The Fine art of Barbecue

Barbecue, the word means different things to different people. on the coasts and dessert it generall means tossing meat on top of a gas powered grill after seasoning the fuck out of it with salt and pepper.

I am from Kansas City Missouri however, and such activity is called grilling. Barbecue is sacred in my homeland, were we have a friendly but passionate competition with two other regions for what barbecue really is. Generally though People from Kansas City, Texas, and the Carolinas do agree one one thing.

Barbecue is a culinary art that involves slowly cooking meat over a low-tempuratre smokey wood fire for an extended period of time. beyond that there are specifics that get involved. in Carolina the use of coleslaw and apple cider vinegar is paramount.

in Texas the use of rubbed spices and a thick Mesquite wood for smoking is the primary goal.

in my homeland, which I am going to focus on, it is the sauce that is paramount. True Kansas City style "wet" Barbecue sauce is a mixture of Tomato paste, Molasses, usually (at least in homemade varieties) a beer of some kind, spices, and Garlic and Onion, and occasionally thinks like cucumbers, squash or other pureed vegetables. I am constantly disappointed at bottled sauces I find outside the grocery store that are meant to be a Kansas city style. most of the time they lack the proper flavor (though KC Masterpiece gets close) and almost always the lack of texture.

I can not help but warn people to stay away from Hunts, Heinz, or Craft Barbecue sauces, as they are almost completely generic, and most defiantly avoid Maul's St Louis Style like a plague. Contrary to what the food network says, there is no St Louis Style of Barbecue, just a horrible horrible sauce using Kansas City technique.

now in the Kansas City Area there are over a thousand (and some say as many as 4000) Barbecue restaurants in the area. almost all are worth examining, but to outside traveler a Kansas City Native will speak of "The Big Three" of which there are actually four members.

The first, and oldest is a place called Arthur Bryants. First opened by a man named William Perry from Memphis, and later bought from him by his cook Arthur Bryant, one could argue that this place of of 18th and Brooklyn is the father of Kansas City barbecue. thier meat and sandwiches are excellent, and the rack of pork ribs is well regarded. it was a place well regarded by p[residentr Harry Truman, and in 1974 was described in Playboy Magazine as "...possibly the single best restaurant in the world." their sauce is the most sour of the three Kansas City Brands, but the texutre is wonderful,m being thick but not heavy on sweet. Bryants needs to be the first and last stop for Kansas City Barbecue tourist.

the second place of the Big Three is called Gates and Sons, or just Gates. the establishment was born from a Braynt's cook seeking to make his own way. One of Seven Restaurants in the area are immediately recognizable for the giant red roof and the smell of smokers full of meat that permeate the area. Walking into the well lit place you are immediately besieged by the scents, and a large woman usually belting out "HI MAY I HELP YOU!" THAT is what a barbecue restaurant is all about. having eaten at every single gates location, the atmosphere hits the spot perfectly. it is also one of few places that i have found to have red creme soda on tap. Gates is mostly a barbecue sandwich place, with their double decker bread sandwiches or Beef, pork or Turkey, a side of pickles and wonderful french fries. you can of course get sliced meats and sausage, and their Presidential Platter (named for the sampler President Bill Clinton asked for in the 90's when he visited the 103rd street location) is a great treat to bring to parties. the real jackbot is the ribs, which are much more moist the Bryants for reasons I have yet to determine.

the third resturaunt of note is a place called Fiorella's Jack Stack. this place has already been nationally recongnized for its high quality eats. the setup of each location is nice and comfy, and has a look of a high end steakhouse more then a barbecue joint. in addition to typical fare you will find lamb ribs, hickry smoked seafood, and hickory and mesquite grilled steaks on the menu. thier sauce, which makes liberal use of molasses, is the sweetest in town, and smokes extremly well, leaving a nice sweet crust on thier crown prime ribs of beef (a signature dish that my wife craved heavily when pregnant) all of thier items are well worht the extra money if you pay a visit. I recommend their Burnt Ends myself.

now as I said, in the Big three there is a fourth member, this Dartanian of barbecue in my home town is very unassuming, and should be on the Food network show Diners Drive ins and Dives. Oklahoma Joe's, located in a Gas Station in Wyandotte County is a gold mine. Their barbecue sandwiches and fries are to die for, the beans are fantastic, and the sauces they offer are spot on for either Kansas City or Carolina style. I would argue that the place is the best kept secret of Kansas City.

of course there are a myriad of other BBQ joints in the city I have lived my entire life in. all are worth a try, and most are excellent in their own right.
if you are driving through or plan on visting, check these places out, they are worth the journey alone.