BBQ Country Ribs

BBQ Country Ribs

     4 lbs country style spare ribs
     3/4 c sugar
     3/4 c catsup
     1/2 c shoyu
     1/2 c oyster sauce
     thumb-size ginger, divided
     1/4 tsp 5-spice powder
     1 tbsp orange marmalade
     sesame seeds

Boil ribs for 25 minutes with half of ginger (smashed).  Meanwhile, grate remaining ginger and combine with remaining ingredients.  Drain ribs well and place in shallow baking pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pour sauce over ribs and bake for 1 1/2 hours, turning every 30 minutes.  Remove from pan and sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

THFM's Satojoyu Hot Dogs

I had a big treat this weekend.  My friend Wi (I referred to her in a previous post as a "generational friend") called me a few weeks ago and offered me her lunch reservation at Takenoko Sushi.  Takenoko Sushi is probably THE most exclusive sushi establishment on the Big Island.  They are completely booked for the remainder of 2016.  While they will do take-out, even that is hit-or-miss too, and there are stringent, regimented pick-up times.

Instead of ordering the omakase (chef's choice) like The Help, I ordered just the pieces I felt like eating.  I got my mirugai (geoduck) fix for a while.  The Help said the highlight of his assortment was the otoro (fatty tuna).  He said it was like butter.

After all that feasting, there was no way we could have anything for dinner which would come close to the decadence of that meal.  So we went totally opposite. . .I got to eat my monster taco and curly fries!

Searching for a middle ground, we eventually ate one of the most humble dinners imaginable last night.  Neither The Help nor myself was in any mood to cook, and any attempt at a fancy meal would fall far short of Takenoko Sushi, which was still fresh in our minds.  We settled on satojoyu hot dogs.

Today's post is primarily for D1 and any other college student who is yearning for "local" food.  Please pardon the simplistic nature of the recipe, but it is kid-tested and approved!

I mentioned shoyu-sugar hot dogs in a previous post (the same post where I mentioned Wi).  I seriously did not eat shoyu-sugar hot dogs while growing up.  Perhaps I was only one of two kids in Hilo who didn't.  The Help learned how to make shoyu-sugar hot dogs from the Japan-born mother of some high school friends, and because he learned it as "satojoyu hot dog", that is what he continues to call it.  I have NEVER made this; it is The Help, not me, who makes these for us.

Knowing very little about regional dialects, I can only guess that "satojoyu" must be some kind of regional way to describe foods made with shoyu and sugar.  My minimal Japanese language skills can at least identify "sato" as sugar, and any fool can hear the similarities between "joyu" and shoyu.  I cannot ever recall either of my parents using the word "satojoyu".

After stuffing my face with what would probably be a half pound of these hot dogs over a mound of rice (and some kim chee on the side. . .really, who could forget the kim chee), I thought about the last time we had these.  I had sent D1 a picture and she texted back, saying how much she missed these, how good they looked, and how she was got a little homesick when she saw the pic.  Even though this was not something I missed when I was in college (how could I since it wasn't something I grew up eating), I guess D1 grew up eating this.  I told her they seemed simple to make and I would be sure to ask The Help how to make it and get her a recipe.  Unfortunately, they probably don't sell red hot dogs where she is!  Oops!

In the event she is able to locate red hot dogs from a Hawaii source within the next few weeks, she can make these for nourishment while studying for finals (D1, here's your recipe).  And D1, if you're reading this, The Help said he will make these for you when you get home.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Satojoyu Hot Dog

     1 pkg (about 1 pound) hot dogs, preferably red ones from Hawaii
     2 tsp oil
     1/4 c sugar
     1/4 c shoyu

Slice hot dogs on the bias (about 5 pieces per hot dog).  Heat oil in a skillet.  Add sliced hot dogs and saute until brown (areas of char).  Add sugar and shoyu.  Cook until sauce is thickened.

BBQ Country Ribs

Kikukat and family would like to extend their condolences to the Lewis family of Fredericksburg, VA.  On Saturday, their eldest child William was fatally shot in Chicago while waiting for a bus.  Although Chicago police believe the shooting to be gang-related, they believe Wil was not the intended target.  Wil was a talented young man with a bright future.  He was only twenty-eight.

Although I've never met Wil, his dad, Joseph, is a friend.  Joe's day job is principal of Stafford Senior High School in Fredericksburg, VA.  Joe's other profession is a writer.  A few years ago, I was honored when Joe asked me to read his manuscript Stolen Lives, prior to meeting with his publishers.

Joe is also a blogger.  His most recent post, With Sadness (Sunday, July 13, 2014), on his blog, Simple Thoughts from a Complicated Mind, Sort of. . ., is so heartwrenching for me to read.  The agony a parent goes through when dealing with the death of a child is beyond comprehension.  Mr. Dependable once said, "A parent should not bury a child."  He has said a lot of stupid ass things, but that was something he actually got right.

