I grew up in Hawaii where you don’t need a special occasion to fire up the grill. So you can imagine the smells that emanated from neighborhoods, parks and beaches on holidays like the Fourth of July. It was a virtual grillfest. The aroma of sizzling steaks, ridiculously delicious ribs, and scrumptious shrimp would mix with the island’s salt air and make your mouth water.
Sadly, I won’t be home to celebrate Independence Day with my family this year, but that’s not stopping me from making some of my favorite local recipes this holiday weekend.
If you are looking to grill up some unique dishes to add to your Fourth of July BBQ consider the following:
The first is a simple shrimp dish that is loaded with flavor. The Thai Shrimp Kebabs combine elements of the popular tom ka gai soup from Thailand—-coconut milk, cilantro, lime, and chile—-as the base for a yummy marinade. The skewers can be eaten as an appetizer or placed on a bed of rice and served as a main course.
The star of the meal is the Guava Ribs. Guavas are a local fruit that are used in a variety of tropical libations. The recipe calls for the nectar (you can buy it frozen at your local market), which provides a depth of flavor and subtle tanginess that blend very nicely with the marinade’s other ingredients.
THAI SHRIMP KEBABS
Ingredients:
2 lbs. frozen raw peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed
3/4 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
1 teaspoon Thai chile, minced
Salt
Directions:
Preheat grill.
Soak wooden skewers in cold water for 30 minutes before using.
Thread the shrimp on six 12″ skewers. Lay the skewers in an even layer in a 9″x13″ baking dish.
Stir together the coconut milk, lime juice, cilantro and chile with a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the shrimp. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Remove skewers from the marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Place skewers on the grill until the shrimp are opaque, about 2–3 minutes per side.
GUAVA RIBS
Ingredients:
9 to 12 pounds pork ribs or country-style ribs
2 pieces ginger root, sliced
Water
Ingredients for Marinade:
1 cup sugar
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup oyster sauce
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
3/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice
1 cup soy sauce
2 cans (12-ounce size) frozen guava nectar concentrate (available in the Asian food section of most markets)
Directions:
Place ribs and ginger in large pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and cook about 30 minutes, until pork is fork tender. Remove ribs.
While ribs are still warm, combine marinade ingredients in large Ziploc bag. Add ribs and marinate ribs overnight in refrigerator.
Grill ribs over hot charcoal (or broil in oven), basting meat repeatedly with leftover marinade.
Serves 10.
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