A word of warning: Don't let the cherries alarm you! They give the dish a nice eerie look, but you don't have to actually eat them if their creepy waxy texture upsets you. I have to thank Jane and Michael Stern's Square Meals for this Polynesian delight. I had to adjust it a smidge to eliminate most of those pesky vegetables. For the last word on Meals Men Like, this wacky couple's All-American cookbook Square Meals is a treasure.

1 pound of lean ground beef
seasoning salt (I use Lawry's, of course)
2 cups of grated carrots
1 20-oz can of pineapple chunks
1/2 cup of red vinegar
1/2 cup of sugar
3 Tbs. of soy or stir-fry sauce
salt & pepper
1 tsp. of ground ginger
2 Tbs. of cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbs. of water
1 8-oz. jar of maraschino cherries with juice.
Lots of steamed white rice

Season the burger with seasoning salt & form it into meatballs. Add an egg to hold it together, if you like. Brown the meatballs in a hot pan, being careful not to let them stick. Drain the pineapple, keeping the juice for the sauce. Add the pineapple and carrots & simmer gently for a while.

Remove the meatballs from the pan. Add the pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, salt & pepper, ginger. When it starts to simmer, stir in the cornstarch paste. Reduce heat, cover & let simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the maraschino cherries & juice, simmer for 5 more minutes, and serve over rice!

For party fare, spear with party picks and arrange on wooden platter, or keep warm in a crock pot.

This dish has a special place in my heart because it's remarkably like one I made from Seventeen Magazine when I was 10, the first meal I cooked from a recipe. Up to that point, I'd only made cookies.

And don't forget to visit Mike Quigley's Five-O Fan Page.

PRINTABLE RECIPE