There are a million reasons to want to live in Hawaii — sunny days, sandy beaches, great surfing. I’m adding these char siu chicken legs to the list. Thanks to the melting pot of cultures in Hawaii, Foodland, a local grocery store chain, offers pre-marinated char siu drumsticks in the meat department. These are definitely in the, “Why didn’t I think of that?” category. You know char siu pork is good, so why not char siu chicken legs?
Yes, they’re that terrifying red dye #5 color, but they’re delicious. These drumsticks come already marinated (at least overnight, I’d say, since the color sinks in as far as the first bite), and I baked them for 30-35 minutes at 400F and broiled them for another 3-5. It doesn’t look like Foodland divulges their recipe, so it could be as simple as a bottled marinade. It looks like I’ve got a little experimenting to do.
View Comments (3)
Good question! I don't eat much red meat, so I'd love to try this with chicken.
oooh! keep me updated; i love char siu! in terms of scary red dyes, go for beet powder (http://www.worldspice.com/spices/beet-powder). don't be scared, it isn't at all 'beet-y,' just vaguely sweet and a little earthy. i use it when i make tandoori chicken, and in combination with paprika it makes a vibrant red color with STAYING power (yeah, wear an apron. *sigh). love it when all-natural solutions have just as good of results as their chemical cousins. ;) i use a little pinch when i make pink grapefruit bars, too...
Great tip on the beet powder - I'll try it! And thanks for stopping by!