I was confident no one had better strategies for finding these gems than Steven, who is the most indefatigable barbecue scout on the planet. (If you don’t have The Barbecue! Bible or Planet Barbecue in your personal library, add them now!)

Below are Steven’s invaluable tips for finding restaurants that serve some of the world’s best barbecue!

Tips for Finding the Best Barbecue Restaurants

Before you go…

Consult locals: In our experience, people are eager to share the names of their favorite barbecue joints. Just make sure their barbecue palates are similar to yours. (If they like their ribs to be fall-off-the-bone tender, beware.) Before the days of Google and Yelp and their ken, Steven and I were known to contact food writers from local publications (including newspapers) for their informed opinions. But today, online recommendations and testimonials are worth seeking out.

First, trust your senses: Let’s say you’re in the parking lot. Do you see a barbecue pit? Do you smell wood smoke? If you do, that’s a good sign you’re going to have an authentic barbecue experience. There should be a pile of wood outside. And hopefully, not just for show. Although, local codes often prohibit wood-burning equipment. So it’s possible the restaurant might have to rely on propane smokers. Not a deal-breaker, necessarily. But it could be a sign the food is cooked off-premises. (Have you ever eaten at an airport-based barbecue establishment? Ya. Like that.)

You can learn a lot from menus: Here again, the internet comes in handy. Many restaurants post their menus online. You can extract a lot of information from them. As Steven says, “Beware of large menus. The best barbecue joints are laser-focused, offering only a few options.” A big check-plus to restaurants who mention the provenance of their meats, whether beef, pork, or chicken. It shows they care about the quality of their ingredients. Beware of prices that seem too good to be true. Beef prices, for example, have risen nearly 20 percent in the past year, according to the Consumer Price Index. Budget barbecue is unlikely to be great barbecue.

From the menu, you can also see what sides the restaurant offers. Baked beans, cornbread, collard greens, mac and cheese, creamed corn, coleslaw, and even banana pudding all point to an authentic barbecue restaurant. Although we always give a high-five to fresh vegetable sides. And many restaurants are now offering plant-based options, which we also applaud.

If the restaurant posts closing times, that’s a red flag: The best barbecue joints simply close when the meat is gone. And that can be before lunchtime.

When you get there…

Long wait lines? Yes, wait lines are a good sign. Anyone who’s visited Aaron Franklin’s eponymous restaurant in Austin, Texas, knows that for a fact. Aaron has succeeded, he says, because he focused on doing one cut of meat, such as brisket, really well—mastering it, actually, before he moved on to the next. (See Steven’s “laser-focused” comment above.)

Observe the take-out customers: Are they carrying Styrofoam containers? That indicates, in Steven’s mind, a lack of respect for the environment.

Is the restaurant too bougie? Steven appreciates good old-fashioned counter service that sells meat by the pound. A hostess stand and an extensive cocktail menu is usually a bad omen. Although if a few well-chosen brews and/or bourbons are available, that could be a reason to relax stringent standards. Plain décor is okay. If the food is served simply on butcher paper or rimmed sheet pans (plates optional), Steven is all in.

Easy on the sauce: In certain parts of the country—Texas, for example—barbecue sauce added to brisket or ribs is an abomination. Pitmasters from Kansas City or the Carolinas would strenuously disagree. Do be aware, however, that barbecue sauce can be used to hide sins. Ask for it on the side.

We’d love to hear from you if you can add to our list! Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or Instagram!

The post Don’t Waste Money: Tips for Finding the Best Barbecue Restaurants appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

I recently found myself on an unexpected trip to Iowa, and with the prodigious achievements in recent years on the BBQ circuit, I had to take a trip to Smokey D’s BBQ in Des Moines to see what all the hubbub was about.

It’s a rather large place, seating maybe 100, with partitions throughout dining room to keep the noise level down and afford a conversationally friendly atmosphere. I stood in the fast-moving line, gazing at the menu behind the order takers/cashiers. My mind was set on sampling their award-winning meats, as that’s what we get in the judge’s tents, and I only had so much room to consume greatness. There’ll be room for sides on the next trip.

I spoke with the cashier about the best way to order meats, and she happily configured a large plate consisting of a ½ rack of ribs, 1/3 pound of brisket, and some sausage. She handed me a customer locator, and I meandered off to find a seat.

