Food is a major part of our lifestyle in Hawaii, and sometimes the pupu are the best part of the meal!

This week, we’re featuring tried-and-true pupu recipes from our archives that have been a hit at local potlucks and family get-togethers for generations.

PUPU-STYLE SPARERIBS

By Hawaiian Electric Co.

• 5 pounds pork spareribs
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 large piece ginger, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

>> Sauce:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup shoyu
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup oyster sauce

Cut spareribs into 1-1/2-inch pieces. In a large pot, combine spareribs, garlic, ginger and salt. Add water to cover spareribs, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until spareribs are tender. Drain.

Combine sauce ingredients, pour over spareribs and marinate overnight in refrigerator.

Place spareribs on rack of broiler pan, reserving sauce. Broil in oven 3 inches from heating unit for 7 to 10 minutes, basting with sauce.

Turn and broil 5 to 7 more minutes. Serves 20.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 270 calories, 16 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, at least 900 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 13 g sugar, 17 g protein.

KOREAN-STYLE BEEF CUBES

By Hawaiian Electric Co.

• 1-1/2 pounds boneless sirloin steak
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1-1/2 tablespoons shoyu
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted and ground

>> Sauce:

• 1/4 cup shoyu
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 Hawaiian chili peppers, seeded and minced

Cut meat into 3/4-inch cubes.

In a large bowl, combine sauce ingredients. Pour over meat and marinate 1 hour.

Drain meat; heat oil in skillet. Add meat and stir-fry 2 minutes, or until done.

Before serving, sprinkle with remaining shoyu and sesame seeds. Makes about 4 dozen cubes.

Approximate nutritional information, per 3 ounces cooked cubes: 170 calories, 10 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 700 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 1 g sugar, 21 g protein.

SIU MAI (CHINESE DUMPLINGS)

By Hawaiian Electric Co.

• 1 (16-ounce) package wonton wrappers

>> Filling:

• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water until soft
• 1/2 pound shrimp
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/4 cup minced water chestnuts
• 1/4 cup minced green onions
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon shoyu
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• Dash pepper

>> To make filling: Remove stems from mushrooms; mince caps. Shell shrimp; mince. Combine with all filling ingredients.

Place 1 tablespoon filling in center of each wrapper. Moisten with water and gather edges of wrapper around filling, leaving tops open and pinching edges to form petals.

Place on greased rack of a steamer basket and steam 20 minutes over simmering water. Makes about 5 dozen.

>> Note: No steamer basket? You can still steam your siu mai by filling a large pot with water about half an inch deep. Roll three balls out of foil and place in pot. Rest a heat-proof plate on foil. Steam dumplings on plate over simmering water.

Approximate nutritional information, per dumpling: 60 calories, 2.5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, no fiber or sugar, 4 g protein.

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.