MAUI It Started with The Azeka Family

That Korean Style BBQ Short Ribs that's so very popular these days from any shore of the Hawaiian Islands, to the West Coast of Cali to the City of New York and everywhere in-between. Kalbi is king! When you think Beef Short Ribs, for me, I'm thinking "Chewy" because we've all had that not so experienced cook at the grill cooking up thick pieces of Short Ribs and when he puts it on the platter for everyone to take for themselves a hefty piece, we all need a knife to slice through it. Short Ribs are rather chewy last time I checked, it's a cut that really should be slow cooked over low heat for a while, or braised or stewed. But wait! 
If you slice those ribs across the ribs to make thinner cuts you have a Flanken Style Short Ribs like the picture here, you notice the thin bones? There's 5 in the top rib, so the thin Flanken slices makes it easier to eat, so grilling a cut this way is better, seldom did I need a knife to eat a Flanken cut, I just stick it in my mouth and grrrrrrine!


Who made this cut so popular on Maui? One answer, the Azeka family who ran the Azeka's Market in Kihei, now they own the Azeka Shopping Centers, capitalist? Why not, I would. Anyhow that's another story for another day. The Azeka's sold flanked ribs marinated in a sweet soy sauce by the tons, they had the best cuts, soaked overnight, sold in heavy duty plastic bags by the tons I say tons. We'd go there before a big ass evening of beers and friends and buy as many pounds as possibly could, we'd get the Kiawe grill going hot, and just sear those midgets up, nice and charred, but medium on the inside, the chef at the grill would put the cooked ribs in a deep hotel pan that he stole from.... the hotel where he worked, and before you knew it, what he cooked was eaten up fast!


We'd actually stand around the grill and eat it as soon as it was done, no time for the rice, as soon as the chef man was done we'd be on it in seconds. The aroma fills the air on any given Sunday during football season, and for certain on most weekends in some backyard, someone is grilling Kabli. So simple were the Azeka's, it was termed the "sweet meat" consisting of soy sauce, and sugar, and some other secret ingredients. Hmmm I think ginger and garlic maybe? Scallions? Oh well, that's the standard, oh yeah sesame oil too, but it's how they marinated it, just pure Ono Licious!


The Azeka's cut there ribs really nice, not too thick, but I remember they didn't rip us off like some places that sells Kalbi, and I won't name those establishments, but some places will charge you an arm and a leg for thin cuts like paper now that's not a way to treat your hard working customers, no sir Bobby! We locals get bloody pissed off I tells ya! We don't wants ta be ripped! And the Azeka's were Da Bomb! Good size slices for sure.


One time a friend wanted to try it, we turned him on to it, and the next thing you know he's buying shit loads of it for his friends to try... and then... sadly the Azeka's folded their market, sold some stuff and turned their fortunes into the Azeka Shopping Center, man what a business, they Kept It Simple Stupid KISS.


Oh well... go get some Flankens and try it yourself, there's all kinds of different Korean recipes out there, I'm not saying to make it totally sweet, I know some people made it into a Mexican style Flanken, hot and spicy and hey it was great. But growing up on Azeka's style ribs... you get the pic don't you?