(05/09/08)

New York BBQ: Hill Country To Offer Sunday Honky Tonk Brunch, Starting This Weekend

The folks at Hill Country (NYC) are out to prove that there's more to barbecue than their highly acclaimed moist brisket. With a Mother's Day debut, the Honky Tonk Sunday brunch will be a regular affair, with items like huevos rancheros, pork tamales, chicken fried steak, brisket hash and breakfast tacos with Kreuz sausage on offer. The regular meat line and market menu will also be available.

see the full brunch menu at www.hillcountryny.com

Contests: Smoke and Steam Grilling Contest in Oyster Bay Tomorrow

Starting at 7:00 AM tomorrow, the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum (Oyster Bay NY) kicks off the first annual Smoke and Steam Grilling Competition. Watch local teams as they grill beefsteak, pork chops, chicken and oysters. Dippin Dots, cheese, pulled pork and chicken and wieners of every kind will be sold on the street. Cadillac Moon will provide music from noon to 3:00PM.

contest website

(05/08/08)

New York BBQ: Georgia's Eastside BBQ Review

The site's 138th review is now posted for Georgia's Eastside BBQ, the Manhattan BBQ joint that's right around the corner from Katz's Delicatessen. See the review via the Reviews page or link to reviews using the red icons in the Joints directory.

(05/07/08)

Home BBQ: Guava and Pepper Fatties

Still in pursuit of the ultimate sausage fatty, I conducted further experimentation this weekend. Lovers of fatties generally fall into one of two camps: those who like them straight, with a homogenous cross section, and those who like them stuffed. I fall into the second group, which I think puts me in the minority.

Maybe the unstuffed version is more popular because it's so versatile. You can slice it thick and serve it with eggs. You can slice it thin and sneak it between a hamburger and its bun as a surprise topping. You can chop it and add it to a vegetable dish. Or you can slice it into wedges, like a dill pickle, and serve it with a dipping sauce. But I think a good part of the unstuffed fatty's popularity has to do with the fact that it's much easier to make. Grind or buy the meat. Season the meat. Roll the meat. Rub the meat. Done.

The stuffed fatty is more exciting, but also more of a challenge. Figuring out the right combination of ingredients is an art, while figuring out the right ratio of stuffing ingredients to meat is a science. Just like with a burrito, the temptation is to overstuff it. Unlike a burrito, you can't make adjustments as it falls apart during cooking. But when you slice into a perfectly constructed stuffed fatty and admire the filling as it oozes out temptingly, you know that all the aggravation was worth it.

When I made fatties with fig jam a while back, the chief obstacle was the wetness of the filling. It kept moving as I tried to seal the outside, making it very difficult to make a seamless fatty. So this time I used guava paste, which I picked up at a Latin American market. It has the same flavor as guava jam, but a consistency similar to a Kraft caramel. By remaining firm, it allowed me to seal the deal without the usual drama. To contrast the sweetness of the guava, I also added banana peppers and diced poblano peppers.

I also made a more typical cheddar and pepper stuffed fatty, which yielded the expected results. As for the guava fatty, I was generally happy with the outcome, although the guava paste didn't quite melt all the way as I'd hoped. But the flavors definitely worked and the construction was a breeze, so I'll keep plugging away. I still have many more ideas.

(05/06/08)

Home BBQ: SPAM "Burnt Ends"

About a month ago I mentioned that I had a new preparation for SPAM, and on Sunday l cooked up what I'm now calling SPAM Burnt Ends. I had been looking for an interesting take on SPAM that I could serve at a luau my wife and I are planning for later in the summer (SPAM is huge in Hawaii, so it would make a novel appetizer). I had seen some recipes for barbecued bologna and could easily just adapt those to the SPAM, but I took things a few steps further.

The inspiration comes from the burnt ends of brisket at RUB (New York City): take an overly rich cut of meat, rub it, smoke it, sauce it, cube it, rub it again and smoke it again. On most days I'll take RUB's burnt ends over what you see here, but it would take about six times the investment in both meat and smoking time. With brisket burnt ends, the crispness is a byproduct of rendering out some of the fat. Here, it's a way to make a cheap hunk of processed meat a little more palatable.

