Finding a quality cut

• Sandy Moribe's beef-rib stew is sure to please the hungry clan

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

Meat cutter Kam Tong shows off a beef carcass at Aala Meat Market on Waiakamilo Road. Meat markets on O'ahu are primarily in Chinatown and Kalihi, where you can locate a full range of hard to find and ethnic cuts. Photos by Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

GRASS-FED RIB-EYE: Several local dealers specialize in beef that grazed throughout life rather than being fattened in feed lots. Such meat often offers a more assertive flavor and texture.

GRAIN-FED RIB-EYE: Grain-fed beef is the kind most of us are used to — mild-flavored, marbled with fat — but some are concerned about the use of pesticides and other chemicals.

But when you need something different — for an ethnic holiday, a special recipe or some other purpose — or when you want local beef, or grass-fed meats, you find yourself wondering whether there is such a thing as a meat market anymore.

There is, but they are scarce.

A while back, Sandy Moribe of Aala Meat Market Inc., a primarily wholesale business in Kalihi that has a long history of retail service and still maintains a classic meat case, called to tell us about the grass-finished beef her family brings in weekly from J.J. Andrade Meatmarket in Honoka'a on the Big Island. That conversation prompted us to seek out meat markets on O'ahu and compile a short directory.

We found that some meat markets listed in the Yellow Pages are gone or no longer deal in meats. Most of those that remain are in Chinatown and Kalihi.

We focused on shops whose primary merchandise is meats. Note that many larger ethnic markets, such as Palama Super Market and Queen's Super Market, do have meat departments.

Free-range beef that has not been routinely dosed with antibiotics, from Kamuela Pride in Waimea, is available at some health-food stores (Kokua Market, The Source Natural Foods).

North Shore Cattle Co. (direct sales online at beefhawaii.com or in the Saturday Farmers' Market at Kapi'olani Community College) is another local source for ground beef, steaks and other cuts.

If you're looking for a source of foie gras or duck breast, R. Field Wine Co. outlets in Foodland stores have them.

Now to the meat markets:

Kalihi

Aala Meat Market Inc., 751 Waiakamilo Road (832-6650). This third-generation family business got its start when Yee Tim Chong founded a meat market in 1934 in the old Otani Fish Market building at Nimitz and River streets, later moving to 'A'ala and Beretania streets. Chong's son, Donald Chong, moved the business to a federally approved plant on Waiakamilo Road in 1994. Now, three Chong grandchildren — Sandy Moribe, Debbie Uyematsu and Michael Chong — run the business, and a fourth generation is helping.

Ninety percent of their business is in institutional food distribution, but for retail customers, they bring in grass-finished beef and cut the meat by hand, using a saw only for the bones. The meat is deep red with a creamy yellow fat layer, tender and with good flavor, based on cuts we tested. They prepare standard as well as custom cuts.

Aala sells a full range of meats: private-label Portuguese sausage for fund-raising, fresh Island oxtail, ducks, geese, rabbits, fresh turkeys at Thanksgiving, suckling pigs, whole lamb and goat, duck breast by the case.

Kalihi Super Meats, 1010 Gulick Ave. (841-6186). This venerable grocery store and plate-lunch counter just off North King Street sells a wide variety of meats and is topped with all manner of meat adjuncts, such as house-made kal bi marinade and teriyaki marinade and Molokai Roadside barbecue sauce and Island-style flavored salts. They also sell party platters of sushi and other local-style foods.

The business has been in Wayne Mato's family for more than 40 years. Their signature is the immense tubs of chicken, pork and beef cuts marinated in Korean barbecue sauce, Japanese teriyaki sauce, Filipino adobo and Chinese char siu sauce, ready to be grilled at home. This is the only shop we saw that labels its meats by origin (the Mainland, Australia, Hawai'i).

Stars & Stripes Food Service, 2028 Dillingham Blvd., Unit B. (853-2333). Owner Randy Owens explains that his shop caters to people with enough freezer space to buy a whole section, a fore- or hindquarter or a box of mixed cuts of fresh beef. They also sell pork and chicken cuts (frozen) and will cut smaller portions for those who want to try the product before investing in a large order.