Ordered up a locally brewed Oatmeal Stout, and in about 5 minutes, the food arrived. Like any good bbq place, the meats came unsauced, with an abundance of sauces in squirt bottles stuffed into 6 pack containers within an arm’s reach.

Smokey D’s Ribs and Brisket

The ribs were brought to my seat sliced, making it easy to devour without having to carve up a ½ slab. I grabbed the Kansas City-style sauce, squirted a nice pool onto the corner of the serving basket, picked up a rib, and dredged away. It was an amazing piece of pork, a tasty representation in the heart of pork country. It was savory, very fresh, very tender, and juicy. Seasoned perfectly. It tugged nicely from the bone, but still had some retention, the sign of a perfectly cooked rib. I observed that the rib end was a bit thick; almost knobby. I’m used to spares with mostly flat bones, or baby backs with some symmetry, but hey, I’m on the road, and I should expect the unexpected. The meat, however was delightful. On to the Fiery sauce of which there were two (X-Fiery also) of varying heat intensities. The less fiery was my favorite as it allowed the meats’ flavors to come through. It was spicy, but was well-calibrated with a round full-bodied flavor including tomato, molasses, and a handful of spices.

The brisket appeared to be sliced from the entire flat on a rotary slicer. The pieces were perfectly uniform in thickness; slightly thinner than the width of a pencil. Not a morsel of fat from any fat cap was visible. The meat had a abundance of smoke presence, with good texture, and sincere beef flavor. Now I can see why their awards are stacked up all over the walls. I would have asked someone knowledgeable about the woods used, cuts of meat, breeds of pork and cooking methods, temperatures etc., but there was no one authoritative making the rounds during my visit. Lots of food runners though.

Smokey D’s Sausage

With the exception of arriving sliced, the sausage was right out of the Texas Hill country. Once again, beautiful pork, heavy presence of black pepper, along with spot-on smoke, a snappy bite from the thin casing, nice chew; the juices came to life. Once again, delicious.

(. . .cue the Oatmeal Stout and a smile).

In conclusion: Iowa Smokey D’s lays true to its hype with faultlessly smoked quality pork, and to have that translate from the barbecue competition battleground to a multi-location restaurant setting is quite an achievement in anybody’s tent.

One more thing:

Iowa is one state that has placed Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches on the gastronomic map, and Smokey D’s has upped the game with their version. These sandwiches are usually huge, juicy, crispy with tender pounded, seasoned, and breaded pork. The bun, dwarfed by the meat, is simply there for show. Add some coated and fried jalapenos and you’ve got a winner. This one will be on my list for the next visit.

Have you been to Smokey D’s in Des Moines? What barbecue joint should we visit next? Share with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit!

The post Juicy Unsauced BBQ from Smokey D’s in Des Moines appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

But despite all the great French foods that I’ve tried (and yet to try), sometimes I crave American food. There’s nothing more comforting than eating foods that you’ve grown up with. That’s why I was really excited when Steven introduced me to Thomas Abramowicz, owner of The Beast—a Texan barbecue joint in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris.

Thomas was first introduced to American barbecue by a Texan roommate after he moved to New York for work in 2007. He had a different definition of what it meant to grill (direct grilling) after growing up in France, and American barbecue was new and exciting. At the time, Texas barbecue had no presence in France.

Thomas eventually grew unhappy with his desk job in marketing, and 8 years after he first discovered Texas barbecue, he decided to open up an authentic barbecue joint in Paris. He was determined to do it right, so he trained at Louie Mueller Barbecue in Texas before opening up his own restaurant.

One of the biggest challenges about bringing Texas barbecue to Paris is sourcing the meat. Despite having great quality meat in France, they are more suitable for grilling—not smoking. French meats lacked the level of marbling that Thomas was looking for. In addition, the cuts of meat found in France are different than what is used for American barbecue. As a solution, he imports his brisket all the way from Creekstone Farms in Kansas.

The barbecue at The Beast is hardcore traditional central Texan barbecue. Like Wayne Mueller of Louis Mueller Barbecue, Thomas takes a minimalist approach: he seasons only with salt and pepper. But to adapt to the French market, he reduces the amount of pepper used in his rub. The preparation of the barbecue is the same as he had been taught at Mueller’s.

The Beast offers six kinds of meat on its menu: brisket, beef ribs, beef sausage, pulled pork, baby back ribs, and barbecue chicken legs. Plus, they also have seasonal offerings like wagyu brisket. The brisket, smoked for 20 hours, is by far the most popular item on the menu. Thomas thinks it’s mostly because brisket is not a cut of meat commonly used in French cooking. The meat is all smoked in-house in a smoker that Thomas had brought all the way from Mesquite, Texas.

