Three New Year’s Resolutions from The Smoke Sheet (plus top news & events)
Happy New Year! As we welcome in 2020 and a brand new decade, it’s time to start setting goals, intentions, and resolutions for this year and if we’re lucky, maybe the rest of our lives.
Below we outline three goals and resolutions we have for the new year.
Ryan’s biggest resolution for 2020 is to beat cancer and get back out on the barbecue trail.
Beat Cancer
In 2019, I attended several barbecue events for the first time and visited more barbecue joints than ever before. All of that came to a screeching halt shortly before Thanksgiving, when I went to the emergency room for extreme abdominal pain. Unfortunately, emergency surgery revealed the cause was a perforation in my colon due to a cancerous tumor. A portion of my colon was removed and my doctors were confident they took out the cancerous area. Thankfully, scans showed that the cancer was localized and had not spread to any other areas. After I healed from surgery, I immediately started chemotherapy treatment to ensure any remaining cancerous cells are eliminated.
As I have been recovering from surgery and undergoing cancer treatment, the outpouring of support from the barbecue community has been overwhelming. I have received hundreds of messages (many of which were compiled in Part One and Part Two of these videos from Kevin’s BBQ Joints on YouTube), phone calls, care packages, and donations to the BBQ Tourist Recovery Fund — each of which have helped to lift my spirits and stay determined to overcome the challenges that are ahead.
Many individuals and pitmasters have held special fundraisers to help with my medical expenses during my recovery. While my travel schedule will certainly be much lighter the first half of 2020, my resolution is to beat cancer and get back out on the road to document the world of barbecue and especially to say thank you to the barbecue community for supporting me and my family in my fight against cancer. -Ryan Cooper
This year, Ryan also resolves to master the art of grilling steaks over direct heat.
Master the Art of Cooking Steak
After my medical team suggested I increase my intake of protein to help rebuild tissues, I purchased a Weber Master Touch Grill to cook on in my backyard while I recover at home for the next several months. Over the last several years I have focused on learning to cook traditional barbecue cuts low and slow and have attended some of the biggest barbecue competitions across the country. However, in 2019 I had my first opportunity to witness how much fun Steak Cookoff Association (SCA) events can be. This year, my resolution is to master the art of grilling a good steak over direct heat and enjoy the wonderful flavors that hot and fast cooking can impart. Be sure to stay tuned for our upcoming issue featuring Kell Phelps of the National Barbecue News on the world of SCA events. -Ryan Cooper
It’s easy to overdo it when there’s so much great barbecue to try.
Eat Healthier and Smarter
In the world of barbecue, it’s easy to overindulge. It’s especially easy if you go to barbecue joints and events nearly every week like I do. In 2020, I want to follow in the footsteps of barbecue leaders like Aaron Franklin and Myron Mixon, who espouse the benefits of eating relatively healthy while also enjoying many bites of barbecue. Mixon told The BBQ Central Show earlier this year that he’d lost more than 100 pounds from his top weight by keeping away from carbs and sugars and controlling portions. In 2020, I’d like to keep visiting all the joints I regularly do but not go overboard every time I eat. And, when I’m not eating barbecue, I’ll also be trying to eat more veggies and cutting out more desserts. -Sean Ludwig
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We hope you also will join us in making resolutions and goals and try your best to make 2020 a bigger and better year than 2019.
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:
Snow’s Barbecue in Lexington, Texas is an example of the popular craft barbecue that helped define the decade. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
J.C. Reid of the Houston Chronicle used his last column of 2019 to discuss the prevalence of great craft barbecue in the past decade and what potentially comes next.
Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn looked outside the magazine’s 2017 Top 50 Best BBQ Joints and 2019 Top 25 Best New Joints lists to highlight his sixteen favorite dishes of the year. The list includes dishes at spots we visited last year, including the whole hog at Banger’s in Austin and the rib tips at Smoke-A-Holics in Ft. Worth.
Daniel Vaughn also made a grand pronouncement recently by claiming Portland, Oregon has the best Texas barbecue outside of Texas, with joints like Matt's BBQ, Bark City BBQ, and Holy Trinity Barbecue putting the city on the map.
Food & Wine’s list of the thirteen most important and influential restaurants of the past decade includes Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Charleston. Barbecue scholar Robert Moss took exception with the way the magazine portrayed the South Carolina pitmaster and offered a scathing response.
According to Drew Jackson of the News & Observer, Raleigh is undergoing a barbecue renaissance with planned restaurant openings from notable pitmasters such as Sam Jones, Ed Mitchell, Wyatt Dickson, and Chris Prieto, predicting that the city will become a barbecue capital in 2020.
Eater Houston named buzzy barbecue joint Truth Barbeque one of the city’s five best new restaurants in 2019.
In a similar article, the Dallas Observer named barbecue joint Baby Back Shak as one its top 100 restaurants in Dallas for 2020, with high praise for its ribs.
Several barbecue spots this past summer were listed among the best new restaurants of 2019 by the Star-Telegram, including Panther City BBQ, Derek Allan’s Texas Barbecue, Hurtado Barbecue, and Smoke-A-Holics.
Eater Charleston has named popular joints Lewis Barbecue and Rodney Scott's BBQ as two of their top go-to restaurants in 2019.
Detroit barbecue joint Woodpile BBQ Shack has expanded to a second location in Madison Heights, according to Eater Detroit. The menu will feature classics like brisket, pulled pork, and chicken, but will also add in loaded barbecue fries and nachos, barbecue sliders, and jumbo whole smoked wings.
