If you're visiting the Big Island this weekend, get off work early Friday and hop on a plane in time for the 14th Mealani A Taste of the Hawaiian Range and Agricultural Festival, running 6 to 8 p.m. at Hilton Waikoloa Village.

The showcase of locally raised meats — including beef, pork, lamb, mutton and goat — and locally grown produce will be prepared by more than 30 isle chefs. Town Restaurant, 12th Avenue Grill and Tiki's Grill & Bar are among the Honolulu eateries represented; they join a long list of Big Isle restaurants, including Daniel Thiebaut's Restaurant, Earl Paauilo Store, Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar — Waikoloa, Roy's Waikoloa Bar & Grill, Merrimen's Market Cafe, Jay's Island Tapas and Huggo's Restaurant.

If you can get an even earlier start, attend a 4 p.m. culinary demonstration, “;How to Cook Grass-Fed Beef 101,”; by chefs Jackie Lau and Ronnie Nasuti of Roy's Restaurants-Hawaii. Fee is $10. Call Susan Miyasaka at 981-5199, ext. 201, or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Tickets are $40 pre-sale and $80 at the door, available at various Big Isle locations or online: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ taste/tickets.asp, where an order form can be downloaded and an address is posted for payment.

Chef Ted Fulmer of Pau Pizza, which is also participating, offers his recipe for a beef cross-rib stew. The dish will be among those served at the festival.

“;This recipe is not only simple ... it's versatile,”; says Fulmer. “;It becomes a main course very easily by just ladling it over pasta and spinach. Garnish with some extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan and fresh herb, and you've just made a $25 entree at your favorite Italian restaurant. I'm not sure if there is such a dish that can be made so inexpensively and yet deliver such satisfaction.”;

Pau Pizza's Hawaiian Beef Cross-Rib Stew

Courtesy chef Ted Fulmer

5 pounds Hawaiian beef cross ribs (shoulder) boneless, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 onions, diced in large pieces
5 carrots, diced in large pieces
5 celery stalks, diced in large pieces
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
2-1/2 cups tomato sauce
4 cups water
1 teaspoon fennel seed
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season beef with salt and pepper, then brown on a sheet tray in oven, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add vegetables to stock pot and cook on medium-high for 10 minutes.

Add beef and juices, wine, tomato sauce, water, fennel, bay leaves and chili flakes. Simmer until beef becomes fork tender, about 90 minutes.

Take off heat and add salt and sugar. Stir to combine. Serves 15.

Nutritional information unavailable.