Barbeque

We ate dinner last night at the Brickyard Barbeque which just opened about two months ago in our north Denver neighborhood. It is a small place with a southern, blue-collar feel that is notably demonstrated by the paper towel holders on each table crafted from a brick a length of iron pipe. As you reach the door, the smell of the smoke and the sauce lets you know that you're in the right place for barbeque. The menu is typical barbeque joint: half slab, full slab, pulled pork, beef brisket, potato salad, baked beans, and corn. The ribs come brushed with sauce and accompanied by plastic ketchup bottles half-full of more original or the spicy sauce. The sauces had a nice smokey flavor which was lacking from the meat itself. Five of us shared a slab and a half of the ribs plus four sides though we surely could have eaten two and a half slabs.

I think everyone liked the food without being blown away. The corn was a bit soft and watery. The baked beans had a hint of sweet barbeque flavor which was excellent. The ribs pulled apart easily but the meat seemed dry even next to the bone. The original sauce was good. The spicy could have been a notch or two spicier. All in all, it was good but not great. I kept comparing it to Brothers Bbq and to my brother's rotisserie ribs and the Brickyard kept coming up a little short.

After last night's dinner, I was quite happy to stumble across (via Arts and Letters Daily) this article on barbeque. The article talks about regional styles, the etymology of the word, barbeque festivals, and a few noteworthy barbeque joints around the country. Keep reading through to find out why Brothers here in Denver is described as "digital" barbeque. The hot links that Brothers serves are mentioned and are worth mentioning again. Those things are heartburn quick-starters, but if you like pork and you like spicy, I don't know how you could not love them.

Finally, if any of you have a George Foreman rotisserie (or other similar device) I strongly recommend that you give rotisserie ribs a try. Boil the ribs for about 20 minutes. Then let them marinate for about 20 minutes in a sauce of your choosing. For this step, something a little less thick than barbeque sauce is recommended so that it can really soak into the meat. A mesquite-style marinade from the grocery store with a squeez of lime and dash of white pepper or maybe an extra little touch of honey works great. Let the ribs cool down and soak for about 30 minutes. Then take the ribs and slather them with a thick coat of your favorite barbeque sauce and stick them in the rotisserie. At this point the ribs are basically cooked, and it is just a matter of finishing them off. As the ribs roll round and round, a lot of the sauce will be lost to the drip tray. Don't worry. Enough will stick and in combination with the other drippings that never quite fall from the slowly spinning meat will be enough to create a bit of a glaze all over the meat and exposed bone. Go ahead and serve these with extra sauce on the side, but you probably won't need it.

Ok. That's enough on barbeque. I have to go find some food.

Jonathan 2/20/2003 09:07:00 AM