Guava-glazed steak with island shoyu lacquer served over coconut rice, Hawaiian plate-lunch style

Guava-Glazed Steak with Coconut Rice

30 min · Easy · Serves 2

Shoyu arrived with Japanese plantation workers in the 1880s and guava grows half-wild across the islands — together they’re the sweet-savory heart of Hawaiian barbecue, the flavor pair behind everything from huli huli chicken to plate-lunch teriyaki. This is that pair on a thick steak: the house Island Shoyu-Guava glaze, painted on late over kiawe fire, served the plate-lunch way — over coconut rice.

Charcoal kettle, kamado, or a gas grill with a kiawe chip pouch — the glaze doesn’t care. It only asks that you keep it away from the fire until the very end, because guava jam is mostly sugar and sugar has no patience.

Island shoyu-guava glazed New York strip steak plated with coconut rice
New York strip under the Island Shoyu-Guava lacquer, coconut rice riding shotgun.

The Numbers

  • Fire: hot and direct over glowing kiawe
  • Pull At: 130–135°F for medium-rare
  • Glaze: the last 4–5 minutes only
  • Rest: 5 minutes, then against the grain

Ingredients

  • 2 thick New York strips or ribeyes
  • Coarse Hawaiian sea salt and cracked black pepper
  • Island Shoyu-Guava glaze: 1/2 cup guava jam + 2 Tbsp shoyu + 1 tsp grated ginger, warmed
  • To serve: coconut rice, sliced green onion, toasted sesame

Method

  1. Bring the steaks to room temperature and season hard — more than feels polite.
  2. Warm the glaze until it pours easily.
  3. Grill directly over glowing kiawe coals (on gas: burners high, chip pouch over the flame), flipping every 45–60 seconds to build an even crust.
  4. About 10°F shy of your target, paint both sides and keep flipping — the glaze needs just long enough to turn to lacquer, and a moment longer turns it to carbon.
  5. Pull at 130–135°F, rest 5 minutes, slice against the grain, and serve over coconut rice with green onion and sesame.

On the Side

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