Have you ever asked a grandma for her recipe for your favorite meal? What a silly question. In my experience, grandmothers don’t have recipes. They depend on their memory and taste not recipes or measuring cups.
My Grandma Maehara made this amazing sweet and sour pork called Pak Kai. I thought it was an old family recipe. A recipe she watched her mother make or a childhood favorite.
Instead, the recipe for Pak Kai came from a relative of ours who lived in Hawaii. She learned to make it as an adult. It wasn’t a treasured family recipe then, but it is now.
As a child, it was my favorite meal my grandmother made. As an adult, I make it for my family and I am teaching my girls to make it. Family recipes don’t have to be passed on for generations to be special. Family recipes are special, because they are recipes that remind you of your family.
In my 20 somethings, I asked my Grandma Maehara the silly question above. Can I have your recipe for Pak Kai? She proceeded to rattle off the ingredients, with a quick description of how to put it together.
Huh?
Instead, I asked grandma, “Next time you make Pak Kai can I help?” Of course. And that is the origin of my recipe below.
As Grandma made Pak Kai, I scribbled my recipe onto Grandpa’s notepad beside the telephone. I watched as she poured, estimating how much sugar, soy sauce and vinegar.
How do you know how much to put in?
Of course, Grandma would just say, “taste it.” She would dip her chopsticks into the broth, touch the chopsticks to the palm of her hand and lick her palm. Now it’s my turn, I’d take the chopsticks and put the broth in my palm and lick. “If it’s too karai (sour or strong),” she would say, ” just add water or sugar. If it’s not sour enough add vinegar. If it needs salt, add more soy sauce.”
Over the years, I have learned to use those skills my grandma taught me. And I have done just that with this recipe. Grandma boiled her pork for 10-20 minutes. Then she would pour out the old boiling water and cover the pork with new water and boil again.
I made the recipe this way for years, but I felt like I was losing all the flavor down the drain. Now, instead of boiling, I sear the pork cubes. This adds a deep rich color and flavor to the finished dish.
As we ate Pak Kai for dinner tonight, we reminisced about our girl’s great-grandma. Not only what an amazing cook she was, but how much she loved them and how much joy they brought her. That is what makes Pak Kai a very special family recipe.
Pak Kai
3-4 pounds of pork roast, pork spare ribs or pork steak (with or without bone) Cut into one inch cubes.
1 tablespoon oil of your choice
1 cup white vinegar (Grandma said only use Heinz, but I use generic vinegar and it’s just as delicious.)
1 cup soy sauce (Grandma only used Kikkoman but I use gluten free or coconut aminos.)
1/3 cup white granulated sugar ( If this seems like alot, use less. You can always add more at the end. Grandma said she only used 4 Tbsp of sugar, but I watched her, she poured in way more than that.)
1 cup water
2 bell peppers cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can pineapple chunks, don’t throw away the juice. You’ll regret it. (Grandma says only use Dole chunked, but I use any brand. And what a rebel, sometimes I buy rings.)
1 yellow onion, cut into large chunks
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1. Start with your pork cut into cubes. I have learned that a good butcher will do this for you. Grandma would always use spareribs and she would have her butcher cut them into individual ribs and then 1 inch pieces. Today I used pork steaks with a bone. My butcher cut the steaks into cubes, leaving all the fat and bone intact.
2. I used my Dutch Oven, but you can use any large pan or soup pot with a lid. Heat your pot on medium-high heat. I sprinkle the pork with sea salt. Add oil to the pan. Add your pork. Don’t crowd the pot. Turn your pieces. When they are brown, remove them from the pot and set aside.
3. Put all of the seared meat back into the pot. Add the vinegar, all the juice from the canned pineapple, soy sauce, sugar and water. Put on the lid.
4. Let the pork simmer for at least an hour. Test the pork; if it’s tender, go to the next step. If it isn’t tender, give it another half an hour to simmer.
5. When the pork is tender, add the pineapple chunks, onion, and bell peppers. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Make a corn starch slurry. Add 2 Tbsp of cornstarch to 1/4 cup of water. Mix and add to the sauce. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Dinner time! We like to eat Pak Kai with sticky rice.
Don’t forget: If it’s too karai, add some water. If it’s not sweet enough, add sugar. If you like it more salty, add more soy.
I guarantee you this recipe is better than any American-Chinese sweet and sour you have ever tried. It isn’t fried or breaded or bright red.
I hope you will make this your new family recipe.
Treasuring An Unconventional Life 