The fixings found at The Beast are also all traditional American sides, like coleslaw, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and biscuits. They are made in-house daily, with slight modifications to appeal to the French market. For example, the coleslaw is less creamy and sweet than what you would normally find in America.

While Thomas continues to run the restaurant, he has passed on the torch in the kitchen. For the last two years, Alex Morin has taken over the kitchen, continuing to produce the same great barbecue.

Over a lunch spread of beef ribs, pulled pork, sausage and all the sides, I chatted with Thomas about what he’s learned from his years of barbecue experience.

What are 3 ingredients you can’t live without?

I’m not including salt and pepper because it’s too easy and too obvious. Paprika. We don’t use it on the beef, but we use it on everything else. It’s the base for our rub, and we use it on our pork and our chicken. … Personally, I would use a herb because I think it enhances a product. Either thyme or rosemary are my go-to herbs when it comes to barbecuing or marinading [at home].

What is the biggest mistake that home barbecuers make?

Being impatient. If you want to make good barbecue, you need time. The biggest mistake I’ve seen in France in grilling is that people don’t want to wait for the coals to be perfectly ready. And it can affect the taste of the meat and the grease can burn too fast. Patience is key for good barbecue.

What’s something unexpected that you learned that has helped you with your barbecue game?

Texas hospitality. I was a nobody when I started. When I went to Texas to learn the craft of barbecue, people didn’t need to help me, but they welcomed me with open arms. Barbecue is family. I’ve found that very moving—the way people can welcome you with open arms, even if they don’t know you. I was amazed by the people that I’ve met there.

Any parting words or advice for our readers?

Source the right products. I eat less meat, but when I do eat meat, it’s quality. It’s better for the planet and for your health. I know some people can’t afford a high-end steak, but what I tell them is instead of eating meat four times a week or every day, eat it once a week and buy the good stuff. Go to your butcher. Ask questions how your meat was raised.

The Beast
27 Rue Meslay
75003 Paris France
http://www.thebeast.fr/

What’s your favorite barbecue joint outside the US? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or the Barbecue Board!

The post The Beast: American Barbecue in Paris appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

The Real Meat Society is a small butcher shop that sells a small selection of hot sandwiches, in addition to raw meat and cold cuts. I opted for a Scotch Egg, the Meatloaf Bun, a Porchetta Bun (a special of the day), and the Smoked Pulled Pork Bun.

While the Scotch Egg, the Meatloaf Bun, and the Porchetta Bun were delicious, the real highlight of the meal was the Smoked Pulled Pork Bun. The pulled pork was flavorful and juicy, complemented by the quick pickle slaw and fresh brioche bun. The pulled pork is cooked for 16 hours and smoked for an additional 4 hours. The barbecue sauce is made in-house with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, pork broth, and herbs. Drippings from the smoking process add to the sauce’s smoky flavor.

But what makes the barbecue at The Real Meat Society really stand out is the quality of the meat. The Real Meat Society, founded by Paul & Michaela Day, is the first butcher shop in the Czech Republic to be certified organic by the government. They believe in promoting sustainable farming. All of their livestock are raised by farmers through outdoor grazing, and they do not use antibiotics or growth hormones. The Real Meat Society is involved from start to finish, from raising the animals all the way to processing, smoking, and cooking the meat.

If you are a barbecue aficionado, The Real Meat Society is definitely a must-visit if you ever find yourself in Prague.

The Real Meat Society
sro, Klimentská 1652/36, 110 00, Prague 1.
http://www.trms.cz/

The post Delicious Pulled Pork Sandwiches in Prague appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

I provide this context as a way of introducing you to the newest player in town: Tito and Pep, a neighborhood bistro built around live-fire cooking. John Martinez opened Tito and Pep in November 2018 with his wife Nikki Berger Martinez. After nearly a decade working at a fine dining restaurants from New York to Scottsdale, John and Nikki came back to Tucson to bring their passion for fusing regional ingredients with new techniques to create a menu that reflects Tucson’s diverse cultural heritage, with a heavy Mexican influence. Not only is their food fantastic, but they are great, down-to-earth hosts. At my first dinner there, John came to every table to chat, and when I asked about his grill, he invited me straight back to the kitchen to talk shop and smell the mesquite.

