Food
Barbecue Masters Sam Jones, Chris Lilly, Wayne Mueller join Justin Brunson, Aarón Sanchez, Hubert Keller and Sheldon Simeon in Maui for a serious cookout.
By JENN TANAKA |COAST Magazine | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: March 14, 2019
Smoke, time, patience
Grand Wailea in Maui gathered barbecue masters from across the country for an island feast. (photography by Harsadi Creative)
“I would take a bullet for that guy,” said Jorge Gonzalez, former executive sous chef at the Grand Wailea in Maui. Gonzalez was speaking of a man he met just two days before. But after getting to know barbecue legend Sam Jones, I understand his devotion: Jones has a way of affecting people. Though he’s world-renowned for his whole hog mastery, he stayed humble. Jones has become a soft-spoken teacher.
Along with about a dozen other chefs, cooks and pitmasters, Jones spent the night under the stars tending to slowly-cooked meats for the resort’s annual Fire It Up! barbecue festival. That evening, in the dark with the Maui island breezes blowing in the trees, and the sounds of waves crashing violently on the shore, the group “talked story.” They got to the gristle of life. Then, as if to cleanse their spirits, they dove into the briny ocean.
They appreciated one another’s hard work, dedication, skill and devotion – everything it takes to prepare truly transcendent food. On that dark, humid night, culinary knowledge was shared, life stories gave perspective and true bonds were forged.
A family affair
In July, I found myself in picturesque Maui with my beloved Auntie Diane, who is like a second mother to me, and my husband, Daniel. On the surface, this would seem like a third wheel-situation. But, we all had a common interest: barbecue. So, we arrived in beautiful Hawaii for the second annual Fire It Up! at Grand Wailea Resort.
The food-centric gathering reminded me of my former life as a line cook. Hanging out with those sage pitmasters and seasoned chefs gave me nostalgic flashbacks to the days when I sweated in front of a hot stovetop in a Michelin-star kitchen. (A big change from my daily menu of mac and cheese and scrambled eggs, which I now frequently prepare for my two finicky toddlers.)
Before the coals were lit, we met Alabama’s Chris Lilly, Wayne Mueller from Texas and North Carolina’s own Sam Jones. These three men dominate the smokin’ circuit. Their lives’ work is barbecue and they have grown a following that goes beyond fandom – these guys are worshiped!
Chef Sheldon Simeon
Not to be overlooked by the mainlanders, Maui’s own Sheldon Simeon, chef/owner of Lineage, prepared a soulful Filipino-style Drunken Sinigang stew with grilled octopus, Kauai shrimp, Pinoy vegetables and Kona kampachi. The dish was an homage to Simeon’s lineage. His father had made a rustic version of this soup when the chef was a boy. This was Sheldon’s take on it – a refined taste from his childhood growing up on the island. Grand Wailea’s Hawaiian Cultural Ambassador, Kainoa Horcajo, unveiled a show-stopping Hawaiian Imu, a whole pig surrounded by an array of traditional garnishes such as sweet potatoes, taro, ulu (breadfruit), corn and sausage.
Lilly’s approach was more subtle: His body-shudderingly good barbecued chicken was slathered with Alabama White Sauce. The sauce itself is a testament to tradition. It’s a family recipe and Lilly pays homage to its creator: his father-in-law, Bob Gibson. Alabama White Sauce remains an iconic flavor of the south. So, it’s extra luxurious to taste it here with the sun setting in the ocean and ukulele strumming in the Molokini Gardens. There’s no barbecue sauce like it. Swathed onto slow-roasted chicken, it adds a luscious, creamy coating with a subtle tang of vinegar. Lilly flashes me a knowing smile as I go back for a second helping, followed by thirds … Like a trucker hat wearing zen-master, Lilly changes people one bite at a time.
Yet, they all tipped their hats to third-generation pit master Wayne Mueller. I completely understood why after I tasted Mueller’s beef ribs. One bite will make you appreciate the craftsmanship and skill required to really smoke meat. Mueller’s technique draws out the unctuous part of the rib without being a greasy mess. He says few words but Mueller’s devotion to his work creates perfection. He has been working on this for a lifetime. Similar to how the Hawaiians revere their elders, pitmasters honor tradition. Recipes equate to one’s legacy. And, you taste this sophistication when you bite into Mueller’s succulent beef ribs. The only sad part is that I am forever ruined. Now I’m forced to compare every beef rib to Mueller’s mind-blowing barbecue.
Wayne Mueller
The Texas pitmaster slices his tender beef ribs.
Chef Aarón Sanchez
The land of plenty
The talent assembled that weekend are world renowned. International superstars and TV personalities Hubert Keller and Aarón Sanchez shared recipes with Grand Wailea’s culinary team. Justin Brunson, chef/owner of Denver, Colorado’s Old Major, cured and smoked a selection of meats for a Hawaiian charcuterie plate. The night before the big feast, Mike Lofaro, chef de cuisine at the resort’s award-winning restaurant Humuhumunukunukuapua’a hosted an intimate dinner that blew our minds.
Kainoa Horcajo had introduced Lofaro to the island’s invasive plants. With this knowledge, Lofaro transformed an invasive species into a flour, which was used to make a crumble. The meal was filled with beautifully eye-opening food. Japanese hamachi, one of Lofaro’s signature dishes, was enhanced with yuzu and Hawaiian chile topped with a refreshing celery ginger shaved ice.
Head pastry chef, Fabricio Benezit, had also soaked in Kainoa’s knowledge. Maui’s natural wonders inspired him, too. His squid ink monkey bread was buttery with an addicting crunch on the outside and a fluffy umami-enhanced inside. You could make a meal of it. His creative sourdough was made with a starter formulated with local pineapples. We thought it was going to be sweet, but it was divinely savory. A Hawaiian take on a mainland classic.
“There’s so many resources as long as you know what to look for,” said chef Lofaro at his restaurant. He was working on a new dish, his homage to the ocean – Abalone layered with garlic- and ginger-enhanced uni, a little smoked ponzu with a delicate sea urchin foam. Lofaro described it as his version of Hawaii in a bite. “It’s what I think of when I dunk my head in the water,” he said.
Adding to the importance of this dish and Lofaro’s cooking, Kainoa said: “Western culture and history teaches us about the tragedy of the commons. [They want us to think] we live in a culture of scarcity. There’s not enough resources to go around. So you need to put up a fence. You need to pick that fruit before your neighbor does. You need to shoot that animal before your neighbor does. Because you have to feed your family at the expense of their family. That’s a very odd concept to us, Hawaiians. We believe in a world of abundance. There is more than enough to go around. More than enough resources, more than enough love, more than enough time, more than enough for us and our families. When you shift your mindset, from that scarcity mentality to an abundance mentality, the whole world shifts for you.”
Chef Mike Lofaro presented this dish at a private dinner. It is the chef’s version of splashing your face in Maui’s briny ocean. (Photography by Jenn Tanaka)
The resort’s Hawaiian Cultural Ambassador Kaino Horcajo leads walking tours of the property and shares the island’s history. (Photography by Jenn Tanaka)