The best BBQ bites from Q in the Lou 2019 (plus top news & events)
Thousands of barbecue fans gathered in downtown St. Louis, Missouri this past weekend for Q in the Lou, a showcase of some of the best barbecue around the U.S. Restaurants from Missouri, Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Colorado, and Texas were all present and served up both traditional bites like ribs and beans and lesser-seen items such as leg of lamb and pulled pork nachos.
The event was scheduled to coincide with the St. Louis Cardinals playing the Chicago Cubs, one of the biggest rivalries in Major League Baseball, at Busch Stadium downtown. This ensured many people attending the games could stop by Q in the Lou before or after the big matchup. Naturally, many people throughout the weekend were decked out in Cards and Cubs gear, and baseball was a hot topic of discussion on top of the barbecue.
Q in the Lou 2019 attracted thousands of attendees over three days in downtown St. Louis.
Craig Verhage (aka The BBQ Ninja) of Ubons Barbeque of Yazoo, has been cooking each of the five years the Q in the Lou has been put on and he thought this was the best year yet.
"I think this year was comparable to past years but a little bit better," Verhage said. "It was a great, well-attended event. Centering it around the Cardinals and Cubs brought out good numbers. ... And being in our fifth year, we've developed a renewal of people coming back to eat our products."
Ubon's Barbeque of Yazoo served up outstanding smoked and torched chicken at Q in the Lou.
While each vendor served two to three items a piece, we thought each joint had a standout item.
Some of the best bites we had at the festival included:
Pulled pork nachos - Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porker (Nashville)
Leg of lamb - Mike Johnson and Christina Fitzgerald of Sugarfire Smokehouse (St. Louis)
Smoked and torched chicken - Leslie Roark Scott and Craig Verhage of Ubons Barbeque of Yazoo (Yazoo City, MS)
Whole hog sliders - Brad Orrison of The Shed Barbeque & Blues Joint (Ocean Springs, MS)
Spare ribs - Mike Emerson of Pappy's Smokehouse (St. Louis)
Brisket - Miriam Wilson of The Salt Lick BBQ (Driftwood, TX)
Memphis ribs - John David Wheeler of Memphis Barbecue Company (Horn Lake, MS)
Smoked chicken wings - Jason Ganahl of GQue BBQ (Denver)
Pork belly burnt ends - Jeff Stehney of Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que (Kansas City)
"I didn't get around enough for my liking, but that brisket from the Salt Lick is phenomenal and Pappy's ribs are some of my favorite," Verhage said. "I don't get enough lamb so I enjoyed the lamb from Sugarfire and you can't beat the whole hog from The Shed. ... It's all good. This is some of the best in the world."
The bison ribeye made on-stage by The Salt Lick BBQ was incredible.
On top of serving up food to the public, many of the top pitmasters in attendance performed cooking demonstrations on stage, which were hosted by Loot N’ Booty BBQ pitmaster Sterling Smith.
The best sample bites we had from the demo stage included the bison ribeye from The Salt Lick BBQ, the pork crown roast from The Shed, Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin from GQue, and smoked whole turkey from Peg Leg Porker.
Kyle Hanner, center with trophy, won Sunday's Prairie Fresh Rib Rumble.
Other attractions included live music, with a diverse array of acts, and two rib-eating contests hosted by Brad Orrison of The Shed.
Kyle Hanner (aka The Hammer), who competes in eating competitions nationally, won Sunday's rib eating contest and likely ate more BBQ than anyone else on Saturday or Sunday. The Hammer ate 2.8 pounds of rib meat in five minutes.
You can watch some of Sunday's crazy contest here.
The pork belly burnt ends from Joe's of Kansas City were one of the best food items at Q in the Lou.
First time attendees also seemed to enjoy themselves. Rajiv Ravulapati, who told us he's been to many barbecue joints around the country, said he loved the ribs from Memphis Barbecue Company the most of the bites he'd tried on Sunday.
"I decided to do the VIP package because I'm a glutton," Ravulapati said with a smile. "It's a better deal for our money because with two and a half hours of barbecue, who doesn't want to do that? I was a little disappointed there wasn't more St. Louis representation considering there is a lot of good barbecue here, but it's fun to see what is happening with barbecue from around the country."
We of course had to say hello to Mike Emerson of Pappy's Smokehouse at Q in the Lou.
