KC’s Night Goat Cooks Up Incredible New-School BBQ

Kansas City has long been regarded as one of the premier spots in the country for great barbecue. I wrote about two years ago after attending one of the first Harp Barbecue pop-ups at Crane Brewing, when I could first see a shift was occurring. 

Since then, the scene in Kansas City has changed dramatically with the influence of craft barbecue and Central Texas-style cooking, which my colleague Sean Ludwig wrote about earlier this year in his article about Kansas City Craft barbecue.

Craft barbecue has recently left its indelible mark on the Kansas City barbecue scene. (Photo by Pilsen Photo Co-op)

Shortly after Sean’s story was published in The Smoke Sheet, my friend Jill Silva called to interview me about an article she was writing about craft barbecue and informed me that there was a new craft barbecue spot in Kansas City called Night Goat. Jill is a James Beard Award-winning author and former Food Editor for The Kansas City Star, but still, I must admit I was puzzled that both Sean and I had somehow missed a new barbecue restaurant with such a memorable name that had opened in our hometown. It turns out Night Goat is the name of a Sunday barbecue pop-up from chef Vaughn Good of the acclaimed restaurant Fox & Pearl.

Chef Vaughn Good of Fox & Pearl recently started serving barbecue as part of the Night Goat pop-up in Kansas City. (Photo by Pilsen Photo Co-op)

When I first met Vaughn two years ago, he and his wife Kristine Hull had recently opened Fox & Pearl in a temporary space in Kansas City, after having closed the popular butcher shop-turned-restaurant Hank Charcuterie in Lawrence, Kansas. The concept for Fox & Pearl was that it would be a bistro serving rustic cuisine in an open space centered around a hearth and wood-burning oven, where live-fire cooking would be showcased.

After Kristine finished the design and the build-out was completed, the restaurant moved to its permanent location in a beautiful historic building in Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood. The ambiance at the restaurant is incredible, with different dining spaces on multiple levels, a gorgeous bar, an outdoor courtyard, as well as a spiral staircase leading to a more intimate setting reminiscent of a speakeasy.

Vaughn Good’s acclaimed restaurant Fox & Pearl features live-fire cooking and an impressive menu. (Photo by Pilsen Photo Co-op)

Since then, Fox & Pearl has gone on to national acclaim, with Vaughn building upon the education he received at the French Culinary Institute in New York and his background in butchery and charcuterie. Fox & Pearl’s menu features locally sourced ingredients, scratch-made dishes, and a seasonal menu. After the dining landscape was altered by the pandemic, Vaughn decided to explore serving barbecue as part of a pop-up once a week. He named it Night Goat after a song by the Melvins.

Vaughn Good stokes the fire at his Night Goat smoker. (Photo by Pilsen Photo Co-op)

I had the chance to join Vaughn recently on a Saturday night as he cooked barbecue for service the next day. Unlike most of his craft barbecue contemporaries, he uses a unique cabinet smoker where the smoke and heat come up from underneath the meat. He had previously used the smoker at Hank Charcuterie for sausage and bacon. It takes a lot of patience and a good understanding of fire management to maintain the temperature for longer cooks.

Vaughn revealed he did not grow up on Kansas City barbecue and didn’t go to many of Kansas City’s famous barbecue spots until later in life. Though he grew up in nearby Lawrence, most of his experiences with barbecue took place with family in Oklahoma. It is clear that he has a passion for cooking barbecue, as he had just started building a smokehouse and has ordered a 250-gallon offset smoker from Primitive Pits, which will arrive this summer.

All of the smoked meats served at Night Goat are stellar but the sausages are particularly noteworthy. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)

The next morning, I was fortunate enough to be joined by Jill and we had the opportunity to sample a little bit of everything Vaughn had been cooking the night before. On Sundays, patrons can order barbecue from the Night Goat menu as well as anything from the Fox & Pearl brunch menu. Our platter had brisket, pastrami, pork belly burnt ends, and three types of sausages served with Caramelo pork fat tortillas, pickles, and cucumber salad. My favorite bites of the meal were the Smoked Pig Head and Chicken Liver Boudin, brisket, and Guajillo Beef Sausage, but everything we tried was spectacular.

Brisket and pastrami are popular items on the Night Goat Menu. (Photo by Pilsen Photo Co-op)

When I asked Vaughn if he felt like he was part of a new barbecue scene in Kansas City, he responded positively and shared that he enjoyed getting to know pitmasters such as Tyler Harp of Harp Barbecue and Justin Easterwood of Chef J BBQ. With his new smokehouse and pit, he will be able to expand his offerings and increase the amount of food he cooks for Night Goat. 

