getting by buying the Costco kit.  Deciding to indulge him (he also dangled a sushi dinner in front of me), I agreed to accompany him on the 2 hour drive.  I came back with a box of daytime/nighttime cold medicine and this picture.  I snapped it in a parking lot.  It left me speechless.

If any of you are contemplating a manual-transmission vehicle (but perhaps may not be a confident stick shift operator), you may want to consider a recent model year BMW.  They are equipped with a hill assist function, which would eliminate the rear end advertising.