Jeff Stehney, owner of Joe's Kansas City and a legendary barbecue competitor, said he likes being at events like Q in the Lou because it helps evangelize the business. Joe's sold about 150 pounds of pork (which were used for the pork belly burnt ends) on Saturday day.
"One of the new things we're doing at Joe's is we got into the vending business to promote Kansas City and to promote our brand," Stehney told during an Instagram interview. "We're here to spread the word about how good barbecue is and how fun barbecue is, because this is a fun festival."
We look forward to returning to Q in the Lou next year, which has been set for September 11-13, 2020. Hope to see you all there!
Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ) and Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founders, The Smoke Sheet
Here are the top recent barbecue news stories from around the country:
Harp Barbecue has been named the best barbecue restaurant in Kansas City by 435 magazine. (Photo courtesy of 435 Magazine.)
435 Magazine has released a new list of the best barbecue spots in Kansas City, naming relative newcomer Harp Barbecue the top spot in the city. The magazine noted that pitmaster Tyler Harp’s brisket has “only gotten better in the past few months.”
The sixth annual Smoked BBQ Fest took place in Dallas recently and the Dallas Observer’s Chris Wolfgang wrote about several of his favorite bites from the event. Several of the spots we highlighted in made the list.
Southern Living’s Robert Moss explains the history and nomenclature of one of barbecue’s most popular cuts, the Boston Butt.
According to the Houston Chronicle’s J.C. Reid, craft barbecue is rapidly expanding and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn made recent visits to B-Daddy’s BBQ in Helotes and Smitty’s BBQ in Brownwood.
This fall, a new barbecue and brunch spot called Ella’s BBQ will be opening in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. Owners Gosia Pieniazek and Art Wnorowski will focus on barbecue meats but aim to have something for everyone.
St. Louis pitmaster David Sandusky of Beast Butcher & Block has launched a new “Nose to Tail" brunch on Sundays that he hopes will be “the best brunch in the city.”
Pitmaster Laura Loomis has left San Antonio’s Two Bros. BBQ Market to pursue other opportunities. Chris Jerrick been named pitmaster for the restaurant, according to the San Antonio Current.
Eater Austin recently reported that Texas barbecue photographer Ted Rutherford will be opening a barbecue and coffee trailer called Wanderlust Craft BBQ & Coffee in Austin in 2020.
Here are BBQ shows, podcasts, or books you should check out this week:
Helen Turner is the driving force behind Helen’s Bar-B-Que in Brownsville, Tennessee.
Watch: Pitmaster Helen Turner Is A One-Woman Barbecue Machine - Southern Foodways Alliance
They said a woman couldn’t run a barbecue joint … but that was before they tried Helen Turner’s sandwiches. Turner has owned and operated Helen’s Bar-B-Que in Brownsville, Tennessee by herself since 1996, and amassed a loyal following due to her smoky cooking and secret sauce recipe. Watch the above video from the Southern Foodways Alliance documentary series to learn more. Watch here.
Listen: Best Guest Hall of Fame - The BBQ Central Show
Last week on The BBQ Central Show, host Greg Rempe assembled his crack team of embedded correspondents to usher in the 2019 BBQ Central Show Best Guest Hall of Fame. While four individuals easily locked up their spot in the Hall of Fame, Greg and his round table of correspondents argue over who should take the fifth spot. Listen to the episode here.
Read: Game-Day Eats: 100 Recipes for Homegating Like a Pro - by Eddie Jackson
Game-Day Eats combines pro-football star and celebrity chef Eddie Jackson’s two passions — cooking and football — in one hearty cook’s playbook. Eddie gives you more than 100 recipes centered around eating, drinking, and spending time with friends while enjoying the game at home. Eddie shows how anyone at any culinary skill level can create festive feasts any day of the week. Each inventive and hearty recipe includes steps that can be done ahead of time or prepped very quickly so that you don’t miss a play—whether your gathering for a traditional Sunday afternoon or for a weeknight game. Buy it here.
Firebox 3: BBQ on the Bluff takes place on St. Simons Island, Georgia this weekend.
October 3-5: Firebox 3 BBQ On The Bluff Invitational - St. Simons Island, Georgia
The 3rd Annual BBQ on the Bluff Invitational takes place October 3-5, 2019 on St. Simons Island in Georgia. The festival is presented by Southern Soul BBQ and features some of the biggest names in barbecue from around the world. Proceeds benefit the Firebox Initiative. More info here.