After I told cousin Steve (you know him as the guru of the grill, Steven Raichlen) about Tito and Pep, he asked me if I would be interested in telling you all on the Barbecue Bible blog about this gem. I jumped at the opportunity because I believe strongly that we need to do all that we can to support locally owned restaurants run by chefs that bring their passion to the table. While not really a review of Tito and Pep, this post is more a description of the flavors and experience you can have if you are ever swinging through Tucson and find your way to their place.

Most of the dishes at Tito and Pep either begin or end at their custom-made wood-burning grill. The rig was designed in Georgetown, TX but built in Arizona, filling part of a brick oven that holds in the heat and allows for a diverse set of techniques. In addition to the grill, mesquite logs are set in the back of the oven-like space, and foods are cooked right up against the logs as they burn down in what John calls “The Inferno”.

In fact, the heat is so intense that John keeps a bucket of ice water nearby so the staff can dip their hands and arms in before working the food. Once the logs burn down, the coals are raked under a grill that can be raised and lowered by a flywheel, and food can be set on top of the rig, high above the heat, so it can warm in a light cloud of smoke. Using this unique design, Chef John is able to control temperature and smoke so that all of his dishes are touched by mesquite, without overpowering the meal.

Based on this design, John and his staff serve a suite of entrees grilled to perfection, including salmon, trout, chicken, lamb chops, and a NY strip. The steak starts its journey to the plate over red hot coals on the grill and then finishes in the Inferno to get a nice sizzle before service. This double whammy of mesquite doesn’t overtake the flavor of the steak, but perfectly complements the meatiness with a smoke flavor that you don’t get on a backyard grill. In addition to their other grilled meats, they go the extra step of charring chicken carcasses over the fire before making stock for sauces. This is the kind of attention to detail that sets the flavors at Tito and Pep apart.

While most blog readers are interested in the main meat dishes, I want to draw your attention to an appetizer that could be a great addition to your repertoire. It’s called Queso Fundito, and is kind of like a Mexican fondue finished over fire and famous in the Chihuahua region of Mexico. This dish starts with house-made chorizo and sautéed mushrooms. They’re added, along with garlic, soy sauce, and Maggi spices, to a cast iron skillet and covered in queso menonita (cheese named after Mennonites in northern Mexico).

The skillet is placed into the Inferno, and once the cheese is bubbling hot, the dish is served with warm tortillas. It is sumptuous, with loads of flavors packed into a small skillet. The soy sauce is a unique addition, but John let us know that it’s not so odd for this region. There was a lot of trade between Mexico and the Far East, with flavors passing back and forth for centuries. Growing up in Tucson, John brings this curiosity and knowledge of history to the table in inventive ways that keep you satisfied and ready to plan your next visit back.

All in all, if you are ever in Tucson, stop by Tito and Pep. You won’t regret it. If you’re lucky, John will swing by your table and invite you back to see the grill. It’s an experience that you won’t get at many restaurants, and if you like live-fire cooking, which I assume you do if you are on this site, then Tito and Pep will not disappoint.

Tito and Pep
4122 E. Speedway Blvd.
Tucson, AZ
titoandpep.com

The post Amazing Wood-Fired BBQ at Tito and Pep in Tucson appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

First off, I need to say: I’m a music man and have been so all my life.  I am not a professional “foodie,” like my cousin, Steven Raichlen. I just dig BBQ.   After my third visit to explore the riches of Austin’s barbecue pits, I am humbled that Steven asked me to share my impressions.

A SAD START

Turns out that the hotel I’ve used is only a few blocks from Franklin Barbecue, the well-known epicenter of Austin’s BBQ world. Even I  had heard about it before my first visit, and was prepared to jump in line and wait…and wait.  But when finally I was served, the first bite of brisket justified the three-hour stand. Yes, the ribs and pulled pork, were also sublime but the brisket…the brisket…!  And so, during my first two visits to this barbecue mecca, I hit the line at Franklin’s before I’d even unpacked. But this year, just as I was excitedly and hungrily preparing to head down Branch Street’s short, tree-lined walk to the tail of Franklin’s line, I was told that there had recently been a fire: Franklin’s was closed, and no one seemed to know when they would reopen. Estimates varying from two weeks to seven months swirled like so many embers around Austin. The damaged site was devastating to see. How the mighty hath fallen…at least for now. (Update from Steven: It’s been reported that Franklin Barbecue could reopen using a temporary smokehouse as early as the second week in October.)

