Hawaiian Style Beef Stew. . . Or is it?

I've always wondered how beef stew became such a staple in Hawaii. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing dish that I grew up eating, but nothing about it is local other than the fact that us locals LOVE it! Typically, a stew is a stand alone dish that is a complete meal in and of itself, right? Maybe true in most parts of the world but not in Hawaii. If you're ordering beef stew, you're getting beef stew over a bed of rice and a side of mac salad! That's just how we do it in Hawaii. Maybe that's what makes it local?

As I got older and more and more into cooking, naturally I learned how to make beef stew. It was the perfect dish to make for large families when you're on a budget. My late Aunty Kathleen was the first person to teach me the recipe. She was known in our family as a great cook. If you told aunty Kathleen she had $5 to feed 15 of us, she'd come back about an hour later with a hot meal fit for a king! Her recipe was the most basic of basics:

Hawaiian Style Beef Stew
Ingredients:

• beef chuck roast (or any other cut you prefer)
• onions
• celery
• carrots
• potatoes
• garlic cloves (crushed)
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 2-3 bay leaves
• dash of soy sauce
• flour
• tomato paste (or sauce)
• water
• olive oil

Preparation:

1. Cube beef, onions, celery, potato and carrots into 1-2inch large pieces. Keep potatoes on the larger side.
2. In a bowl, coat beef cubes with salt, pepper and flour.
3. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil into a large pot over medium-high heat then add beef cubes and crushed garlic.
4. When beef cubes are well browned on each side add tomato paste, bay leaves, onions.
5. Add water (to cover) then bring to a boil and let it simmer on low heat for 1-2 hours, until beef is tender.
6. Add potatoes, celery, carrots and a dash of soy sauce then simmer for another 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
7. Season with more salt and pepper, to taste.
8. To thicken the stew further,  add extra potatoes in the beginning and mash them up once they are tender, or you can mix flour and water then whisk it into the stew.
9. Serve Hot!

Now comes the question of where did this style of beef stew come from? Throughout the years I've learned several versions and eventually settled upon one to my very own liking. I like to add green beans and cabbage 10mins before finishing off the stew, as well as some secret spices, as seen below (green beans are hiding underneath). I've also learned various other types of stews and the one thing I found a lil peculiar was that Irish Beef Stew and Hawaiian Beef Stew are almost exactly alike! I'm thinking that somewhere in history an Irish man landed in Hawaii and made this awesome dish. Hawaiians, being the lovers of food, then started making it as well. Is this confirmed? No, but it's definitely food for thought!

My roommate loves to make it with beer, particularly Guinness. Either way, try one of these recipes out for yourself and let me know what you think! =)

Peace & Poi,
Dis Hungry Hawaiian