October 5: Brew N’ Que - Perth, Western Australia
On Saturday, October 5th, the Brew N’ Que Festival will take place in Perth, Australia at the Ascot Racecourse. Experience the best in craft brew and barbecue. The event includes barbecue food vendors, craft beer, live music, cooking demos, competitions with national and international teams, Kids Q competition, classes from “BBQ Pitmasters” television celebrity Harry Soo, and the headline event with pitmaster Bill Dumas of The Switch in Dripping Springs, Texas. More info here.
October 5: Bacon, BBQ, Brews, & Blues Festival - Guymon, Oklahoma
The Bacon, BBQ, Brews, & Blues Festival takes place on October 5th in Guymon, Oklahoma. The event will feature pitmaster BBQ tips from Brad Orrison and Brooke Lewis of The Shed BBQ and Blues Joint, a bacon cooking contest, a cornhole tournament, music, and more. A free BBQ dinner will also be provided by Seaboard Foods. More info here.
October 6: Southern Smoke - Houston, Texas
An impressive lineup of pitmasters and chefs have been announced for the fifth annual Southern Smoke festival, which takes place on October 6 in Houston, Texas. Proceeds from the event will go towards the Southern Smoke Emergency Relief Fund and the National MS Society. More info here.
October 12: EGGtoberfest - Stone Mountain, Georgia
EGGtoberfest is a fun-filled, family-oriented celebration held each October for Big Green Egg fans. This event takes place on October 12 at Stone Mountain Park in Stone Mountain, Georgia and features food from over 200 Big Green Eggs, demonstrations, music, and more. More info here.
October 20: Butcher’s Ball - Brenham, Texas
The Butcher's Ball brings together Texas' most talented chefs, butchers, ranchers, and advocates for a day of demonstrations, discussions, tastings, and competition at the beautiful Rockin' Star Ranch in Brenham, Texas. The event is an incredible celebration of food, drink, music, and education, meant to shine a light on our local culinary and creative communities, bring awareness to sustainable farming and ranching practices, raise funds for local charities, and make the connection between the producer and the consumer. More info here.
October 20: Brett’s Backyard BBQ Ball - Rockdale, Texas
Join the crew at Brett’s Backyard BBQ for the first anniversary of the “BBQ Ball” with eight of the best pitmasters Texas, including those from Snow’s BBQ, Roegels Barbecue Co, Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue, and more. The ticket includes samples from each pitmaster, complimentary beer from Texas Beer Company, and live music. More info here.
October 25-26: Jack Daniel’s 2019 World Championship Invitational - Lynchburg, Tennessee
For one weekend every year, the smallest town in whiskey becomes the biggest scene in barbecue. More than 60 championship teams from the U.S. and more than 20 international teams from around the world convene in Lynchburg to compete for the coveted title of The Jack Grand Champion. More info here.
October 26: The Barbecue Festival - Lexington, Kentucky
The 36th annual Barbecue Festival in Lexington, North Carolina will attract thousands of BBQ aficionados from around the country. The event features lots of great Lexington-style barbecue, but also includes a bike race, a car show, live music, BMX stunt shows, lumberjack competitions, and a festival finale with fireworks. Admission is free but plan to buy ‘cue on site. More info here.
November 2-3: Texas Monthly BBQ Fest Weekend - Austin, Texas
The Texas Monthly BBQ Fest is one of the top annual barbecue festivals in Texas. The Top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas have all been invited, so come see who will be smoking at this weekend of ‘cue. Plus, check out the return of the popular Franklin & Friends event. More info here.
See the full Smoke Sheet events calendar online here.
If you’ve never had pork steak, you need to try this recipe.
Pork Steaks 3 Ways - by Red Meat Lover
For this week’s Recipe of the Week, we are highlighting a staple of St. Louis barbecue — pork steaks. We had a blast meeting the guys from the Red Meat Lover YouTube channel at Q in the Lou and thought it would be great to feature their take on a Midwestern classic. In this video, the experts will show you how Pork Shoulder, Pork Butt, and Boston Butt can be cut into Pork Steaks. Use these recipes to turn up the tasty the next time you fire up your grill or smoker with this great alternative to pulled pork! View the recipe here.
If you’re not already subscribed to The Smoke Sheet, sign up here. Want to be featured in or sponsor this newsletter? Email us now!