Taotao Marianas

A few weeks ago we finished the Taste of the Marinas Festival at the American Memorial Park. At this year’s festival we started the First Annual Chef’s BBQ Competition—an idea formulated by several of Saipan’s hotel executive chefs. The competition will help promote and mentor young local cooks who will be the future of the culinary arts on Saipan. The competition was won by Jimmy Castro and Elmer Esdrelon, two hard working cooks from the Dai-ichi Hotel Saipan Beach.

Depending on what kind of food you’re cooking—chicken, pork, beef, seafood—and what cut of the meat you are grilling, there are different steps in the process, from marinating and smoking and dry rubs before cooking, wet sauces added during the cooking process, to the wood or charcoal used to add or bring out the natural flavors of the meat.

Try this recipe for a tough cut of meat such as a Top Round. I call it Taotao Marianas. The price will be less expensive in the store, but the meat will be as soft and flavorful as the most expensive cut of meat.

Make a marinade of the following items:

Juice and zest of two orange
3 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1 _ tablespoons peeled and grated ginger
1 _ Tablespoon finely chopped Lemon grass
2/3 cup ketjap manis (or _ cup molasses plus _ cup tamari or dark soy sauce)
1 _ tablespoons each light and dark soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cut the Top Round into four equal sections cutting the meat against the grain. Place the meat in the marinade for 24 hours. Cook the meat on a hot barbecue grill and use the barbecue sauce recipe below to baste the meat while cooking. This recipe can be made several days before and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Honey Citrus Barbecue Sauce
2 gal

1. 2 each Onions, chopped
2. 2 each Green Bell Pepper, chopped
3. stalk Celery, chopped
4. 1 cup Garlic, minced
5. 1 cups Butter
6. cup Yellow Mustard
7. 4 cups Ketchup
8. 5 lbs Tomatoes, chopped
9. 4 cups Honey
10. 5 each Bay Leaves
11. 2 each Orange, whole
12. 2 Tsp Black Pepper
13. 2 Tsp Kosher Salt
14. 1 Tsp Tabasco
15. 3 Tsp Creole Seasoning
16. cup Worcestershire
17. 1 cup Sugar
18. 6 cups Chicken Stock
19. 2 cups Vegetable Oil
20. 3 each Lemons, whole
21. 3 each Limes, whole
22. 3 each Calamansi

Method;
In a large stock pot, heat the oil and the butter over high heat. Add the onions, garlic, celery, bell peppers and sauté until they start to caramelize. Add the mustard, Tabasco, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and the Creole seasoning. Cook for 5-10 minutes to bring back up to heat. Scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure that it is clean, and not burning. Add the ketchup, honey, and sugar, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes, and bring up to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Add the Cattleman’s sauce. Cut the fresh fruit in half and add to the stock pot. Squeeze the fruit with your hand into the stock pot then drop the fruit inside and allow to cook for 2–2 _ hours. Remove from the heat and allow to cool down. Adjust the seasonings with additional citrus juice, such as orange, lemon, pineapple, and grapefruit, or maybe honey. Store in the refrigerator until needed.

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Mark Spitzer is the executive chef of the Dai-Ichi Hotel Saipan Beach.