Wow. We’ve been in hiding just like everyone else and it feels really good to get a little fire going again. We hope this post finds you well. Maui is a close nit community and it’s been amazing to see the true meaning of Aloha come alive through these trying times. But we are still here and still standing strong. It’s only because we link arms with other strong bodies.
We are so lucky to be supported by incredible people and brands. When we are grinding in the heat and sun to create something awesome, our friends, family, and partners are what we lean on to make it polished and keep us sharp. We are so excited to announce a partnership with the incredible people at BAREBONES.
They are purveyors of some incredible goods. By far our favorite has been the yet-to-be-released Cowboy Grill. It makes open fire cooking in areas that can’t handle the full Kiawe experience really simple. It also allows us to do smaller private cooking experiences without the full kālua cooking with an imu pit.
Our buddy Kainoa lives in Iao Valley, and his property straddles a few hundred yards of Iao River. Having just hunted and dry aged some venison, we thought it would be the perfect spot to break in the new grill. We invited a few friends, lit the fire, and magic happened. Kainoa brought out one of his Monkeypod slabs, we placed in down in the riverbed and went to work on preparing a small feast. Dry aged venison ham slowly basked in the kiawe smoke. We jumped in the river and cracked some beers while we waited for the smoke to go to work on the salted ham. Bone-in ribeyes, local broccolini, baby heirloom tomatoes, and some homemade venison terrine and cheeses rounded out the menu. We poured some Northern Rhône Syrah and clinked our cups to celebrate breaking bread with friends. As the sunlight began to escape the east facing valley, we threw a few more logs on the fire and realized just how lucky we are to get to bbq in a river in. Hawaii. Next time, we’re gonna invite some friends to experience it and we’ll put the tables in the river. Whimsical to say the least. We really wish you could’ve been there to share this meal with us.