Kapalama Butcherman Meat Co., 1449 N. King St., near Farrington High School (841-6601). This shop sells frozen meats in bulk (10-pound packs of frozen short ribs, teriyaki sliced meat), as well as hot dogs, chicken wings and thighs, bacon and some fish. At holiday time, quarter-hinds of beef are available by special order.

Chinatown

In Chinatown, you can buy every part of the chicken and the pig and a fair portion of the steer and the lamb and even some goat as well.

Some shops are virtually English-free zones so, if you don't speak an Asian language, you may have to get creative: Bring in a picture of what you want or a diagram of the animal with the cut outlined, or ask among your fellow customers to find someone who can translate. Many meat cuts aren't labeled or aren't labeled in English. Although some shops accept credit cards, most shopkeepers prefer cash.

Chinatown is ever-changing. Some shops lack signs. Shops move or disappear frequently. Some owners operate two or more shops with the same name in different locations. The shops we describe below were in place last week, however.

With a few exceptions, meat markets here tend to cater to the tastes of a particular ethnic group. The meat cuts are often the harder-to-find and/or longer-cooking pieces — bone-in cuts, organ meats, heads, ears and feet, whole chickens and even whole pigs. You'll see few steaks and roasts. The emphasis is on pork and chicken, with less beef and a number of more specialized meats, such as lamb, goat and duck. Prices often are significantly lower than in grocery stores.

In general, Southeast Asian markets specialize in pork. Filipino specialties include tocino (Philippines-style bacon), longanisa (a pork sausage), organ meats, containers of blood and bile, and more pork and chicken than beef. Chinese markets invariably carry roast pork, char-siu pork, pork cuts, chicken, beef, duck, lamb and other special items.

Chinatown meat shops are clustered in five centers:

Maunakea Market Place, 1120 Maunakea St. Enter moon gate from Maunakea Street or via the door on Hotel Street at Kekaulike Mall.

• B & M Meat Market, Stall 139, on the food-court level at the 'ewa end. Southeast Asian cuts of pork.
• Norma's, at the 'ewa end the farmer's market. Filipino specialties.
• Nardo's, next to Norma's. Chicken, pork, organ meats.
• Mike & Mel's, next to Nardo's. Chicken, pork, beef.
• Carnate's, Stall 149. Filipino specialties.
• Unsigned stall next to the makai door at Hotel and Kekaulike. Chinese-style cuts of meat, organ meats, lamb.
• Susan's, Stall 150. Filipino specialties; mongyan (pig net), goat meat.

Kekaulike Market, 1020 Kekaulike St. Enter from 'ewa doors off Kekaulike Mall.

• Norma's Meat Market, Unit 103 (529-8646), is just inside the makai door on the left. Well-stocked stall has wide variety of Filipino-style specialties.
• Wei Fat Meat & Seafood Co., Unit 119 (545-4656). Expansive operation sells many bone-in cuts, Chinese-style fishcake, pork stomach, tripe, liver, and cuts of beef, chicken and pork.
• Unsigned stall on the mauka side of the market. Inexpensive fresh and frozen bone-in cuts of beef, chicken, pork and organ meats, including meaty, marrow-filled soup bones and ground pork.

Oahu Market, 145 N. King. Multiple stalls under one roof on 'ewa corner of North King and Kekaulike streets.

• Sing Hing Meat Market, diamondhead side, on Kekaulike (538-6179). Specializes in pork, including whole pig's heads, roast pork and char siu, cut to order.
• T & T Meat Market, Stall 24 (521-5171). Chinese-style pork and other meats.
• Kai Kee Inc., Stall 13 (550-8898). Roast pork and char siu; other pork cuts.
• Kam's Meat Market, Stall 2 (531-6679). Well-stocked purveyor of pork, chicken and beef cuts.
• Chicken Cradle Market, inside Oahu Market (533-3981). Chicken only, cut to order.
• Hato Roast Pork & Meat Market, Stall 4 (521-2791). Chinese-style pork specialties, duck, other meats.
• Thanh-Phat, inside Oahu Market. Southeast Asian cuts, particularly pork and organ meats.
• Malasig Meat Market (Seven Sisters), inside Oahu Market (536-3855). Filipino specialties, also vegetables.
• Fong's, mauka end, on King Street. Roast pork, char siu cut to order.
• Chun's Meat Market, 157 N. King (533-0577). This shop is not in Oahu Market, but a door 'ewa on King Street. They do plate lunches and deal in vegetables and meats, but their specialty is party catering. They sell whole pigs (30 to 100 pounds, order one week in advance), roast pigs, Peking duck, Hong Kong chicken, shoyu chicken, laulau and kalua pork by advance order.

