Steak out a
By Betty Shimabukuro
gingery saladFirst off, for fans of Kekoa Catherine Enomoto -- sorry, she's gone to Maui. Kekoa wrote this column for about a decade, diligently collecting reader requests and going after recipes. She had a dedicated following and a devoted readership. But opportunity and a beautiful new home in Kula came calling, and Kekoa has moved on to the Maui News.
This leaves you with me. What do I know about cooking? Well, I own a stove. But then, I am a reporter, and reporters specialize in finding out what they don't already know. So ask me, I'll ask somebody else and hopefully, enlightenment will follow.
But enough about us. There's food out there, waiting to be eaten.
Speaking of asking, Jeannine Villanueva asked for the marinated steak salad served at Heidi's Bistro and Delis. Villanueva works downtown, close to the Heidi's outlets, and enjoys "substantial salads."
"When I asked the server what was in the dressing, she said they use barbecue sauce. But it seems to be lighter than barbecue sauce. No doubt it has vinegar, sugar, salad oil. I can't figure out what other ingredients are in the dressing."
No barbecue sauce, but the secret is ginger, slivered, but in pieces big enough to bite into, says Heidi's owner Micki Mortensen.
The salad is one of 11 served at Heidi's, Mortensen says, and the recipe is probably more than 10 years old, one of the most enduring and popular items on the menu.
The steak is actually roast beef, cut in thin strips. The salad includes bean sprouts, mushrooms, celery and peppers.
Heidi's, by the way, is named for Mortensen's daughter, who was 3 when her parents opened a bakery next to the old Honolulu Stadium on King Street, in 1972.
Micki and Axel Mortensen came to Hawaii from the Bavarian Alps, via California and Vancouver.
"I had a dreamer of a husband," Mortensen says. "He had a big idea to come to Hawaii."
There are now three Heidi's restaurants, all downtown, in Bishop Square, Grosvenor Center and Pioneer Plaza.
Mortensen says her salad is great even if you go with the vegetables only. "Myself, I eat it without the beef," she says.
Here is her recipe and one for another beef salad, Thai-style.
Heidi's marinated steak salad
1 pound cabbage, juliennedMix together vinegar, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic and ginger. Marinate beef in the dressing at least 1 hour.
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 ounces bean sprouts, about 1/2 cup
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 ounce fresh mushrooms, sliced, about 1/2 cup
1 large tomato, in thin wedges
4 ounces lean, cooked roast beef, thinly sliced and cut in small strips
Dressing:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, slivered
Toss all the vegetables together, including the ginger. Add beef and toss everything together well.
Makes 4 side-dish servings.
Thai beef salad
"A Taste of Hawaii" by Jean-Marie Josselin,
with crisp basil
Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 19922 small heads red leaf lettucePlace greens in a salad bowl and mix with bell pepper, bean sprouts, and half the coriander. Reserve in a cool place.
1 small head green leaf lettuce
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
16 sprigs fresh coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound flank steak
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
12 basil leaves
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 small red chile peppers, diced
In a blender, combine garlic, the other half of the coriander leaves, vinegar, soy sauce and lime juice and blend thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper.
Grill steak until medium rare, about 6 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly on a diagonal and reserve.
Preheat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and stir-fry the basil, 2 leaves at a time, for a few seconds, then remove and drain on a paper towel. Add the garlic-coriander mixture and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the steak and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Place steak slices on top of the salad mixture. Garnish with the basil, scallions, chiles and serve.
Serves 4-6.
Jack Butler is hungry for the pulehu ribs they used to serve at The Sty in Niu Valley. Does anyone out there know the secret, or have a recipe that comes close? Speaking of beef
Send queries along with name and phone number to:
By Request, Honolulu Star-Bulletin Food Section,
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Or send e-mail to features@starbulletin.com
Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the
Body & Soul section indicates calculations by
Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts,
a nutritional consulting firm.
