GUAM
BBQ chicken and spare ribs

BBQ short ribs (Photo by Rueben Olivas/courtesy of The Guam Guide)

You don’t have to be a gourmand to know that Guam food is pretty addictive. Search “Chamorro food” on Instagram and you’ll see just how much Chamorros miss home-cooked meals when they move off-island. If you’re craving mom’s eskabeche or dad’s BBQ short ribs, heat up the skillet or fire up the grill and start cooking with these tried and true Chamorro recipes!

CHICKEN KELAGUEN

Chicken Kelaguen

Chicken Kelaguen (Photo by Annie Merfalen/courtesy of The Guam Guide)

Don’t call it “chicken salad,” kelaguen is so much more. This spicy chicken dish is marinated in lemon and served with soft flour titiyas. Variations on this dish are made with uhang (shrimp), guihan (fish) or binådu (deer).

Ingredients:

  • 1 small rotisserie chicken

  • 6 stalks green onions

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon powder plus 3 tablespoons water (or use the juice of 1 large lemon)

  • 2 teaspoons salt (more or less, to taste)

  • Hot pepper, optional

  • Freshly grated coconut (unsweetened), optional

Directions:

  1. Debone the chicken; shred or cut into small pieces (I used a food processor to roughly chop the chicken).

  2. Thinly slice the green onions then add it to the chicken.

  3. Add the lemon powder, water, salt and pepper to the bowl of chicken; mix to combine. Taste; adjust seasoning if required.

  4. Stir in the optional grated coconut.

  5. Serve with my super easy sweet flour titiyas and enjoy!

– Recipe by Annie Merfalen

BBQ SHORT RIBS

BBQ chicken and spare ribs

BBQ short ribs (Photo by Rueben Olivas/courtesy of The Guam Guide)

Guam BBQ is typically made with Korean kalbi style short ribs, over a charcoal grill. Each family keeps its own BBQ recipe a tightly guarded secret. Thankfully, Rueben Olivas has let us in on the basics.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of Kikkoman Soy Sauce

  • 1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar

  • 1/2 to 1 onion sliced very thin

  • 6 cloves of garlic minced

  • Black pepper to taste

  • Beef short ribs depending on the number of persons 1/2 lb per person generally.

Directions:

  1. Mix the ingredients either by hand or in a blender.

  2. Pour the marinade over your ribs in a container and coat ribs well.

  3. Place the covered container in the refrigerator or cooler for at least 2 hours or over night.

  4. BBQ or grill as some say, mopping the marinade on the ribs to keep them moist.

  5. Because these ribs are thin, they will not take long to cook. These are juicy and delicious right off the grill.

– Recipe by Rueben Olivas

BUÑELOS AGA

Buñelos aga

Buñelos aga (Photo by Barry Duenas/courtesy of The Guam Guide)

Krispie Kremes has nothing on fresh warm Buñelos Aga – banana donuts. For the best results, make with local sweet bananas. The best foods work just as well for breakfast as dessert.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups mashed ripe bananas

  • 2 cups flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 tablespoons milk

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • Vegetable oil (for frying)

  • Maple syrup, for dipping or glazing

Directions:

  1. Place the oil in a large frying pan; turn the heat to medium to begin preheating the oil.

  2. Mix all of the other ingredients thoroughly. It’s going to look like mashed up bananas, but firmer because of the flour. The batter will be very sticky but don’t be tempted to add more flour — this is the perfect ratio to make moist donuts. Adding too much flour will make them rubbery.

  3. When oil is hot, drop the mixture by spoonful into the oil, turning frequently. The Chamorro method is to scoop up a little bit of batter in your hand, then squeeze out a dollop of batter between your thumb and pointer.

  4. Deep fry over medium heat. Keep your stove settings on medium heat. If the oil it too hot, it will burn on the outside before the inside cooks. Cook until golden brown.

  5. Serve with a side of maple syrup for dipping, or glaze all of the donuts with maple syrup.

  6. Drain on a paper towel and serve warm.

– Recipe by Annie and Carolyn Merfalen

GOLFAN APAI LEMMAI

Golfan Apai Lemmai

Golfan Apai Lemmai (Photo courtesy of Victor Consaga/Guampedia)

Lemmai, also called breadfruit, grows in abundance on the island of Guam. The meat can be baked as is, or made into dough for frying. The best way to eat lemmai, is slow-cooked in golfan, coconut milk, until soft. This recipe can also be used with banana, yam, or any other starchy vegetable.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large (3 to 5 lb) breadfruit

  • 2 coconuts (milk extracted or a 12-ounce can of coconut milk may be substituted)

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar (optional)

  • Water

Directions:

  1. Peel the breadfruit and cut into serving-sized pieces. Place in pot large enough to fit everything, with space on top to allow for boiling the coconut milk to bubble up.

  2. Mix coconut milk and salt to taste, and add sugar if desired. Pour over the vegetables, so that everything is covered, but visible.

  3. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and drop heat to low. When the mixture is åppan and the vegetables firm but soft, the dish is ready to serve.

– Recipe by Dr. Judy Flores

TINALA’ KATNE

Tinala’ Katne

Tinala’ Katne (Photo courtesy of Victor Consaga/Guampedia)

Dried cured beef, tinala’ katne takes on a bright reddish color. Smokey and salty, this fiesta staple modernizes an old preservation technique.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb beef, thinly sliced

  • Cloves of garlic, crushed to taste

  • 1/4 cup vinegar

  • Salt to taste (ocean or table salt can be used)

  • Pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Mix ingredients and rub on meat.

  2. Hang to dry or place in an oven to dry.

  3. Once dried, beef can be heated over a barbecue grill or in an oven before serving.

– Recipe by Tanya Champaco Mendiola

APIGIGE’

Apigige’

Apigige’ (Photo courtesy of Abasaa/Wikimedia)

Apigige’ is a sweet mix of coconut and cassava, grilled in a banana leap. Served as a sticky snack or simple desert, apigige’ can be stored long term in the freezer.

Ingredients:

  • 1 16 oz. bag banana leaves, cut into 8 in. long x 5in. wide pieces.

  • 2 cups chopped/slivered young coconut (Two 20 oz. cans)

  • Two 16 oz packages of grated cassava (if frozen, thaw overnight, do not soak in hot water

  • 1 cup young coconut juice

  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

  1. Clean the banana leaves with a sponge and water. Wipe leaves with kitchen towel and set atop baking racks to dry.

  2. Drain juice from coconut, saving 1 cup to set aside.

  3. Finely slice the coconut.

  4. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut meat, 1 cup of juice, grated cassava, and sugar to form a thick batter. Depending on the brand of cassava, it may be quite watery. If this is the case, pour your batter into a fine-mesh colander and drain out some of the liquid. Preheat griddle or grill to medium heat.

  5. Apply 2 tablespoons of mixture at the bottom edge of banana leaf, centered, about 2 inches up from the bottom. Use 3 tablespoons for thick and big apigige’.

  6. Spread mix into a 4 inch x 1.5 inch rectangle, or 5 inches long if using 3 tbsp.

  7. Fold and roll like a flattened burrito.

  8. Cook folded-side down until apigige’ has puffed up and bottom of banana leaves are charred, about 8 minutes.

  9. You will see that the apigige’ has thickened. Flip to the other side for another 8 to 10 minutes, charring as well.

– Recipe by Paula Quinene

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