Celebrate Someone Special with a Hawaiian Luau Dinner

Aloha from sunny Washington D.C.! That's me, on the right. Aren't I handsome? Of course there's no way that could be me, mainly because if I'm going to the trouble of matching a hat to my outfit, it would be far more fantastic than than the plain thing this guy is wearing.

But I digress. Tis' time for the First Annual Mr. Luz Birthday Extravaganza post. This post is dedicated to the one and only Party Momster. She's a Birthday-party-aholic, and you can check out her blog here. Party Momster says "I just love the permission a Birthday gives you to escape the everyday and do things you wouldn't normally do. And just be over-the-top in making someone feel special."

Well, Party Momster, Mr. Luz and I agree with you and applaud your dedication to the under appreciated art of partying. Here's to you.

Mookalakaheeki. Come on, you wanna lei me. Pass the poi, Mahalo. A Luau Menu in 4 Parts

This menu should serve 8-10 for dinner, and you can easily convert everything into appetizers. (get some Hawaiian buns and make smoked pork & pineapple salsa sandwiches, cut the ribs into small portions, and spoon the potato salad onto a lettuce wrapper pupu platter-styles.)

Char Sui Ribs: (for 6 lbs. of ribs)
This recipe was relatively easy, because the Asian-inspired ingredients added a richness to the ribs even though I didn't brown them before braising. They were sweet and mellow, and so tender that they weren't really ribs so much as piles of pork with some random bones sitting around. (Oops!) The glaze adds flavor without mess, so don't skip that part.

I think it's typical for Hawaiians to bake rather than braise these puppies, but I'm not experienced with that technique. Instead, I went with a tried and true approach and was rewarded with luscious pork ribs and a lovely soy-roasted garlic-sesame oil perfume throughout the house as the guests arrived.

2 Slabs of Baby Back Ribs (6 lbs.)
1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
2 Tbs. Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Hoisin Sauce
4 Tbs. Sesame Oil
4 Tbs. sliced Garlic
4 Tbs. sliced Ginger
4 Tbs. Soy Sauce (I used 2 Tbs. each of regular and low-sodium)

Trim excess fat from the ribs, and remove the tendon from the back of the ribs if you prefer. Place the ribs in a large baking dish with the meaty side facing down.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and pour over the ribs in the roasting pan. Add enough water to the pan so that the ribs are covered ½ way. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 2.5 hours.

After 2.5 hours, check on the ribs. If they are tender, remove the ribs to a large dish and pour 4 cups of the braising liquid into a sauce pan.

Skim the fat off of the braising liquid and boil until caramelized and reduced to 2 cups. Brush the glaze over the ribs, and if desired, bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes, or until the glaze has set on the ribs. Cut into the desired size, and serve.

Smoked Island Pork Tenderloin:
Maybe I don't have room in my "yard" to bury an entire pig with some coals and ti leaves, but I do know how to marinade and smoke stuff. Hence the inspiration for this smoked pork recipe. The pork was succulent from its milky marinade, and our guests commented that the coconut flavor was subtle, and yummy.

3 lb. Pork Tenderloin
1 can Coconut Milk (approx. 2 cups)
3 Tbs. Soy Sauce
1 Tbs. Lime Juice
1 cup Pineapple Juice
2 Tbs. chopped Garlic
3 Tbs. chopped Ginger
2 Tbs. Asian 5-Spice
Salt and Pepper

Trim the excess fat and tendon off of the pork tenderloin. Add the remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until the garlic and ginger are minced. Place the tenderloin in a non-metal bowl, and pour the marinade over the top. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours. If the marinade does not cover the pork, turn it halfway through.

Prepare the grill for smoking. Remove the pork from the marinade, and season liberally with 5-spice, salt, and pepper. Place the pork on the center of the grill, over indirect heat and the drip pan, and smoke for 40 minutes. You can turn and baste with any reserved marinade after 30 minutes, but PLEEZE keep the grill closed otherwise. The pork should be medium after 40 minutes, but smoke for an additional 20 if you want it to be well done.

Remove the pork from the grill, let it rest for 10 minutes, and serve with pineapple salsa (see below).

Kimchi Potato Salad:
This is a recipe for an easy, crowd-pleasing side dish with some interesting and unique element and a light, smoky taste. Hawaiians typically serve poi (paste from taro roots) and kimchi (vinegary, pickled cabbage)at luaus, and I struggled with how to make these elements fit with the BBQ theme.

In the end, I added wilted cabbage and vinegar to an Asian-inspired potato salad, and would have added boiled, cubed taro root if it was available. If you do use taro, be careful and do some research. There are toxins in the skin and the flesh, so take extra precautions when skinning and cooking this starchy, sweet root vegetable.

6 slices of Smoked Bacon
1 ½ Cup sliced Purple Cabbage
5 lbs. of Yukon Gold Potatoes, skinned, boiled, and cubed
2 Cups Mayonnaise
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
1 Tbs. Sesame Oil
1 Tbs. Dijon Mustard
1 Tbs. Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Cup chopped Green Onion
½ Cup chopped Cilantro
4 dashes Hot Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat until crispy and coarse chop when cooled. Wilt the cabbage in the bacon fat and drain on paper towels.

Place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl. Add the bacon and cabbage while still warm, if possible. Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl, and pour over the potato mixture. Toss, chill, and serve.

Pineapple Salsa:
Fresh pineapple is now my favorite thing ever. That should say it all.