I took three cans of SPAM and started by scoring the outsides, partly for appearance and partly to help grip the flavor additions I'd apply later. I then lightly coated two of the three with sesame oil and the third with mustard—again, partly for flavor, partly to help the rub stick. I rubbed the first two with Willie B's Bourbon rub (spiked with about 20% cayenne). The third was treated to a lethal dose of Doctor Gonzo's new barbecue dry rub.

I smoked the SPAM over Hawaiian kiawe, a breed of wood similar to both guava and mesquite. After about an hour and a half, I glazed the first two with a homemade Huli Huli basting sauce. Huli Huli chicken is a popular item in Hawaii, named because the chicken is turned ("huli") frequently, with the basting sauce applied at each turn. There are many Huli Huli sauce recipes available on the web, but mine uses pineapple juice, pineapple jelly, lime juice, ketchup, soy sauce, hot sauce, ginger and brown sugar.

After another twenty minutes, I cut the SPAM into slices and chunks, then added more mop and more rub, purposely varying the amounts among the various pieces. The final twenty minutes was enough to crisp up the surface and allow the second wave of rub to blend with the meat.

The smaller chunks were perfect for nibbling; the larger slices made their way into mini sandwiches made with a sliced baguette and Hawaiian style hot sauce.

(05/05/08)

Massachusetts BBQ: BT's Smokehouse Wins New England Chili Cookoff People's Choice

The second annual New England Chili Cookoff is history, and the People's Choice winner was BT's Smokehouse (Brimfield MA). Unlike at barbecue contests, where the restaurant competitors typically submit entries that bear little resemblance to what's actually served to their customers, BT's went with their everyday chili and picked up the win. I'll have more news about BT's Smokehouse later in the week.

www.btsmokehouse.com

Boston BBQ: Blue Ribbon Flirts With Fatties

This weekend I tried a sandwich special at Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Que (W. Newton MA) called Dixie Loaf, a not-so-distant cousin to the beloved fatty I've been longing to see on restaurant menus. This rendition, made with a combination of ground SPAM and fresh pork, was served on a club sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onion and optional Angry Hornet hot sauce.

www.blueribbonbbq.com

(05/02/08)

Brooklyn BBQ: Brooklyn Pigfest, May 31

Brooklyn Brewery has announced the date for the 8th annual Brooklyn Pigfest. This benefit for the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy will be held on Saturday, May 31 at the Tobacco Warehouse under the Brooklyn Bridge, from 1:00PM to 6:00PM, rain or shine. Admission is $95 ($85 in advance) and includes beer and three meal tickets.

www.brooklynbrewery.com/events

Reminder: New England Chili Cookoff, May 3

Don't forget, the second annual New England Chili Cookoff is being held tomorrow at the Pleasant View in Somers CT. It's sanctioned by the International Chili Society, and like barbecue contests, there'll be some serious competition and some serious prize money ($2700) at stake.

For $6 admission ($5 if you bring two canned goods to benefit the Enfield Food Shelf), you get to sample chili and vote for a winner. There will also be a chile pepper eating contest, a hot wings eating contest, raffles, vendors, live entertainment and a chance to meet Miss Connecticut.

www.chilict.com

A Busy Week

This week has been a busy one for me both at work and due to some personal obligations. So although this week's posts have been limited, fear not: this site isn't about to go dormant any time soon. Look for the usual high energy, high calorie content next week.

(04/30/08)

New York BBQ: Real Flames Hit Q

On Sunday night, a grease fire had Q Restaurant and Bar (Port Chester NY) in flames. Luckily, firefighters were able to tame the fire within minutes. There were no injuries and damage was "moderate."

read the news story on LoHud.com

(04/29/08)

Joints Directory Madness

Here's the latest batch of Joints directory activity, spanning just twostates. This time, there is one new joint, one seasonal opening, one schedule change and one into the dead pool.

• BT Lane's Divine Swine BBQ is either in Griswold CT or Jewett City CT, depending on whether you go by the website or by MapQuest. Either way, it's on Route 138. They've been open since May of 2007 and use a 275-gallon roaster to cook the meats using steam and convection heat, with a finish on the grill. Thanks to Ted for the find. www.btlanesbbq.com

• PJ's Bar-B-Q (Saratoga Springs NY) opened for the season on April 19. They've now been operating at their current location for 25 years. Thanks to Robert for the info. www.pjsbarbq.com

• Oklahoma Smoke (NYC) closed a few months ago, according to a late January report from Zagat.com.