King Market, 135 N. King. Multiple stalls inside a storefront on diamondhead corner of North King and Kekaulike intersection.

• Thanh-Phat, makai side (524-8388). Fresh and frozen Vietnamese-style cuts of pork; large, locally grown stewing chickens; frozen Vietnamese specialties such as a ground pork mixture used for meatballs and patties.
• Hoong Wun, diamondhead side (533-6452). Expansive, multi-ethnic presentation of all types of fresh and frozen meats, plus fresh eggs; frozen squab and quail.

Chinatown Cultural Plaza, 100 N. Beretania St. Enter from Beretania near River or from Nu'uanu. The Farmer's Market at the Plaza is at the extreme mauka end.

• P & D Meats (521-3695). Hand-cut beef, including thin shabu-shabu slices, steaks, flank steak and stew meat; other meats.
• Kukui Meat Market (533-4873). Specializing in marinated Korean-style short ribs, steaks and other meats.

Elsewhere

• Waianae Meat Market, 85-853 Farrington Highway (696-6328). Frozen beef, pork, poultry, seafood, mostly bulk, 10-pound cases and up.

Sandy Moribe's beef-rib stew is sure to please the hungry clan

At Aala Meat Market, employees love it when Sandy Moribe makes up a big pot of her special beef stew and brings it in for a family-style meal. This recipe makes enough for a family party, or so that you can freeze a number of two- or three-person portions. She specifies Lawry's brand garlic salt, by the way. "A lot of people don't know how to break down a carcass anymore," Moribe said. "We learned how to cut this rib stew meat from our dad. It's a hit."

Island Beef-rib Stew

• Oil for browning
• 9 pounds beef rib stew meat
• 6 pounds chuck stew meat
• 16 cups water
• 1/4 cup garlic salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoon rock salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 10 slices fresh ginger (peeled)
• 5 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 3/4 pound celery, chopped
• 3/4 pound whole peeled onion
• 2 1/2 cups pureed tomatoes
• 3 pounds red potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 pounds carrot, peeled and chopped
• Cornstarch, blended into a thin paste with water

Brown meat in hot vegetable oil in bottom of large, heavy stew pot (or brown in frying pan and transfer to stew pot).

Add everything but the potatoes and carrots. Simmer 2 hours. Test to see if the meat is tender; cook another half-hour if needed.

Add potatoes and carrots. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are cooked through. Thicken with cornstarch slurry.

Here's another old Island favorite that is the sort of thing you make from real, bone-in butcher meat: a baked sparerib recipe adapted from the 1967 edition of "Still More of Our Favorite Recipes," published by the Maui Extension Homemakers Council. Spareribs are the lower portion of the rib and breastbone of the pig, quite fatty and wonderfully delicious when marinated and slowly cooked. The chili sauce referred to here is the relatively mild Chinese type, sold under brand names such as Lee Kum Kee or Koon Choon; you could also use sriacha sauce. If you don't care for spiciness, you could replace the chili sauce with ketchup.

Spicy Baked Spareribs

• 3 pounds meaty spareribs cut into 5-inch lengths
• Oil for browning
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• Dash of Tabasco

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour a little oil into a heavy Dutch oven or roasting pan, just enough to prevent sticking, and add the ribs. Place the ribs in the oven, turning to brown on both sides.

Meanwhile, in a frying pan, fry onion in a little oil until limp and translucent. Add remaining ingredients, stir until combined. Taste and correct seasonings as desired. Pour this sauce over the browned spare ribs and bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.