Vaughn does not seem to be clamoring to open a barbecue joint full time but does look forward to trying new things and may add a whole hog pit to his arsenal. For now, it seems Vaughn is content with continuing to serve the best food possible and learning more about cooking great barbecue.

Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet

Thanks to our sponsor Sauce King NYC, a virtual event from Food Karma Projects that's now in its second year. Using a panel of judges, Sauce King NYC determines the best barbecue sauces, hot sauces, marinades, and more from around the country. It is now accepting submissions through August 15th for the 2021 competition. Enter your best sauce in the competition today!

—Beloved NC BBQ joint Pik N Pig was destroyed by a devastating fire this past weekend.—

HOT OFF THE PRESS

A devastating fire destroyed popular Carthage, North Carolina barbecue joint Pik-n-Pig this past weekend. “Unfortunately, we have experienced an extreme tragedy here at the Pik N Pig,” the owners wrote on Facebook. “There has been a massive fire. Nobody was hurt. There is extensive damage to our beautiful place. We will be closed until further notice. Very sorry for any inconvenience. So sorry about any orders that have already been placed. Please keep us in your prayers. Our hearts are broken. The restaurant has started a GoFundMe to help the family get back on their feet after this terrible incident. READ MORE.

Thrillist has been on a tear recently with great lists of barbecue restaurants all across the country. On top of recent guides for Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles, Houston, the Carolinas, Memphis, and New York City, the publication summoned its crew to compile a list of the 41 top barbecue joints around the whole United States. What’s nice about the list of joints across the country is that it balances the heavy hitters every BBQ lover will know with a few that they won’t necessarily think of on a list like this. READ MORE.

Hogs for the Cause, a popular New Orleans-based barbecue and music festival, will finally take place this weekend after many setbacks from COVID-19. “We knew in November that a March event wasn’t going to happen,” Hogs organizer Rene Louapre told Gambit. “We knew fall wasn’t going to happen (with all the other major festivals postponing till then). We ID’d this as one of two weekends it could happen. It was just a matter of being patient and waiting for everything to fall into place.” Hogs for the Cause features multiple barbecue competitions and raises money each year to help children with pediatric brain cancer and their families. READ MORE.

This past weekend, the annual Rib King NYC event was held on Staten Island in New York City. More than 10 different chefs and pitmasters competed to serve up the best pork ribs, but the top prize ended up going to a local favorite: Staten Island’s Juicy Lucy BBQ. Notably, Juicy Lucy BBQ also won the Brisket King NYC competition earlier this year as well, marking a rare feat. The runner up prize was awarded to Hindsight BBQ out of Waterbury, Connecticut. READ MORE.
 

ADDITIONAL READS

Louisville BBQ legend Gary Thompson, 75, is cooking again and hopes to sell his “secret sauce” in stores.

The Wall Street Journal compiled a list of all the new barbecue books you should check out this summer.

Moo's Craft Barbecue, which melds Texas-style barbecue with Mexican-American flavors in Los Angeles, is close to opening its first physical restaurant.

Thrillist reports why Tex-Mex barbecue is more about traditions than trends.

Kevin Kelly of Kevin’s BBQ Joints has compiled a huge list of the top barbecue pit builders all over the country.

The Miami Herald wrote about how NFL player Isaiah McKenzie and Austin pitmaster Mel Rodriguez brought their Tex-Mex barbecue to Miami Lakes.

If you’re on the hunt for Father’s Day BBQ gifts, Larry Olmsted of Forbes has compiled a list of the best grills and smokers of 2021.

Here are seven fun BBQ ideas that will make your backyard the place to be this summer.

Thank you to our sponsor Raikes Beef, which offers 100% Nebraska born and raised American Wagyu and Angus beef. Learn more about Raikes Beef Co. here.

—Food Insider profiled the legendary Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Q in video form.—

WATCH

The Best Ribs In Kansas Are Cooked And Served In A Gas Station — Food Insider

Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Q has been operating out of a gas station since 1996, but that doesn't stop people from packing the crowded restaurant for lunch and dinner every day for their award-winning ribs. Come find out why you have to eat here if you visit KC. (Note: This video is from 2019 but is still relevant today as Joe’s is back to what it was before the pandemic.) WATCH HERE.

LISTEN

Celebrating 35 Years with KCBS — The BBQ Beat

The Kansas City Barbeque Society is celebrating 35 years of sanctioning world-class competition barbecue events around the globe. In this episode of The BBQ Beat, KCBS CEO Emily Detweiler and Rick Wagner, KCBS Board President sit down with host Kevin Sandridge for an information-packed discussion. Topics covered include the organization's reaction to the pandemic, a renewed sense of fellowship and camaraderie among competitors, new developments regarding CBJ training, and the plans that are in store for the 35th Anniversary Awards Banquet and World Invitational BBQ competition to be held on Nov. 12 – 14, 2021 at the Firelake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma. LISTEN HERE.

