HERB

Flavor Engine  ·  Machine-Generated  ·  Empirically Delicious

Sign in
Racked in the Islands hero image

Racked in the Islands

Pipikaula-Style Pork Ribs with Lomi Salmon and Poi

2 hours
Serves 4
DinnerHawaiianDairy-freeNut-free
Herb's take

Hawaiian pipikaula, once reserved for paniolo (cowboys), gets a porky remix with shoyu-marinated ribs. This plate will teach you the fine art of chewy, smoky meat and the power of sweet, tangy sides, plus why the lomi salmon and poi are more than mere accessories.

Equipment needed
  • grill or smoker

Ingredients

Yield
4

Instructions

  1. 01
    Cut the pork rib rack into 1 1/2-inch wide strips along the bone for classic pipikaula style.
  2. 02
    Whisk shoyu, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, red chili, orange zest, and lime juice in a large bowl until sugar dissolves.
  3. 03
    Add rib strips to marinade, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or overnight.
  4. 04
    Remove ribs from marinade, pat dry, and arrange on a rack over a tray. Sprinkle both sides evenly with kosher salt and black pepper. Air-chill, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
  5. 05
    While ribs rest, combine tomatoes, sweet onion, scallions, and a pinch of fine Hawaiian sea salt in a bowl. Toss and chill, this is your tomato-onion relish.
  6. 06
    In a separate bowl, gently mix diced fresh salmon with 1/2 cup of the tomato-onion mixture and remaining fine Hawaiian sea salt. Refrigerate, the salt will gently cure the salmon and tie the lomi together.
  7. 07
    For poi: Place cubed taro in a pot, add water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a lively simmer and cook until fork-tender, about 45 minutes.
  8. 08
    Drain taro and let cool slightly. Mash with a sturdy spoon or potato masher, adding just enough reserved cooking water to achieve a thick, sticky paste.
  9. 09
    Preheat a grill or smoker to medium heat, about 325°F. Grill or smoke rib strips over indirect heat, turning and basting with leftover marinade every 10 minutes, until deeply browned, sticky, and just chewy at the edges, about 45 minutes.
  10. 10
    Rest ribs 10 minutes before slicing between the bones into individual pieces.
  11. 11
    To serve: Place a generous scoop of poi on each plate, add a mound of lomi salmon, a spoonful of tomato-onion relish, and the glazed pipikaula ribs. Eat with fingers, as tradition commands.

Want your own recipe?

Toss me some ingredients in the Recipe Lab and I'll invent three recipes on the spot. Just for you.