Teri Beef Queen Sandwiches

When I was growing up in Hawaii there was a little drive-in called Jolly Rogers.  It was located under the freeway, next to a drive-in theater that was supposedly haunted.

We didn't go often but when we did, I'd always order the same thing.  They called it the Teri Beef Queen.  Beef teriyaki, grilled onions, american cheese and mayo on a hamburger bun.  Brings back memories!

The place is gone now, turned into a Zippy's (another Hawaiian food institution).  The drive-in theater is now a driving range.. or has it moved to something else?  At any rate, it's gone.  My taste for nostalgia is not.

Teri Beef Queen

Thin sliced beef*

Teriyaki Marinade
1 part shoyu (soy sauce) i used 1/2 cup
1 part sugar
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, crushed, minced or pressed
1 piece of ginger, aprox 1" x 1" x 1" (don't have to be exact), peeled and minced, grated or smashed

Beef marinating

Mix all marinade ingredients.  Add to beef and mix well.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or over night.  Occasionally stirring or flipping the zip bag over if you put it in one.  Heat a frying pan on high with a little oil.  Fry beef slices briefly, a minute per side or less.  Don't over cook.  You can also throw this on a BBQ grill.

Smells so good!

Good with musubi (rice balls) too!

Caramelized Onions

4 or 5 onions, sliced thin
1-2 T Butter
1 tsp sugar
1 T balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Turn this into...

Heat butter in skillet.  When melted, add onions and cook at medium heat until soft and brown, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with sugar and vinegar and stir well.  Remove from heat.

This!

To assemble the sandwiches.  Toast hamburger buns or kaiser rolls.  Spread with mayo.  Put a slice or two of teri beef then some caramelized onions and a slice of cheese.  American is traditional but whatever you prefer.  without cheese it was called the Teri Beef King.

This tasted even better than this picture looks!

Blast from the past!  It was soo good.

*I used the bistec para asar.  Sandwich steaks would work.  I've also bought a rump or round roast and had the butcher slice it really thin.

That is my standard teriyaki recipe.  Use it to marinade chicken or pork too.  I sometimes boil it down by half  (watch it carefully it boils over easily), then cool it.  It gets thick and i can use it on burgers or brush it on chicken and steaks.  My favorite is to add the thick sauce to raw hamburger with green onions and make patties.  Teri burgers (or meatloaf)  that have the taste in every bite!  Less messy too.