2 Cups fresh Pineapple, chopped (reserve juices)
½ Cup chopped Cilantro
1 Jalapeno, finely chopped
1 Cup chopped Sweet Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped
4 Tbs. chopped Basil
2 Tbs. chopped mint
4 Tbs. Lime Juice
4 dashes Hot Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place the pineapple and any juices released from chopping in a non-metal bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir. Let the salsa sit in the fridge for 1 hour to let the flavors blend. Serve well-chilled with taro chips and/or on the smoked pork tenderloin.

Ribs 2-Ways Part II: Tangy, Spicy Slow-Cooker Ribs

More ribs! I love this pic because you have to be a true rib lover to appreciate it.

Maybe a fallin-off-the-bone rib doesn't look particularly beautiful, but sit some in front of the person you love and they'll look like you've just handed them the Mona Lisa (or a vintage Playboy, if that's how you roll).

These ribs are so tangy...although they don't have the traditional elements of a Carolina BBQ, they definitely mirror that sweet, vinegary flavor. The next time I make them, I'll serve them as an appetizer, or with a super crisp and light salad.

The original recipe is courtesy of my parents' fabulous Wine Group--a wonderful group of friends who share their love of food, wine, and family (the fam we choose AND the one we're given) with one another and with me. [Note: Can someone comment on the original holder of this recipe? Thanks!]

Mama and I have tweaked it a bit, but it's 99% the same recipe that's shown up at a number of their gatherings and disappeared within minutes!

Maybe we should call this "Ribs 3-Ways," because I saw this SeriousEats post about Cajun Deep Fried Ribs, and just had to show you the pics. Wowza!

Tangy, Spicy Slow Cooker Ribs

1 tsp. Salt
1 chopped Onion
¼ cup Brown Sugar
¼ cup Apple Butter (my favorite thing in the world, next to my dog and Bacon)
1/4 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1/3 cup Orange Juice
1 Tbs. Steak Sauce
1 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
½ cup Chili Sauce
2 Tbs. Creole Seasoning
1 Tbs. Parsley
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Oregano
4 cloves Garlic
¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. Hot Sauce
1/2-1 Rack Pork Baby Back Ribs
Oil + dash salt/pepper

Remove large pieces of fat and tendon from Ribs. You don't have to remove the skin next to the bones, because it will cook off, but you can if you prefer.

Rinse ribs, pat dry with a paper towel. Season the ribs with a dash of salt and pepper, heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat with 1 Tbs. of oil, and brown the crap out of the ribs. [DAISNAID-"do as I say, not as I do" in this pic. You should brown them more.]
Mix all the ingredients listed above. Put about ¼ of the mixture in the bottom of a crock pot and place the ribs into the crock pot. Cover with remainder of mixture and cook on high for 6 or 7 hours. If the liquid condenses too much, add 1/2 cup of water to the crock pot.

This is Foxy, my Shiba Inu/Chow mix. Right now she's thinking "Where is Grandpa? He'd give me some of those ribs!" Since it's impossible to blast you with slow-cooked rib scent as you read this, I figured that a pic of Foxy, staring hungrily at the crock pot, would give you some idea of how awesome these smell as they cook.

Ribs 2-Ways Part I: BBQ Glazed Slow Cooker Ribs

I love my housemates so much that every time the grocery store has baby-back ribs half price, I buy two and throw them in the freezer. You should see the glee on Mr. Luz and Papayablue's faces when they unassumingly open the freezer to pull out a HotPocket, and find a freezer full of ribs instead!

This rib recipe is about as easy as it gets. It's so easy that I feel like I'm cheating, and I imagine that slow-smoked rib purists would say that I am cheating. To that I say "MMMMmmm....Mr. Purist, these fall-off-the-bone ribs are soooo good! What's that you say? It's too cold/rainy/hectic to baby your smoker for the next 5 hours? That's too bad. Enjoy your tuna salad!"

The rub has a distinct earthy, spicy flavor without overpowering the ribs themselves. I also like a tiny bit of caramelized sauce on the outside--here it completes the spicy, tangy flavor of the ribs and adds some velvety, caramelized texture as well.

BBQ Glaze Slow Cooker Ribs:

(serves two hungry people as an entree)

1/2 Rack Pork Baby Back Ribs
1/4 cup your Fav. BBQ Sauce
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. Black Pepper
3/4 tsp. White Pepper
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1/3 cup Cocoa Powder

1/3 tsp. Cinnamon

Trim any large pieces of fat and tendon off the ribs. You don't have to remove the skin from the bone-side of the ribs, because it'll cook off, but you can if you prefer. Cut the racks into large pieces, so that they barely fit inside the crock pot when standing upright. You want the pieces to have enough "length," and therefore curvature to stand up and you want the outer edges to press into the sides of the crock pot if possible.

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl, and press it on all sides of the ribs. Cover and let sit overnight. (You can skip this step, but I wouldn't). Put the ribs in the crock pot standing up on their edge, with the meaty side out (Very important! This gives them a crisper texture, and keeps the ribs from becoming mushy. It also allows the meat to brown a little on the outside). Cook in a crock pot/slow cooker on high for 7-10 hours. The longer they cook, the more the ribs will condense into meaty yumminess.

Carefully remove ribs from slow-cooker with tongs, and place on a broiler pan. Brush the meaty side of the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce (thinned with a little water or beer, if you prefer) and broil on high until the sauce has caramelized onto the top of the ribs. Remove, and enjoy!