The Spirit of Aloha may be worth every single penny spent on the Disney Dining Plan- two table service credits worth. Just for those ribs! Being that we took things as they came, we actually gave up a dinner at Ohana and a breakfast at the Land Grill Room to make this happen.
The second visit to Epcot, we noticed that the Land Grill Room was barely revolving, and a cast member said it had been like that for quite awhile. (Bad show!) That was when we cancelled our reservation, which was too bad as that had always been a family favorite.
Once we arrived via boat at the Polynesian Village Resort, (the Magic Kingdom was closed early due to Mickey's Halloween Party), we took a leisurely stroll to Luau Cove. With an evening meal, the later of the two available, it was nice and dark when we arrived. With the tiki torches lit, I could have sworn I was in Hawaii. (One of our favorite places to travel to, by the way.)
No Blue Hawaii here.
The seating was great (Tier 2)- close enough to see the entire show very well, but far enough away to not easily get picked in the audience participation segment! The show was split into several segments, with the last portion lasting about 40 minutes. Great value for the money.
So, the food... Incredible! I could not decide if these ribs were better than Morimoto's, but they were certainly everyone's top choice to chow down on- again and again. The entire meal and the drinks were top notch.
If you're in doubt about doing this dinner show, don't think twice.
If you want to compare rib recipes, here they are below. Aloha!
Disney's Spirit of Aloha -Polynesian Resort
Island Barbecued Pork Ribs
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
Select 2 each slabs of Raw Pork Spare Ribs (total – 4 lbs.)
Dry Seasoning
1 cup Kosher Salt
1 tsp Celery Salt
2 TBSP Mesquite Seasoning
1 TBSP Onion Powder
1 TBSP Garlic Powder
3 TBSP Sugar
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Sauce
1 cup Tomato paste
1 TBSP Corn Syrup
1 TBSP Molasses
1 TBSP Dijon Mustard
2 TBSP Honey
1 cup Pineapple Juice
2 TBSP Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Granulated Garlic
1 TBSP Onion Powder
1 TBSP Caramel
1/4 Tsp Smoked Liquid
Barbecue Sauce Preparation
1. In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients and mix well
2. Keep refrigerated
Preparation
1. Mix all dry ingredients and season lightly the pork rib slabs on both sides; let marinate for 12 hours.
2. Cook the seasoned pork ribs at 325°F for 1 hour.
3. Cut slabs of ribs while hot into individual pieces (one bone each) and place in baking dish.
4. Heat the barbecue sauce to a simmer and pour over the entire pork ribs.
5. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place it in a warm oven at 200° for 30-45 minutes.
And now for Morimoto Asia's ribs...
Morimoto’s Sticky Spare Ribs:
Pork Rib Braise
• 1-rack pork ribs
• 5 oz Ginger (chopped)
• 2 oz Garlic (chopped)
• 1 oz Canola oil
• 1 white onion, rough cut
• 1/4 cup Cooking wine
• 1 cup Tamarind paste
Hoisin Chili Sauce
• 1 cup Hoisin
• 3 cup Mae Ploy
• 1/2 cup Rice Vinegar
• 1/2 cup White Sugar
• 1/4 cup Fish Sauce
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
Frying/Garnish
• 2 cups of cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
To make Sauce
• Combine all ingredients from the Hoisin Chili Sauce list and fully mix with a whisk or a fork and reserve.
The sauce can be made and kept overnight in the refrigerator.
Braise Pork Ribs
• Place Pork Ribs in an oven proof pan. Place the ginger, garlic, white onion, cooking wine and oil into the pan.
• Cover with water and add the tamarind paste and gently stir the paste into the mixture.
• Cover with Aluminum foil and cook for approximately 3.5 hours at 250°F or until the meat pulls away easily from the bone.
• Allow the ribs to cool in the braising liquid until able to handle easily.
• Once cooled slice the rack apart into individual ribs.
Frying
• Lightly coat each of the braised/cooled ribs in cornstarch and fry in oil at 350°F until golden brown and crispy (about 2-3 minutes) and place on a wire rack to drain and cool slightly.
Assembly/Plating
• Once drained and slightly cooled, toss the fried ribs with the Hoisin Chili Sauce and plate (3) to a serving. Top with fresh cilantro and serve immediately.
(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)
