Cooking With Pineapple

[sceadugenga]

There seems to be a glut of pineapples at the moment, any ideas on using them up?

I'm thinking main course, not desert... sweet and sour pork or chicken is the obvious but I'd like to try something a bit spicier.

[ignis]

pineapple curry is nice

[chiliwasabi]

I've always been of the opinion that pineapples and cooking don't mix. But you know what they say about opinions......

[sceadugenga]

I love ham steak and pineapple. Macro sells Canadian bacon cutlets that are great fried up with sliced pineapple rings. I just felt like trying something a little more adventurous. I guess I'll have to google.

[SweatySock]

Why not try "Paneng" either with chicken or pork. Nice and spicy, one of my favourites and in fact I'm having some tonight.

[toptuan]

A local high-end restaurant offers "pineapple-baked rice" which is basically fried rice mixed with pineapple chunks, diced spicy Isaan sweet sausage, a little chili pepper, chopped chives, and onion. It's served in a 1/2 pineapple shell (cut lengthwise). It may or may not have been baked awhile in the shell--don't know. The shell looked in too good of condition (green stem and solid shell) to have been baked. Regardless, I love it.

[sceadugenga]

Good ideas, I've got some Paneng curry paste...

I'll admit the baked rice has got me intrigued.

[Godolphin]

You can use fresh pineapple juice on meat as a tenderizer.

Apparently its enzymes break down the meat fibre and make it softer.

I've used it on beef for stir fries and it makes cheap cuts very tender.

Plenty of stuff about this on google.

[JohnC]

Yellow curry chicken and pineapple delicious.

[suegha]

You can use fresh pineapple juice on meat as a tenderizer.

Apparently its enzymes break down the meat fibre and make it softer.

I've used it on beef for stir fries and it makes cheap cuts very tender.

Plenty of stuff about this on google.

That's true that is, pineapple juice is a tenderiser, I used to use it on the cheaper cuts of meat (leave it soaking in the juice for as long as possible) and then make a very special gravy with the 'meaty' pineapple juice.

[jfchandler]

I've begun baking more at home lately, and thus sometimes went looking for canned pineapple in the stores, and have been surprised it's so rarely stocked, even in BKK.

Villa Markets have it, but Tesco, Big C and Carrefour don't, as best as I can see. In fact, they seem to carry almost nothing in the way of canned fruit, except for tons of rambutans and lychees...

No fruit cocktails, no canned apricots, no canned pears, etc etc etc...

Of course, some things including pineapple you can buy fresh. But for some things, and to keep stored at home, sometimes it's easier to just use a can.

[slapout]

Not a main dish but a salad that Thai's and farang seem to like

1 cup chopped pineapple +1/2 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon lemon/lime juice +1cup water, bring to boil

add to 1 envelope orange jello +1cup water, stir and cool until starts to set

add 1 cup cheddar cheese(grated) + 1cup whipped cream

cool in refridge until set and serve.

[blue eyes]

Slice the pineapple then place on a hot grill.What ever you do do not marinate shrimp with pinapple.I did it once and the shrimp became "mush".The acid broke down the shrimp.

[just_Elaine]

I really like the red curry with duck. It has roast duck, pineapple and eggplant (little round pea type and the slightly larger round ones cut in a wedge). Oh, and some basil. It is the coconut type of curry.

[mssabai]

ohhhh my favourite curry is pork and pineapple coconut curry. ummmmm....

My MIL like sto eat pineapple with her rice..it's quite good. She eats it like it is a vegetable when she is eating curry.

I have been eating loads of pineapple recently and have had perfect skin at the same time. Apprently pineapple is very detoxifying.

[steve73]

Masamam curry - use the packets from any supermarket & add chicken, potato, pineapple, coconut milk.

Easy & delicious.

Or make smoothies, add a dash of salt & chilli, and blend with ice - really refreshing.

[Daren]

The acid broke down the shrimp.

While I'm quite sure the shrimp turned into mush, it was not the acid's fault. There is a strong enzyme in pineapple, called bromelian, that works to break down proteins. This can be used to your advantage, of course, in tenderizing meat.

I personally cannot stand cooked pineapple, but how about a nice fruit salsa? I made a lovely fish fillet with mango salsa that made my girlfriend and myself make funny noises while eating it.

[IMA_FARANG]

I've always been of the opinion that pineapples and cooking don't mix. But you know what they say about opinions......

Bake a fish with a bread stuffing dressing(celery or carrots, dates, and nuts in the dressing). Soak the bread in Pineapple juice before you put it in the fish. Use the Pineapple slices as a garnish. Cook them with the fish by cutting slits in the fish and inserting the Pineapple slices in the slits before bakeing. Use the leftover Pineapple juice for basteing the fish. Add a few orange slices if you want to inserted in the baked fish like you did with the Pineapple.

When I was in Vietnam they used to sell a fresh fruit dessert. They would alternate layers of Pineapple, Mango, and Rambutan or Lychees with a layer of brown Sugar between them. A layer or two of crushed ice would be added to cool it. It was all done in a tall skinny glass, layer upon layer. They gave you a long narrow spoon that you used to eat it. Great taste (but it did have a lot of sugar).

P.S. I persoanally am particularly fond of those canned/tinned Rambutan(s) you can buy in supermarkets in Bangkok that are stuffed with Pineapple...but that's another story. I keep at least one can in the fridge, eat them cold. Wonderful.

Edited January 3, 2010 by IMA_FARANG

[filingaccount]

Perhaps crushed and cooked with short ribs? Other than that it can with good results be used in "exotic desert salads", as a juice as well as tomato-pineapple salsa.

I'm guessing the juice could be used as a cream (whipped or not) flavoring and served together with a crepe perhaps?

Maybe as an alcoholic sorbet (vodka pineapple?) or as frozen pineapple margarita?

[Daren]

Maybe as an alcoholic sorbet (vodka pineapple?) or as frozen pineapple margarita?

I'm liking these two!!!