Hawaiian Spring Relish Food

HAWAIIAN BBQ PULLED PORK SANDWICH WITH GRILLED PINEAPPLE RELISH

Steps:

• For the roast pork: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, coriander, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, cinnamon and cumin to make a dry rub. Massage the rub over the pork, making sure to rub it in between the scored fat cap. Wrap the pork in plastic wrap and let it sit for 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F with the oven rack in the middle position.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the pork and place in a Dutch oven with a lid. Cover and place in the oven to roast for 3 hours. After 3 hours, uncover and cook for another 45 minutes to brown the fat and cook until the pork registers 200 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and let rest for 20 minutes.
• For the sandwich build: Using two forks or your hands, pull apart the warm pork. Toss with the Chile Sauce. Butter and toast the buns until golden brown. Place ample quantities of pork on the bottom bun and top with Grilled Pineapple Relish and shredded red cabbage. Do your best hula dance and enjoy.
• Bring the vinegar, sugar, crushed red pepper, salt and garlic to a boil and cook until the sugar and salt dissolve. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, and then set aside until the pork is ready. Right before you toss in the pork, remove the smashed garlic cloves.
• Preheat a grill pan or grill over high heat. Rub the grill with a bit of oil and grill each side of the pineapple slices until dark grill marks appear, 3 to 5 minutes a side. Roughly chop the pineapple and add it to a bowl with the cilantro, ginger, lime juice, jalapeno and onions. Season with salt and pepper.

SEARED HAWAIIAN AHI WITH PINEAPPLE RELISH, CRISPY NORI CAKES, TAT SOI AND WASABI AIOLI

Steps:

• Tuna: Heat oil in skillet on stovetop. When the oil is very hot, place tuna in pan and sear for 1 minute on each side leaving the tuna very rare and pink in the center.
• Rice Cakes: Steam rice in a rice cooker according to manufacturers instructions. Place rice in a large mixing bowl and add salt, mirin, nori, and rice wine vinegar. Place the rice on a sheet pan lined with plastic wrap. With damp hands press the rice into the pan. Cover the rice with plastic wrap and continue to press the rice until you have an even thickness of rice on the sheet pan. Cut the rice into 3 by 3-inch squares. Pan-fry the rice cakes until golden brown on both sides over medium heat on stovetop. Each side should take between 2 and 3 minutes to brown.
• Place the salad on each of 4 plates so that it covers the inner plate. Place the fried rice cake in the center of the plate. Smear some wasabi aioli on the cake and add some ginger. Place the sliced tuna on the cake and drizzle the tuna with wasabi aioli, pineapple relish, and sprouts. Garnish with cilantro sprig.
• Optional: Serve salad with sweet potato shoestrings found at specialty markets. Scatter shoestrings over the salad.
• Slice pineapple lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Discard pineapple core. Brush both sides of each piece of pineapple lightly with oil and grill both sides. Dice pineapple into 1/4-inch pieces and mix with red bell pepper, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and black pepper.
• Mix mayonnaise, wasabi paste, garlic and water in a bowl until smooth.

PINEAPPLE RELISH

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the oil onion and green pepper. Saute until the vegetables are soft. Add the pineapple, the salt and the pepper. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until the liquid reduces, about 30 minutes.
• Deglaze the saucepan with the vinegar and add the lime zest, mustard and garlic. Cook uncovered over low heat until the liquid is reduced again, about 20 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl, let cool then refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. Aloha!

FRESH SPRING ROLLS WITH THAI DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• In a bowl of cool water, soak a wrapper until limp. Lay wrapper out flat. Place 1/6 of each ingredient down middle of wrapper, starting with lettuce. Fold over each end and tightly roll the wrapper around the contents, as if making a burrito. Moisten at seam; press to close.
• Lay on plate, cover with moist paper towel and refrigerate until ready to serve. Then slice in two and serve with Quick Thai Dipping Sauce, below, or peanut sauce.
• To make the Quick Thai Dipping Sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

HAWAIIAN SWEET AND SPICY RELISH

Steps:

• Saute the onion in butter until soft. Stir in the cornstarch. Add the pineapple and jalepeno stir, and heat until bubbly. Add the vinegar.
• Stir in the curry and cumin and heat for another minute or two.

HAWAIIAN SPRING RELISH

Steps:

• Grind 1/2 cup macadamia nuts with 2 Tbsp. sugar in a food processor until fine. Chop remaining macadamia nuts or almonds into fine pieces. Peel and core apple. Grate it into a bowl. You can use an applesauce in lieu of peeling and grating the apple. Add pineapple and 2 Tbsp. wine. Stir in ground nut mixture, ginger, cinnamon, papaya and chopped nuts. Peel and finely dice banana and add to bowl. Taste and add more sugar or wine if desired.