When visiting the island of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands, we kept the Hawaii for Dummies guide at hand for the whole trip because the tastes of the writer were very much like our own. Getting off the beaten path to find local cuisines, art, and gardens was our mission and the book led us to a few gems that the average tourist would never find.
An outdoor burger shack, Duane's Ono Char Burgers, located on the Kuhio Highway en route to the north shore of Kauai, was highly recommended and we found it to be a slice of road-side heaven. Their hamburgers, named Ono Burgers ("ono" means "good" in Hawaiian), were simply marvelous. The red open-air stand located next door to the Anahola Post Office and General Store has picnic tables under trees and all the food is cooked on a wood fired grill.
The recipe below was inspired by one of their offerings but is "lightened" up to lower fat calories somewhat.
LIGHTER ONO BURGERS
Ingredients:
Ground turkey, one pound
Ground turkey breast, one pound
One sweet onion (Maui, Vidalia, or St. Augustine Sweet), chopped
Salt and pepper
Creole seasoning mix or seasoning mix of choice, one tablespoon or to taste
Hamburger buns (choose good ones that have body to them)
Take fresh pineapple and slice into half inch thick slices. Marinade in teryaki sauce for several hours.
Fire up your charcoal grill, letting the coals turn to a solid gray. Add some oak or hickory to the fire after the coals have been ignited and the flame has died down. Basically, you want to produce smoke, but not a blaze, so time the addition of the wood to allow it to burn down but not burn away. You want enough smoke to flavor the meat without overwhelming it. I do not recommend mesquite in this instance.
Place your pineapple slices just off the heat so that you will not burn them. You want to grill them so that you create a darkened, caramelized finish. Flip once.
Mix a pound of ground turkey with a pound of ground turkey breast adding one onion, chopped, a tablespoon of creole seasoning or spice blend of choice, and salt/pepper. Be careful not to overwork the meat when forming into patties. Make an indentation with your thumb into the top of each patty. This will keep it from ballooning as it cooks. Spray lightly with Pam and put them on the gill over the coals. Pour some teryaki sauce over each burger.
Cook until a crust begins to form and you see the meat changing color about a fourth of the way up the side of the burger. Flip and cook for a few minutes and then move the burgers to the edge of the grill away from the direct heat. Pour more teryaki sauce over the burger and top each burger with blue cheese or a slice of Swiss cheese. Cover the grill and let all continue to cook for less than five minutes.
Place opened buns on the grill to toast them slightly, then assemble your burgers and enjoy!
An outdoor burger shack, Duane's Ono Char Burgers, located on the Kuhio Highway en route to the north shore of Kauai, was highly recommended and we found it to be a slice of road-side heaven. Their hamburgers, named Ono Burgers ("ono" means "good" in Hawaiian), were simply marvelous. The red open-air stand located next door to the Anahola Post Office and General Store has picnic tables under trees and all the food is cooked on a wood fired grill.
The recipe below was inspired by one of their offerings but is "lightened" up to lower fat calories somewhat.
LIGHTER ONO BURGERS
Ingredients:
Ground turkey, one pound
Ground turkey breast, one pound
One sweet onion (Maui, Vidalia, or St. Augustine Sweet), chopped
Salt and pepper
Creole seasoning mix or seasoning mix of choice, one tablespoon or to taste
Hamburger buns (choose good ones that have body to them)
Take fresh pineapple and slice into half inch thick slices. Marinade in teryaki sauce for several hours.
Fire up your charcoal grill, letting the coals turn to a solid gray. Add some oak or hickory to the fire after the coals have been ignited and the flame has died down. Basically, you want to produce smoke, but not a blaze, so time the addition of the wood to allow it to burn down but not burn away. You want enough smoke to flavor the meat without overwhelming it. I do not recommend mesquite in this instance.
Place your pineapple slices just off the heat so that you will not burn them. You want to grill them so that you create a darkened, caramelized finish. Flip once.
Mix a pound of ground turkey with a pound of ground turkey breast adding one onion, chopped, a tablespoon of creole seasoning or spice blend of choice, and salt/pepper. Be careful not to overwork the meat when forming into patties. Make an indentation with your thumb into the top of each patty. This will keep it from ballooning as it cooks. Spray lightly with Pam and put them on the gill over the coals. Pour some teryaki sauce over each burger.
Cook until a crust begins to form and you see the meat changing color about a fourth of the way up the side of the burger. Flip and cook for a few minutes and then move the burgers to the edge of the grill away from the direct heat. Pour more teryaki sauce over the burger and top each burger with blue cheese or a slice of Swiss cheese. Cover the grill and let all continue to cook for less than five minutes.
Place opened buns on the grill to toast them slightly, then assemble your burgers and enjoy!
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