READ

Smokin' Southern BBQ: Barbecue Recipes and Techniques from Around the South — Glenn Connaughton

Become a master of smoking meat at home with the ultimate introduction to Southern barbecue in Smokin' Southern BBQ. This cookbook and smoking guide covers a range of regional styles and teaches you essential techniques for barbecue mastery. Learn how to choose the right tools, work with different cuts of meat, and make brines, marinades, rubs, and sauces that take your barbecue to new heights. Serve incredible Southern-style barbecue at your next cookout with a complete guide to all the famous flavors. BUY IT HERE.

The new FOGO C4 Grill by MGrills is the best portable grill in the market. Click here to learn more about the C4 Grill.

—Don’t sleep on these delicious burnt ends from Fergolicious BBQ.—

Kansas City Burnt Ends with Fergolicious BBQ

By How to BBQ Right

For this week’s Recipe of the Week, we chose this video recipe for Kansas City Burnt Ends from How to BBQ Right. Richard Fergola from Fergolicious BBQ joins Malcom Reed to demonstrate how he makes his award-winning burnt ends. He starts with a brisket point, seasons it, then smokes it until he gets the color he is looking for before wrapping to achieve the desired tenderness. He cuts the brisket point into bite-size pieces and tosses them in sauce before serving. The next time you want to make burnt ends without cooking a whole packer brisket, give this recipe a try!

Thank you to our sponsor DennyMike's, which offers outstanding seasonings and rubs for every situation. Learn more about DennyMike's here.

—Early 2021 may be light on larger barbecue events, but we expect many to happen later in the year.—

June 4-5, 2021: Hogs For the Cause — New Orleans, Louisiana
The Hogs For the Cause barbecue competition and festival is back in 2021 with a few changes. Proceeds still go to fight pediatric brain cancer, but this year's event will be held at a 15-acre site in Belle Chasse on the east side of the city. Organizers are limiting ticket sales to only 25% of the venue's capacity, and they will make the event cashless. MORE INFO HERE.

July 9-11, 2021: Kansas City BBQ Festival — Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City is about to get a big new barbecue festival with the “KCQ,” a non-competition barbecue event that celebrates barbecue from Kansas City and many other barbecue towns. It will take place in the parking lot of Arrowhead Stadium and feature barbecue from KC-based mainstays Joe’s Kansas City, Jones Bar-B-Q, and Plowboys BBQ. Out-of-towners will also be there, including 2M Smokehouse, Black’s BBQ, Central City BBQ, and Sugarfire Smokehouse. MORE INFO HERE.

July 9-11, 2021: Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Festival — Chicago, Illinois
Get ready for beer, BBQ, and country tunes, because the Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Festival is returning to Chicago. The Windy City Smokeout is one of the largest barbecue festivals in the U.S. and typically features the world’s best pitmasters and more than 15 musical acts. Read our to learn about the experience. MORE INFO HERE.

July 16-17, 2021: Golden Days Championship — Fairbanks, Alaska
The northernmost barbecue competition (maybe in the world?) is taking place in Fairbanks, Alaska, which is also the birthplace of the Alaska BBQ Association. This competition follows the KCBS sanctioned rules as the Grand Champion receives an invitation to the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational. It’s also notable in that the sun basically doesn’t go down the entire time the comp is happening. MORE INFO HERE.

July 31 & August 1, 2021: Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival  — Brooklyn, New York
NYC’s Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival is back and better than ever! Get ready to enjoy all those pleasures that true Southerners live by – Beer, Bourbon, Barbecue, Boots, Bacon, Biscuits, Bluegrass, and Smoked Beasts. It’s a great day of beer sippin’, bourbon tastin’, music listenin’, cigar smokin’, and barbecue eatin’. One admission buys you a sampling glass so you can enjoy an all-you-care-to-taste sampling of beer and bourbon. MORE INFO HERE.

August 21-22, 2021: Meatstock Music and Barbecue Festival (Sydney edition) — Sydney, Australia
Meatstock returns with a typically stacked line-up of barbecue enthusiasts and bands. The sell-out, two-day event brings big-name American pitmasters Down Under; sees comp teams from across Sydney go head-to-head over the coals to be crowned the city’s best barbequers; and features live music, food trucks and pop-up bars. MORE INFO HERE.

Dalstrong creates best-in-class tools at unrivaled price points. Click here to learn more about Dalstrong Knives.

Thanks for reading our newsletter!
Want to be featured in or sponsor The Smoke Sheet?
Email us here!