The Ds have been traveling for over a week, and I miss them terribly.  Everytime I see their messy rooms I want to scream, but I still miss them.  I want to hug them real tight and tell them how much I love them.  I think Desi and Kennie miss them too.  At least once a day I'll see one of the kats walking out from the Ds wing [of the house].  Reading Joe's blog made me miss them even more. 

As much as I miss them, I can't waste time fretting over their absence, for my vacation clock is ticking.  This is the last Monday of summer vacation for me.  I need to make the most of my time left.  Most teachers officially begin the school year on July 28, but I begin on the 21st.  I feel like I've been working all summer, and lately, even if I'm not doing esy, I'm extra busy!

Last week was a busy week.  I was nice to The Help and bought him a tray of botamochi/ohagi.  After watching the Kenmin Show, all The Help could talk about was ohagi.  My friend's mom makes the best ohagi so I ordered some for The Help, his parents, and my parents.  That kept him quiet for a while.

I went in to work on Wednesday to meet and greet a new teacher.  I offered to help him get his keys and show him around.  He is new to the school but not new to teaching.  I hope he will enjoy his new home!  Actually, he should.  He is leaving a toxic situation, which will not get better unless. . .

I also enjoyed a nice lunch with Brucie, who just returned from a magical trip to England and Switzerland.  Sounds like he had a lot of fun, and thanks to him, I now have another three mugs for my collection.  Brucie is who I wanna be when I grow up!

After about a year, The Help and I made an attempt to make it back to Takenoko Sushi for lunch.  When I called a few weeks ago for a dinner reservation, they told me their next dinner opening was in August!  I couldn't wait that long.  Luckily, the wait for a lunch seating was only a week.  At the last moment, The Help gave up his seat for my parents (I was able to secure another seat), so I ended up going with them instead.  Like Sushi Sasabune, the best part of Takenoko is the omakase (chef's choice).  But unlike Sushi Sasabune, where you think you might get scoldings (or kicked out) for eating something incorrectly, Takenoko is more laid back.  Kikukat Dad tried uni (sea urchin) for the first time.  He said The Help can have his share from now on.  He said there was something stinky about it.  Kikukat Mom is not an adventurous eater, so she stuck with the basics:  unagi (eel), hamachi (yellowtail), toro (fatty tuna), and salmon.  Boring.  Kikukat Dad has a habit of inhaling his food, so we were outta there within 30 minutes.  I soooo could not savor and enjoy every bite.

This past Friday, The Help and I went to Kona to take his car to the doctor.  We had most of the morning to leisurely walk around Kona and explore.  I hate "exploring", as I've come to associate it as a term The Help uses when he is lost.  Unlike The Help, my sense of adventure is nil.  I don't like "exploring".  I like "finding".

We had lunch at The Fish Hopper, a restaurant near the Kailua pier.  Both of us had salads.  The Help had the Cobb salad, and I had the chicken macadamia salad.  I wasn't expecting much, but both of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals.  The Asian dressing on the chicken salad was perfect.  I did ask for it without papaya.  I should've asked them to hold the red onions too, but the onions were easy enough to pick out.  The Help's salad looked like it was full of bacon.  If it wasn't for the bleu cheese, I might have thought about ordering that too.

After my salad, I was looking forward to a hearty dinner (we made it home from Kona in the afternoon).  I was tired so it was a good thing we had lotsa leftovers in the fridge.  The Help came across a good sale Safeway was having on country ribs.  I generally don't buy country ribs (country style spareribs) because I tend to like my pork extra fatty (like bacon & hocks).  I suppose The Help couldn't help himself.  Nearly 8 lbs of country ribs cost under $20 with the Safeway club card.  8 lbs is a whole lotta meat, so I baked it with an Asian barbecue sauce because I knew the leftovers would be good.

BTW, the sauteed greens to the side of the meat in the top pic and the pic below is such a simple accompaniment to throw together. . .shredded savoy cabbage, ham slivers, and salt.  Saute until cabbage shows slight browning.  Place in a serving bowl and top with a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

BBQ Country Style Spareribs

     4 lbs country style spareribs

     1/2 c shoyu

     1/2 c oyster sauce

     3/4 c ketchup

     3/4 c sugar

     1 tbsp guava jelly or orange marmalade

     1/8 tsp 5-spice

     1/2" piece of ginger, grated

Boil country ribs for 1 hour.  Drain well and wash off scum.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place ribs in large baking pan.  Combine remaining ingredients.  Pour over ribs.  Bake 1 1/2 hours.  Remove from pan and slice across the grain to serve.

R.I.P. William Lewis. . .may your light continue to shine.