Big Island Big Eats

When I was a kid, for some reason, the local Pizza Hut would always let my class or my Girl Scout troop do a tour of the kitchen, and then have us top our own personal pan pizzas with as many toppings as we wanted. It was, hands down, one of the best field trips each year. It's crazy to think that was even a thing, to let a bunch of eight- or nine-year-olds into a commercial kitchen and give them free range on the prep line. What it did do, certainly, was indoctrinate me into a pretty loyal fan of their pan pizza, particularly of the Meat Lover's variety. What a pan pizza from Pizza Hut has going for it is the crust. It was always super crunchy on the bottom and had a lovely amount of oil. So last week we ordered up a Meat Lover's to remissness and plot our next "Fast Food Slow" episode. The pizza arrived sooner than expected, and was pretty decently hot right out of the box. The crust, though not quite as crunchy as I remembered, was still pretty good, but it did...

"Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun." We all remember the jingle, and the iconic Big Mac. But do we really need to give into the siren song of fast food only to have it dash against the rocks. I think not! That's why we are bringing you a new series where we work to recreate classic fast food dishes after reviewing the original. We hope to elevate, but no copycat. There are other blogs for that. Let's start with the beef. Really, who needs two patties in this day and age? It's just overindulgence. A serving of beef is about three ounces, but we used a nice six-ounce patty for our recipe (we split the burger anyway). We aren't too picky about the fat content of our hamburger, but we do fry it in bacon or ham fat. We also like to season our patty. Lots of burger places let the meat speak for itself, but a little extra salt, pepper, and other seasonings never killed anybody. I like the patty smooshed thin, b...

I have been a home baker for as long as I can remember: cookies, pies, cakes, pastry, and of course bread (both quick and yeasted). Like most home bakers, had hits and misses in every category. In a recent time without a functioning oven, I even bought a used breadmaker and had both successes and failures there. Homegrown sourdough starter does not really like the breadmaker... A note about our current baking situation: We bake in a late 1940s propane Tappan Deluxe. One of the sales points of this stove, back in the day, was that it was super insulated so that you could even turn the oven off before the cooking was complete. Now, the thermostat is not perfect, but that's true for current ovens as well. It's always a good idea to put a thermometer inside the oven to monitor the actual temperature. This is one of the best baking stoves I have ever owned. It's funny how sometimes the old ways are the best ways. Today I'm gong to share two of the recipes we've used that...

Today we have a list of recipe links for you to follow for your pork butts. Getting ready to grind. Breakfast sausage:  https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/breakfast-sausage-recipe-2103185 Italian sausage meatballs Italian sausage:  https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/italian-sausage-recipe-2131680  We add garlic powder, cayenne, and red pepper and don't put it in casings. We make meatballs or crumble instead. Instant Pot Kalua pork:  https://recipes.instantpot.com/recipe/kalua-pork/  Cured, smoked, and roasted ham Ham/ English bacon:  https://www.mortonsalt.com/article/meat-curing-canadian-bacon/  Being the loin cut makes it "Canadian." Pizza with home-cured and smoked ham

We went to dinner Friday night at Hilo Bay Cafe. You can hear all about it on our podcast. Seared ahi, cabbage, and duck fat potatoes from Hilo Bay Cafe The dinner inspired us to share our duck fat potato recipe with you. I get my duck fat by cooking a duck in the Instant Pot. The duck is usually roasted for crispy skin right after. I'll take the remains in the bottom of the Instant Pot and put the entire thing in the fridge. Once it is cold, you can scrape the fat off the top and save it in a jar. I keep it in the freezer to extend shelf life. Ingredients to serve two: one largish baking potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes one tablespoon duck fat, melted seasoning of your choice For the airfryer: In a bowl, toss the fat, potatoes, and seasoning. Preheat the airfryer for two to three minutes. Dump the potatoes in Cook, shaking in three to four minute intervals, until you've reached the desired color, usually ten to twelve minutes. Skillet method: Follow the directions for sauteed p...

Support us! Pork belly is a fairly versatile, if slightly overpriced, cut of meat with which you can have a lot of fun. It takes some careful cooking, but the payout is worth it in the end. How to Cook Pork Belly: The Basics First, I have to give a shout-out to the Aloha Instant Pot Community on Facebook for the basics of this method. It is a two-step process, but will give you the results you want every time. This will need a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Place about a cup and a half of water in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add the trivet and a steam basket. Place your strips of pork belly in the basket. If they are large or an entire slab, you could probably lay them directly on the trivet. Secure the lid.  Set it to manual pressure for 13-17 minutes, depending on how thick your slices were. The thinner they are, the less time they will need to cook. We had two nice thick slabs, right out of the freezer, and fifteen minutes was a touch on the low side. They were cooked throu...