SugarFoot’s BBQ in Vancouver, Washington (just north of Portland) was spotlighted recently by The Columbian for its “delightful” barbecue.
The Houston Chronicle’s J.C. Reid writes about the fusion of beer and barbecue at Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. Chef and pitmaster Arash Karat, formerly of the recently-closed Beaver’s West, oversees the menu, which consists of pizza, sandwiches, tacos, and more.
Houston’s Pinkerton’s Barbecue will soon be expanding with a second location in San Antonio in 2020.
Less than one year after opening, Memphis-based chain Corky’s Ribs & BBQ has closed in Katy, Texas.
Eater London recently spotlighted the “messy, delicious, and comforting” food at Kansas City-style barbecue restaurant Prairie Fire.
Here are BBQ shows, podcasts, or books you should check out this week:
The BBQ Central Show embedded correspondents Doug, Jon, and Steve recap 2019.
Watch: Embedded Correspondents Recap 2019 and Look Ahead to 2020 — The BBQ Central Show
On Christmas Eve, host Greg Rempe assembled his team of embedded correspondents to recap the biggest food stories, barbecue topics, and favorite episodes of the show in 2019. The group also looks ahead to 2020 and makes predictions for what they think will be emerging trends in the world of barbecue. Watch here.
Listen: Sean Ludwig of The Smoke Sheet — Chew Diligence
Sean Ludwig of The Smoke Sheet and NYC BBQ joins hosts Jill Silva and Lindsay Shively to talk about Kansas City barbecue, how the Internet has reshaped barbecue culture, the story behind The Smoke Sheet’s creation, representation in the barbecue world, and much more. Listen to the episode here.
Read: The Brisket Chronicles: How to Barbecue, Braise, Smoke, and Cure the World's Most Epic Cut of Meat — by Steven Raichlen
Grill master Steven Raichlen shares more than 60 foolproof, mouthwatering recipes for preparing the tastiest, most versatile, and most beloved cut of meat in the world — outside on the grill, as well as in the kitchen. In dozens of unbeatable tips, Raichlen shows you just how to handle, prepare, and store your meat for maximum tenderness and flavor. Plus plenty more recipes that are pure comfort food, perfect for using up leftovers: Brisket Hash, Brisket Baked Beans, Bacon-Grilled Brisket Bites — or for real mind-blowing pleasure, Kettle Corn with Burnt Ends. And side dishes that are the perfect brisket accents, including slaws, salads, and sauces. Buy it here.
The first barbecue event of 2020 is the Kosher BBQ Battle in Boca Raton.
January 1: Fired Up Florida Kosher BBQ Battle — 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 17-18: Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge — Bullhead City, Arizona
The 6th annual Slab-O-Rama is a large KCBS-sanctioned competition that will invite teams to compete in eight categories over two days. Outside of the competition, there will be something for everyone including a winter beer garden, vendors, live music, line dancing, a Bloody Mary bar, and more. More info here.
January 18: Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival — Brooklyn, New York
The 10th Annual Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival is leaving Manhattan after a decade and heading to Brooklyn. A ticket buys you access to tasting great local barbecue from NYC, hot sauce samples, and tons of spirits and craft beers. The event’s signature “Beast Cage” will be back too with exotic smoked meats, including alligator, lamb, bison, longhorn rounds, and much more. The Smoke Sheet’s Sean Ludwig will be at the event, so if you go, be sure to say hello. More info here.
January 25, 2020: The Shed Steak Showdown — Ocean Springs, Mississippi
The Shed will be hosting a huge SCA steak cookoff on January 25th. More than 100 teams competed at last year’s event, so expect fierce competition and lots of prizes. More than $20,000 in prizes will be given out to winners, so if you have interest in cooking steak or other proteins, this is a great event for you. More info here.
February 27-29, 2020: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Bar-B-Que Contest — Houston, Texas
More than 250 teams, led by barbecue aficionados, compete in the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. While most team tents are invitation-only, visitors can enjoy several public venues, including The Garden, Rockin' Bar-B-Que Saloon, and the Chuck Wagon. Activities include live music, rides, games, and more and visitors will receive a complimentary sliced brisket plate with chips and beans. More info here.
March 4-8, 2020: Charleston Food and Wine Festival — Charleston, South Carolina
The Charleston Wine + Food infuses homegrown flavor with top chefs, winemakers, authors, storytellers, artisans, and food enthusiasts from around the globe for a five-day event that spans the first full weekend each March. More info here.
March 27-28, 2020: Hogs for the Cause — New Orleans, Louisiana
Hogs for the Cause returns as the largest, tastiest BBQ festival in New Orleans. The city welcomes numerous local and regional BBQ masters and the best backyard chefs to compete in seven categories: Whole Hog, Ribs, Pork Butt/Shoulder, Porkpourri, Sauce, Fan Favorite, and Fundraising Champion. The barbecue festival is a two-day event full of music, local beer, and fundraising. More info here.
See the full Smoke Sheet events calendar online here.
This recipe for brisket quiche makes the perfect dish for using up brisket leftovers.
Brisket Quiche - by All Things BBQ
For this week’s Recipe of the Week, we chose this recipe for Brisket Quiche from Chef Tom at All Things BBQ. Chef Tom puts together this delicious quiche using leftover Umami Bomb Brisket, baked on the Yoder Smokers Pellet Grill. This quiche can be enjoyed for breakfast as well as any other meal of the day. View the recipe here.
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