A CLOSE SECOND? AND ANOTHER SURPRISE

Making a repeat visit to another of Cousin Steven’s recommended spots, I set my Google map to La Barbecue and drove on, craving the sight of the yellow food truck that had provided me with BBQ that I swore was every bit as good as Franklin’s (except of course for the brisket…that brisket). Looking for the truck on the left, my phone app commanded me to instead find my destination a few blocks up, on the right. Getting out of the car I saw no pit and no signage—but there was a line, and that told me I had probably come to the right place. But what was this? The people were waiting to go inside to order the food.  La Barbecue had hooked up with a grocery store!  There was outdoor seating on the porch and on the sides of the structure, as well as an indoor eating space, eerily like a smaller Franklin’s in its color scheme and layout. The whole thing really worked for me, though. And, from the lunch I had (pulled pork, brisket, and ribs), the change had not lowered the bar(becue)! Excuse the pun. Top-notch ’que as usual.

ANOTHER CRAFTY SPOT IN THE HIERARCHY: MICKLETHWAIT CRAFT MEATS

Michlethwait Craft Meats. Say it fast. This place is clearly deserving of a top-shelf nomination. I talked to a number of Austin residents, and very few had even heard of Micklethwait, aka MCM—a humble food truck nestled in the woods, bordering a suburban parking lot, and hosting just enough picnic tables to sustain a discerning, moderate-size crowd. This was my third visit, and I have to say it’s always been excellent. Their meats taste a little different, though I haven’t been able to pinpoint why.

While in line, one has a clear view of the meats. A screen separates the “waiting hungry” from the chef, who, on request, is happy to expound on the preparation of the meal or discuss the fascinating history of the Austin BBQ scene, the stuff of family intrigues and warring dynasties.

The ribs were as great as I remembered them, and the pulled pork was especially tasty—made even tastier by the electrifying sauce.   The brisket was fine, too, though perhaps a little tougher than my last visit.   Of course, I’m always comparing brisket to that first bite at Franklin’s.   All in all, a great find, with lines a little less intimidating than at the aforementioned establishments.

Striking out on my own, I tried out a few other places I had heard about.

TERRY BLACK’S BARBECUE

“We do not feel that pulled pork is indigenous to Texas barbecue,”  the young man stated haughtily as he sliced my brisket, appearing to read from a hidden teleprompter.

I nearly shouted, “But Senator!”

I was impressed with this spot.  Everything was good. Not much waiting as the cafeteria-style line is well thought-out: You’re able to choose your sides while waiting to order meat.   Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.

My favorite Black offerings:

1) Delectable chopped beef (what a novel way to handle brisket);
2) Tangy and tender pork ribs;
3) Brisket that fell a hair short of Franklin’s (don’t they all), but was still damn tasty.

Lastly, desserts here are more than an afterthought.   I couldn’t choose between the sweet peach cobbler and creamy banana pudding, so yes, I had both.

AUSTIN HYPES FREEDMAN’S (BUT HERE’S THE RUB)

I hate to be negative, but I have to say that the one disappointment in my barbecue crawl was Freedman’s, which scores highly in the current version of “Austin’s best BBQ.”

The somewhat skimpy portions of ribs, pork, and brisket all had a sameness of taste that I found disturbing, and I was not impressed with the barbecue sauce, either (only one was type was offered). I liked the food well enough, but felt that the meats fell short of the hype. However, the meal ended on a high note: the smoked banana pudding was highly creative and extremely tasty—that alone made the visit worthwhile.

Catering to the University of Texas students, Freedman’s is more of a college whiskey bar than a BBQ specialty house, so I guess you could cut it a break on that point. And to be fair, friends of mine who dined there on another day liked it a lot, so maybe I came at the wrong time or on the wrong day. The staff is very friendly and obliging as well.

The post An Austin Barbecue Crawl appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

–Steven

It happened fast. I got Steven’s Planet Barbecue as a gift; found a lamb purveyor at my local farmer’s market; and tried the Moroccan and Turkish lamb recipes out on my family again and again until they came up with an idea. One year and 700 lbs. of ground lamb later, I had wrapped up my first season as owner and operator of Pita for Good, a Mediterranean food truck in Kansas City.