• All Smoked Up (Beekman NY) is curtailing their roadside operation to just Sundays and Thursdays, from 10:30 AM until the food sells out (usually around 1:00 PM). Thanks to Rob for the info. www.allsmokedup.com

(04/28/08)

Boston BBQ: Rib Wars at Jake's, June 23

The date and the line-up have been set for this year's Battle of the Bones, also known as Rib Wars, at Jake's Dixie Roadhouse (Waltham MA). This event, where you get to try ribs from each of the competing teams and vote for a winner, is guaranteed to be as entertaining as it is filling. This year's line-up includes:

• Jake's Dixie Roadhouse

• Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Q (Newton MA)

• East Coast Grill (Cambridge MA)

• SoulFire (Allston MA)

• Uncle Jed's BBQ (competition team)

• IQue (competition team)

more info, supplied by Jake's (PDF)

www.jakes-bbq.com

(04/26/08)

NYC BBQ: Beef Aficionado Digs Wildwood Too

Nick from Beef Aficionado is on a tear, with three barbecue reviews in his last three posts. His latest is for Wildwood BBQ, where he dined on its opening night on Thursday. While I got a sneak peak and tasted a few goodies, and White Trash BBQ enjoyed a friends and family meal, Beef Aficionado's is the first full fledged review of Wildwood, because the meal was under real game conditions. He surveyed a wide variety of the menu (even the non-beef items) and he generally liked what he had.

Beef Aficionado's review of Wildwood BBQ

White Trash BBQ's review of Wildwood BBQ

my preview of Wildwood BBQ

Wildwood BBQ web site (still under construction)

Wildwood Menupages listing with online menu

(04/25/08)(second post)

Rhode Island BBQ: Rick's Roadhouse Review

The site's 137th review is now posted for Rick's Roadhouse in Rhode Island. This Providence BBQ joint, located fairly close to both the Providence Place Mall and the Dunkin' Donuts Center, has been open for about two weeks now.

See the review via the Reviews page or link to reviews using the red icons in the Joints directory.

(04/25/08)

NYC BBQ: White Trash Digs Wildwood

Now that I've exorcised Nipsey Russell from my system, it's time to get back to barbecue. I'm still working on today's entry (it won't be New York BBQ related, I promise) and will post it later this afternoon. But in the meantime, check out White Trash BBQ's review of Wildwood BBQ in New York City.

Robert Fernandez sat down for a full meal the night before the opening and sampled a greater variety of the menu than I did last Sunday. He not only liked just about everything he tried, but is calling Wildwood "the new destination restaurant in New York City."

White Trash BBQ's review of Wildwood BBQ

my preview of Wildwood BBQ

Wildwood BBQ web site (still under construction)

Wildwood Menupages listing with online menu

(04/24/08)

A Little Springtime Poetry

The month is almost over, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that April is National Poetry Month. One of my favorite BBQ blogs is known to have song lyrics posted from time to time, with cryptic messages implied, but these are my own little ditties with no intention other than amusement. I hope I succeeded. Tomorrow it's back to BBQ.

Barista

Give me some coffee that's strong, dark and hot
I say to my local barista
With designer eyewear (needed or not)
Each one is a fashionista

Here's my affliction: My coffee addiction
Is only sated when the logo is green
Where a tall is a small
And a vente is plenty
And grande's the one in between

Non BBQ Food Crawl

They say the clams in Ipswich are the sweetest in the land
In Maine the juicy lobster claws are bigger than your hand
Along the south Rhode Island coast you'll find the best ice cream
And New York City pizza is like something from a dream

For hot dogs in Connecticut try Super Duper Weenie
In Boston hit the north end for some chicken scallopini
So where, you ask, will I be driving for my next great meal?
None of the above, since I can't fit behind the wheel.

46D

Years ago she would tease
With her 46Ds
And the men by the dozen came callin'
But her once splendid chest
Has failed time's cruelest test
And oh how the mighty have fallen

(04/23/08)

NYC BBQ: Time Out New York Names Hill Country Best BBQ

(04/22/08)

NYC BBQ: Behind the Scenes at Wildwood

On Sunday I got a chance to poke around Wildwood BBQ, scheduled to open for business later this week. Despite it being closed to the public, the kitchen was a whirlwind of activity, with meats being pulled out of the Ole Hickory smokers and holding bins for mock service (a dress rehearsal for the servers and the kitchen).

