Chamorro Marinade/Sauce

[strawberryriddick]

On Guam, we use finnedenni (fin-uh-den-nee) to marinate chicken or beef, and we also use it as a dipping sauce for beef, chicken, or fish (not much with the pork, though). This is a fool-proof recipe, since none of it is exact:

1 part soy sauce (use reduced sodium if you prefer)
1 part white vinegar
1 whole onion, coarsely sliced
1 palmful of red pepper flakes
1 palmful minced garlic or garlic powder

Marinate the meat overnight, or as long as you have time for, up to 48 hours. Grill and enjoy. You can baste while you cook, and of course, serve a little of the unused marinade on the side!



You'll see why us islanders are so damn fat after you see how delicious this is!!

[JayC]

OH YA BABY!! This was a fav for me and my bro as a kid.. While growing up my Dad was in the service and we had friends of the family who were Guamanian (sp??) and they used a similar marinade for chicken wings and then would thow them on a BBQ grill.. Best damn wings I'd ever eaten. Me and my brother have still been trying to recreate that magic, to no avail. I'll have to try the above.

[strawberryriddick]

Originally Posted by JayC

Me and my brother have still been trying to recreate that magic, to no avail. I'll have to try the above.

The above comes from a genuine Guamanian (spelling was right, but technically we're called "Chamorro"), so you'll get the genuine flavor.

My nose is FLIPPIN' HUGE for a Chamorro. That's my dad's Lebanese blood getting into the mix.

YOU know why we so damn fatz!

To get even more authentic, pour some beer over it while you grill 'em.

[JayC]

Originally Posted by strawberryriddick

The above comes from a genuine Guamanian (spelling was right, but technically we're called "Chamorro"), so you'll get the genuine flavor.

My nose is FLIPPIN' HUGE for a Chamorro. That's my dad's Lebanese blood getting into the mix.

YOU know why we so damn fatz!

To get even more authentic, pour some beer over it while you grill 'em.

LOL.. too funny cuz once I noticed your new avatar, I thought for sure you were Italian like me You have a look very similar to my Moms side of the family.
So you baste with the beer while cooking??? do you add it to the marinade??

[strawberryriddick]

Originally Posted by JayC

LOL.. too funny cuz once I noticed your new avatar, I thought for sure you were Italian like me You have a look very similar to my Moms side of the family.
So you baste with the beer while cooking??? do you add it to the marinade??

I get that a lot...but one look at what goes into my marinara recipe would make an authentic Italian cry, I think! Whiskey isn't all that traditional!!! So don't worry...this Chamorro recipe isn't a "Chamorro-style marinade," it's 100% authentic (even if my nose would make a "real" Chamorro cry!)


As for the beer, you have two options:
1. Add beer to the marinade (1/2 part beer)
2. Drink a beer while you're BBQ'ing and occasionally give some to the chicken or beef you're working with. That's how all my uncles do it. Go for Budweiser if you want the true Chamorro experience!

Beer is completely optional, though. If you don't want to worry about the added carbs and whatnot, you can completely omit them. I don't know that beer adds anything extra special, maybe deepens the flavor? But your marinade will be totally fabulous without it!

If you do go for the beer, do not add it to the dipping sauce! That is not how you make finnedeni!! Just use the recipe in the OP for that.