You’ve never seen Kansas City barbecue like this
As we’ve been chronicling the barbecue scene around the country, we’ve found that you can find good barbecue all over the United States. But only a handful of American cities have so many good joints that it’s hard to keep track.
Kansas City is one such city, so it’s exciting to see the city’s tourism department Visit KC launch the Kansas City BBQ Experience App. It’s a seriously impressive showcase of Kansas City barbecue, with listings, photos, the ability to earn digital badges when you “check in” at restaurants, and much more.
The app features more than 100 regional restaurants, including all the top joints you’ve likely heard of including Joe’s Kansas City, Arthur Bryant’s, Gates, LC’s, and Fiorella’s Jack Stack. But the real beauty may be the places you don’t know like Bates City Bar-B-Que (see above), Blind Box BBQ, Char Bar, Jazzy B’s, and Jones BBQ (see below). We were honored to take part in the app by providing some photos and information on some of the joints featured.
It’s great to see this being done by Kansas City, and we’d love to see this type of digital innovation done by other hubs, including Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Memphis. Barbecue might old-school, but the way we learn about it doesn’t have to be.
You can download the Kansas City BBQ Experience app now from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. We’re looking forward to collecting badges and much more. Maybe we’ll even find a joint we haven’t been to!
Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist) and Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ)
Co-Founders, The Smoke Sheet
Here are the top recent barbecue news stories from around the country:
Allen & Son Barbeque (see above), one of North Carolina’s top barbecue destinations, quietly closed its doors last week. “We done it for 48 years, we did our run, it’s time to move on,” Keith Allen told the News & Observer. “It’s a hard thing to walk away from something like this. It’s the cycle of life. You do what you’re supposed to do as long as you can do it right.”
The second annual Houston vs Austin Throwdown happened this past weekend, with a surprising result. Longview's Bodacious BBQ, a joint from neither Austin or Houston, won the judge’s prize for its prosciutto wrapped smoked beef cheek jalapeño popper corn dog. The people’s choice award went to Beaver’s in Houston for its puffy smoked rib quesadillas fried on the spot. Congrats to both joints on their wins!
The new Austin-inspired Hill Country Food Park in Brooklyn offers far more than just the barbecue that put Hill Country on the map in NYC and D.C. Sean Ludwig, co-founder of the Smoke Sheet, reviewed the joint for The Bridge and found it a great addition to the Brooklyn food scene.
The Takeout wrote about the history of Kansas City burnt ends and how they went from free scraps that were handed out to customers to being a sought-after delicacy.
Veteran Texas pitmaster Christopher Haynes is opening a new barbecue trailer called 1836 BBQ in New Braunfels, just outside of San Antonio.
Micklethwait Craft Meats, one of the top barbecue food trucks in Austin, is about to open its new physical location in downtown Smithville, Texas. The new store will be a combination barbecue restaurant, grocery, and gift store.
Richmond Magazine has rounded up four new barbecue restaurants that are opening soon in Richmond, Virginia area.
The Meat Tornado, at Animales Barbeque Co. in Minneapolis, is a new must-try sandwich “buckling with rib ends, sausage and bacon, oozing with cheese sauce and topped with jalapeños.”
About six months after the death of Anthony Bourdain, Houston’s Burns Original BBQ is paying tribute to Bourdain with a brand new mural that was painted by Houston artist Donkeeboy.
Southern Living has published its list of the “15 Most Influential People in Barbecue History,” which includes the likes of Georgia’s John W. Callaway, Kansas City’s Henry Perry, Houston’s Matt Garner, and Memphis’ Charlie Vergos.
Here are BBQ shows, podcasts, or books you should check out this week:
Watch: Kevin’s BBQ Joints - Rodney Scott, Rodney Scott’s BBQ
In this episode, Kevin talks with James Beard Award Winning pitmaster Rodney Scott of Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ in Charleston, South Carolina. They talk about his early days (11 years old to be exact) cooking whole hog barbecue, how the business grew over those early years with a write up in the New York Times, cooking at the Charleston Wine and Food Festival, Big Apple BBQ Block Party, and then how he ventured off to open his own BBQ spot in Charleston. Rodney is humble, passionate, and dedicated to put out amazing product. Bonus, he shares some words of wisdom from the late Anthony Bourdain. Watch it here.
Listen: Gravy - Smoking on the South Side
Barbecue purists from the Carolinas to Texas might balk at the notion that Chicago, Illinois, has a barbecue tradition all its own. But owing to the Great Migration and to a special piece of equipment called the aquarium smoker, reporter-producer Ambriehl Crutchfield finds that Chicago barbecue has evolved into a style unto itself. Listen to it here.
Read: Craft Beef: A Revolution of Small Farms and Big Flavors - by Joe Heitzeberg, Ethan Lowry, and Caroline Saunders
Follow Crowd Cow's Lowry, Heitzeberg, and Saunders as they meet the farmers, butchers, and chefs making the craft beef revolution possible, and along the way, learn how to become a craft beef connoisseur yourself. Order it here.
December 14-15: 6th Annual Downtown Throwdown - Las Vegas, Nevada
The Nevada BBQ Association will host the 6th Annual Downtown Throwdown barbecue competition on December 14-15, 2018 at the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, Nevada. More info here.
December 28-29: Arizona National BBQ Stampede - Phoenix, Arizona
The Arizona National BBQ Stampede is a special event brought to you by the Arizona National Livestock Show in collaboration with the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS). Teams will be able to enter the competition to earn points at the first event of the KCBS competition season. More info here.
December 31-January 1: Fired Up Kosher BBQ Battle and Festival - Boca Raton, Florida
The Jay Feder Jewelers Fired Up Kosher BBQ Battle and Festival will be held on January 1st, 2019 at the South County Regional Park in Boca Raton, Florida from 1:00-5:00 pm. The event will include a barbecue competition, food for sale, and family activities. Proceeds will help support Hadar High School for Girls. More info here.
January 20-22: Whole Hog Extravaganza / Brisket Bonanza / BBQ MBA - Murphysboro, Illinois
Restaurateurs, barbecue competitors, caterers, and enthusiasts are invited to level up and continue your education at the Whole Hog Extravaganza, a one-of-a-kind seminar at 17th BBQ in Murphysboro. Pitmasters and speakers on hand will include Tank Jackson of Holy City Hogs, John Lewis of Lewis Barbecue, and Mike and Amy Mills of 17th Street Barbecue. More info here.
Tomahawk Steak Grilled Caveman Style
Troy from T-Roy Cooks shares a super simple recipe for a USDA Prime Tomahawk Steak prepared “caveman style.” For this recipe, Troy uses simple seasoning and goes back to basics and cooks directly on mesquite lump charcoal, with a little mesquite wood for extra flavor.The method results in a juicy, delicious, and easy to prepare steak.
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