Pulehu is a Hawaiian cooking method, which translates to “roast over hot embers”. This method was traditionally used for items like breadfruit, but today it’s most associated with steak, typically seasoned simply with ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, and a bit of sugar.
Serves: 4
Time: 35 minutes
Difficulty: Easy (Paleo, Primal, Gluten-free, Perfect Health Diet, Whole30-adaptable)
Ingredients:
- 4 (6-12oz) steaks (sirloin, ribeye, Delmonico or strip)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2″ ginger, minced (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
- 1 tsp coconut palm sugar (omit for Whole30)
- course-ground sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- To serve: lime slices, chopped cilantro, sliced chile peppers
Directions:
- Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel. Combine the garlic, ginger, and sugar into a paste; rub over each steak. Liberally add salt and pepper, then set aside as you heat your grill.
- For best results, use a charcoal grill. Light the charcoal using twists of newspaper or a chimney starter; once the charcoal is hot and ashy, bank the coals to one side. Grill the steaks over direct heat until slightly charred, about 4 minutes per side. Depending on the thickness of the steak, set the steaks to the cool side of the grill to finish cooking them to your desired doneness. Cook to an internal temperature of 125F for Rare, 130F for Medium Rare, or 135F for Medium; test for doneness with an instant-read thermometer or the finger test.
- If using a gas grill, light the burners on one side of the grill. Once they’ve reached high heat, add the steaks and grill over direct heat until a bit charred on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Depending on the thickness of the steak, set the steaks to the cool side of the grill to finish cooking them to your desired doneness. Cook to an internal temperature of 125F for Rare, 130F for Medium Rare, or 135F for Medium; test for doneness with an instant-read thermometer or the finger test.
- Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with lime, cilantro, and chile peppers.
Thanks to Russ Crandall for this recipe. Check out his website The Domestic Man where you’ll find gluten-free and Paleo-friendly recipes posted every Tuesday. Russ changed his diet in 2010 and it had a profound effect on some serious health issues. He has since worked as a contributor to Food & Wine, Yahoo! Food, and AOL.com’s Kitchen Daily; his recipes have also been featured in People Magazine, The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and Mashable. His website was a finalist in the 2013 Saveur Best Food Blog Awards. His debut cookbook, The Ancestral Table: Paleo Recipes for a Traditional Lifestyle, was released in 2014, and a second cookbook, The New York Times-bestselling Paleo Takeout: Restaurant Favorites without the Junk, was released in 2016.
