Davis Ardie A - Americas Best BBQ (revised edition)

Also by Ardie A. Davis

The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook
(with Carolyn Wells and Janeyce-Michel Cupito)

The Kansas City BBQ Pocket Guide

The Great BBQ Sauce Book

Techniques for Grilling: 25 Essentials

Techniques for Smoking: 25 Essentials

The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook:
25th Anniversary Edition
(with Carolyn Wells)

Americas Best Ribs

Americas Best BBQHomestyle

Also by Paul Kirk

The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook
(with Carolyn Wells and Janeyce-Michel Cupito)

Paul Kirks Championship Barbecue

Paul Kirks Championship Barbecue Sauces

Smoke It!

500 Barbecue Bites

The Big Grill

The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook:
25th Anniversary Edition
(with Carolyn Wells)

Americas Best Ribs

Americas Best BBQHomestyle

Americas Best BBQ 2015 by Ardie A. Davis and Paul Kirk. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews. For information, write Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, an Andrews McMeel Universal company, 1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106.

ISBN: 9781449469757

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014949621

Cover photo: StockFood America, Inc.

Editor: Jean Z. Lucas

Designer: Diane Marsh

Art director: Tim Lynch

Production editor: Maureen Sullivan

Production manager: Carol Coe

Demand planner: Sue Eikos

ATTENTION: SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES Andrews McMeel books are available at quantity discounts with bulk purchase for educational, business, or sales promotional use. For information, please write to: Special Sales Department, Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, 1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106.

INTRODUCTION

his book honors American barbecue and the people who make it. Here youll find more than 100 recipes for out-of-this-world appetizers, tender and smoky meats cooked low and slow, sweet and spicy sauces and rubs, homemade sides, and even a few decadent, down-home dessertsif youve saved room. And because food tastes better when you know the people and stories behind the recipes, well introduce you to some famous and not-so-famous pitmasters and barbecue personalities, living and dead. Some come from long lines of proud pitmasters, some have been at the craft most of their lives, and others are up-and-coming barbecuers. All view barbecue as an art, craft, and business. Its not a job, its a profession, and they take great care to ensure that each days barbecue is even better than the last. We call that a labor of love.

The next best thing to being at one of the best barbecue joints in America is to get it directif they will ship it to you. Many of the places in this book sell their sauces, rubs, and other products by phone and online. We list the address, phone number, and Web site when available so that you can buy direct from the source and try it for yourself.

Another great way to enjoy Americas best barbecue is to cook it yourself. The usual drill when writers visit a barbecue joint is to take some photos, sample some dishes, and then publish a knockoff recipe from the menu. Most of our recipes and techniques come straight from the source. A frequent reply when we asked for a recipe was If I tell you, Ill have to shoot you or Sorry. Our recipes are trade secrets. We dont give them out. We expected to hear that, but we didnt hear it often. Sometimes, especially when we were strangers to the owner, No turned to OK, or Sure, Ill give you our recipe, after we got better acquainted. Yes was instant from pitmasters who know us. Were honored to know quite a few. Many are friends. Most of the recipes that were given to us havent been previously published. When original top-secret recipes were denied us, and we thought you would like something similar, we came up with our own version, thanks to Pauls talents as a championship pitmaster and a certified working chef.

We bring a lot of baggage to this book. Weve been involved in the business, sport, and art of barbecue for more than fifty years each. We have many friends in barbecue. Paul also does a lot of consulting and is involved in several restaurants. Its a daunting task to select a hundred places out of more than eight thousand. Its a little subjective, maybe not altogether fair. Occasionally were influenced by the mystique or personal good memories of a place or both. Our choices reflect our prior knowledge of barbecue joints across the nation and recommendations from trusted friends, family, colleagues, and fans. We also checked books, articles, and online sources for tips. Daniel Vaughns excellent book, The Prophets of Smoked Meat , was invaluable to us in Texas. It was a pleasure to finally meet Daniel in San Marcos.

Barbecue joints are rated various ways in books, articles, and online reviews. Some are rated with numbers; some with stars, rib bones, or other symbols. All ratings are a mix of subjective and objective, including ours. Our best barbecue joints are not ranked from 1, best, and on down. Each joint in this book is, in our view, one of the best in America, with varying qualities. If your favorite barbecue joint isnt in here, maybe we havent tried it, or maybe we tried it and didnt like it. You will agree with us sometimes; sometimes you wont. We dont always agree with each other about a particular place. We get over it, and so will you!

The menu is similar across Americas barbecue joints, with regional variations. The standard meats are pork ribs, beef brisket, pork shoulder, sausage, chicken, and turkey. A few places serve duck, and we wish more would. Some southern joints offer pork only. In parts of Kentucky the featured meat is lamb or mutton. You can get cabrito (goat) at many Texas barbecue joints. Weve included a good mix of main dishes, and while most of the recipes come from Kansas City and the so-called barbecue belt from North Carolina to Texas, weve loosened the belt a notch or two to include recipes from non-barbecue-belt places. People everywhere love and appreciate good barbecue.

At most barbecue joints, you can expect starters, sandwiches, dinners, sides, and dessert. Some serve traditional breakfasts. Somevery fewserve barbecue for breakfast. Meat is the heart of barbecue, and many joints these days treat starters, sides, and desserts as afterthoughts, serving labor-saving dishes from off-premise suppliers. Real, made-from-scratch American barbecue starters, sides, and desserts are still out there, and we found them. The ones in this book are the real deal.

More than your standard ribs, beans, and coleslaw (though plenty of those are included), Americas Best BBQ also includes recipes for burgoo, gumbo, Rocky Mountain oysters, barbecue brisket nachos, smoked catfish, barbecued baloney, bison ribs, barbecue spaghetti, pig salad, fried peach pie, and more recipes that will drive barbecue fans hog wild.