Posted on: Wednesday, September 22, 2004
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Corned beef stew returns
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
In June, Ann T. e-mailed Food for Thought to ask if we could find a corned beef stew recipe her mom used to make. "My mom remembers eating it when she attended Kauilani School back around 1925. She said she could get it at Furuhashi Store, where it came served in a paper lu'au-type dish," Ann wrote. She remembers matchstick carrots and potatoes, long rice and a tomatoey sauce.
My contact at the School Food Services Program, Terri-Jean Kam-Ogawa, came up with a basic recipe from the state Parks and Recreation department, and I've worked on it to see if it lived up to Ann's memories.
I used unsalted tomato sauce and low-sodium shoyu because there's so much sodium in corned beef, but this still is NOT a recipe for anyone counting sodium milligrams. Be sure to use thin-skinned white boiling potatoes for this, not the brown-skinned bakers. The original recipe just called for tomato sauce, water, corned beef and vegetables, but it was a bit too bland. The addition of ketchup, shoyu and vinegar perks up flavors. Taste and experiment. This is a thickish stew not long on gravy but very long on comfort when served over rice.
I didn't put the long rice in, but you could easily add a bundle (pre-soaked and snipped) if you, like Ann, remember the stew that way.
CORNED BEEF STEW
In a small frying pan, lightly saute onions in olive oil, until limp and a little bit golden.
Meanwhile, place tomato sauce, water, tomatoes and carrots in large pot; bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer until vegetables are just tender. Add onions, corned beef, ketchup, shoyu, vinegar and simmer 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. (If you think it needs another splash of vinegar or shoyu, go ahead.)
Serves: 4 very generously, 6 as an entree with other dishes.
• Per serving (4 servings, not including salt to taste): 270 calories, 10 g total fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 16 g protein. • Per serving (6 servings, not including salt to taste): 180 calories, 7 g total fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium,19 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 11 g protein. Next week: Those pork and bean sandwiches!