The open space is the work of noted restaurant designer David Rockwell, famous for his creative use of materials. Nearly half the room is allotted to the bar area. There's aged wood everywhere, unique seat constructions and slanted garage doors above the bar.

The menu was still unavailable, but executive pitmaster "Big Lou" Elrose promises there will be plenty of variety. Ribs will include spares and babybacks. Salads and seafood entrees will offer an alternatve for the non-barbecue fan. After the opening, the menu will expand to include more variety, with some specialty items like Kansas City style barbecue spaghetti. Cornbread isn't usually one of the main attractions at a barbecue joint, but I'm predicting some of the early reviews will give Wildwood's cornbread some focus.

Each table will have a condiment caddy with Wildwood's classic barbecue sauce, Big Lou's secret sauce (raspberry chipotle), Dirty Dick's hot sauce and Wildwood's rib dust (dry rub).

I sampled a few items and was impressed by the juiciness of the meat and—surprising for me—by the quality of the sauces. The rib I sampled had a sauce that tasted like a more refined version of Blues Hog, the sauce that's very successful on the competition circuit. I'm looking forward to ordering a rack on my first visit.

It's obviously very early in the game, but Wildwood BBQ strikes me as that rare place where there's enough sophistication in both the food and the space to draw the non-BBQ crowd, with high caliber authentic barbecue that will still impress the purists. I'm guessing it's going to be very successful.

permalink with more photos

(04/21/08)

NYC BBQ: Another Manhattan BBQ Crawl

I just got back from a 2-day New York City BBQ crawl, with a focus on a couple of the city's newer BBQ joints. Sunday's stops included Georgia's Eastside BBQ and RUB, with a detour to Katz's (right around the corner from Georgia's) for a half pastrami sandwich. Monday's stops were Blue Smoke and Smokin' Q.

But the most important stop of the weekend was Wildwood BBQ, the brand new joint that's tentatively scheduled to open Wednesday at 225 Park Avenue South. While the pit crew prepared for the evening's mock service, I got a chance to observe the action and try a few samples. I'll have plenty of photos of the pitmasters and the food, plus a few other surprises, so be sure to check back tomorrow.

Some commentary and factoids on the rest of the trip:

• Georgia's Eastside BBQ now serves their entire menu on Sundays (they previously only offered their all-you-can-eat ribs) and is now open 7 days a week (previously thet were closed on Mondays). They offer brisket on Tuesdays. As has been mentioned elsewhere, the ribs here are cooked in an oven, then finished on the grill.

• RUB rebounded nicely from the previous Sunday's visit with some tasty burnt ends. Fried green tomatoes were also a winner.

• Because I had another engagement in the area, I stopped into Duke's on 19th Avenue for a few beers at the bar. One of the waitresses was a Red Sox fan and a Massachusetts native, so we got to talking, and I found out that Duke's has a Southern Pride smoker. Who knew?

• Blue Smoke was more impressive this time than I expected. The brisket was steamy and didn't strike me as having a barbecue flavor profile, but the pulled pork was very flavorful. As always, the bun was high quality and the cole slaw rocked (it's one of my favorites). Collard greens were a huge improvement over the last two batches I tried there.

• Smokin' Q now has a website: www.smokinqnyc.com. Way back when they first opened, I noted that Smokin' Q had a $15 salad, but that was a Menupages.com typo—I learned that it's $10.95. They use Ole Hickory smokers.

I now have a backlog of three joints to write reviews for, with Rick's Roadhouse (Providence RI), Georgia's Eastside BBQ and Smokin' Q most likely to appear in that order in seperate weeks over the next month.

April 2008 archive

March 2008 archive

February 2008 archive

January 2008 archive

December 2007 archive

November 2007 archive

October 2007 archive

September 2007 archive

August 2007 archive

July 2007 archive

June 2007 archive

May 2007 archive

April 2007 archive

March 2007 archive

February 2007 archive

January 2007 archive

December 2006 archive

November 2006 archive

October 2006 archive

August/September 2006 archive