Kansas City loves meat, to put it mildly, but my suspicion was that our chicken option would be the best seller with the lamb as a distant second. I was amazed when we sold out of lamb at our very first outing, and even more amazed when that 50/40/10 (lamb/chicken/vegetarian) breakdown held up outing after outing, month in and month out. My theory is that anyone adventurous enough to walk up to a bright yellow Mediterranean food truck is excited about trying something new, and lamb is still something new… and absolutely delicious.

What we do is quite simple. I’ve cherry picked elements from several Planet Barbecue recipes to come up with my own variation. I season the ground lamb and form into patties (4-5 per lb.) and grill them onboard the truck over medium-high heat. I had tinkered around with skewers to do kofta style, but the kebabs would stick to the grill grates just enough to pull the meat right off the skewer. And when we need to crank out 20 orders at a time, patties and a spatula work just fine. We serve our lamb in warm pita bread with hummus, harissa hot sauce, tzatziki and some tomato relish.

I get asked about the name, Pita for Good, quite a lot. I guess in some ways it is open to interpretation. We serve good food made straight from scratch; healthy food (though I would never say that out loud). We emit good smells; we exude a good vibe. We love our customers; we love our food truck community. We love serving people who may never have tried this kind of food; we even serve people who miss this kind of food from their native country. We love donating food to great causes about town. One customer last summer said “I just came from the Pita for Evil truck; they say hi”, so we have fun with it, too.

Get the recipe for Pita for Good Grilled Lamburgers.

Get the recipe for Pita for Good Harissa.

All photos by Mark Van Blaricum.

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Chances are, if you’ve visited the Pacific Northwest you’ve enjoyed one of the most distinctive American ways to grill fish: on a cedar or alder plank. The process satisfies and gratifies on quite a few levels.

First, the wood imparts a unique flavor all its own—a spicy, wine-like flavor in the case of cedar; a woodier, smokier flavor in the case of alder. It also tends to absorb any strong fishy flavors, a plus when serving strong-flavored fish like salmon or bluefish, to people who are iffy about seafood. The plank keeps the fish from drying out and from sticking to the grill grate (a perennial problem). Last, it also eliminates the need to turn the fish over (a task which bedevils even experienced pitmasters).

Planked fish originated with the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest who roasted the local salmon in special cedar holders over blazing embers. Inspired by the method and resulting flavor, chefs adopted the method, cooking the fish directly on a plank. Fish can be grilled on a plank using either the direct or indirect methods. Personally, I like to singe the plank over the flames before arranging the food on it. But if you’re interested in reusing the plank, use the indirect method.

The typical plank for grilling fish is about 12 to 14 inches long and roughly 6 to 8 inches wide with a thickness between 1/2 and 3/4 inch. Cedar and alder planks—and even maple—are available at gourmet stores or online. Of course, you can also go to your local lumberyard and have planks cut to size for you. Just be sure to ask for untreated wood. Get plenty of extras; once you try grilling on wood, you’ll want to cook all your fish that way.

This recipe is one of the best ways I know to cook salmon. Grilling it on a plank imparts all sorts of intriguing flavors to the fish. The mustard cuts the oily taste while the brown sugar accentuates the sweetness. Plus, you’re looking at less than 3 minutes of preparation time. However, be sure to allow yourself a couple of hours for soaking the plank before you plan to grill. You can use water, beer, or salt water (about 3 tablespoons of salt for each quart of water). Be sure to find and remove any pin bones before planking using kitchen tweezers or needle-nose pliers.

Get the recipe for Planked Salmon with Maple Mustard Glaze

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Boston/Cambridge: The Smoke Shop
It’s about time. Boston chef Andy Husbands has had a lifelong obsession with barbecue, and after numerous barbecue contest wins (including the Jack Daniel’s for his brisket) and several excellent cookbooks (his Wicked Good Barbecue is a must read), he finally decided to open a barbecue restaurant. Look for pull-apart-tender baby backs, textbook pulled pork and monster beef plate ribs at this Cambridge smoke emporium, and don’t miss the crispy grits fries and hot links with homemade pimiento cheese.

Chicago: Leña Brava
No one on the planet knows more about Mexican cuisine than Chicago chef Rick Bayless, and his latest restaurant (the name literally means “Angry Fire”) specializes in modern Baja-inspired wood fire cooking. From the wood-burning oven come black cod al pastor and chicken a la leña, while the wood-fired grill turns out smoky octopus carnitas and a monster 32-ounce tomahawk steak. Smoky mezcal-based cocktails (try the Last Piña) and jewel-box-like ceviches round out a menu equally remarkable for its breadth and bold flavors.

Chicago: Roister
“The restaurant is the kitchen. The kitchen is the restaurant.” With this motto, Chicago über chef Grant Achatz opened this equally über hip restaurant in Chicago’s Meatpacking District, with a wood-burning hearth as its focal point. The menu is eclectic enough to include smoked oysters, hearth-baked lasagna, pork butt with a dark and stormy glaze, and grade A-5 Japanese Wagyu beef with sea urchin. If this sounds too avant garde, there’s always a wood-grilled, 30-day aged beef porterhouse. The noise level rivals that of an F-16 engine at takeoff. By the way, if you haven’t seen it already, watch Grant Achatz’s amazing life story on Netflix, Chef’s Table.

Los Angeles: Charcoal
When Michelin-starred fine dining chef Josiah Citrin (owner of Mélisse in Santa Monica) decided to open his second restaurant, he built the concept around charcoal. It fires a pair of Big Green Eggs, a Spanish Josper oven, and an open grill where virtually all the cooking at Charcoal is done. Sure, you could order the 35-day aged Sonoma lamb shoulder with coriander and honey or the 21-day aged Liberty duck (you should), but the dish that most stands out is lowly cabbage—the whole head roasted caveman-style in the embers and served with sumac-scented yogurt.

Miami: Kyu
This lively restaurant in Miami’s Wynwood Art District is my favorite eating place in Miami. Chef Michael Lewis deftly combines Asian flavors with American smoke and fire, seasoning his smoked Wagyu brisket with sashimi pepper and serving it Vietnamese style, with lettuce leaves for wrapping, Asian barbecue sauces for dipping, and—a first for this writer—chopsticks to eat it. The Asian barbecue theme continues with grilled asparagus with miso and bacon and whole maitake mushrooms grilled with ginger and soy. The dining room is industrial modern; the duck burnt ends are out of this world.

Miami: Quinto la Huella
There are many places to sit at this sleek new South American chophouse (run by the owners of the famous La Huella in José Ignacio, Uruguay) at the equally slick new East Hotel in Brickell Village—at sprawling communal tables inside or on the airy spacious terrace. But you’ll find me at the U-shaped asado bar in front of the massive parrilla, oak-burning open grill. The grass-fed picanha and other steaks are imported from Uruguay; the grilled fresh local snapper comes with salsa criolla (South American creole sauce), and the crusty mollejas (grilled sweetbreads) are out of this world. Wash them down with one of South America’s best-kept wine secrets: a Tannat from Uruguay.

Montreal: Foxy
Olive & Gourmando is one of my favorite breakfast/lunch spots in Montreal, so when the owners opened their new wood grill restaurant, Foxy, in the trendy Griffintown neighborhood, I leapt on my Bixi (municipal bike) to try it. Smoked crème fraiche sauces the charcoal-grilled trout; a tomato and burnt onion salad counterpoints the Mt. Laurier hanger steak; and the feta cheese on the wood-oven-baked flatbread with nectarines is marinated right in house. Clever cocktails; big flavored food from a Grillworks wood-burning grill; and in the summertime, sidewalk seating. What more could you ask for?

New Orleans: Primitivo
Historically, New Orleans cuisine has been more about simmering and sautéing than grilling, but chefs Adolfo Garcia, Jared Ralls, and Ronald Copeland have made a massive wood-burning grill, oven, and smoker the focal point of their Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard restaurant in emerging Central City. Yes, you can order excellent coal-grilled prime rib and smoked spareribs, but what interests me is Primitivo’s use of alternative live-fire cooking methods, like the ember-roasted shrimp (cooked caveman style on the coals) and string-roasted duck breast.

New York: Le Coq Rico
OK, I know, this is not, strictly speaking, a grill restaurant, but the house specialty—spit-roasted chicken—comes off an iconic French live-fire rotisserie. This isn’t just any rotisserie chicken. Former Michelin 3-star chef Antoine Westermann has gone to extraordinary lengths to source Brune Landaise birds raised by Mennonite farmers for a full 110 days (most chickens are processed at 40 to 60 days), producing such rich soulful flavors, you’ll feel like you’re eating chicken for the first time. Go with lots of people so you can try the Rohan Farm duck and Catskill guinea fowl, too. The macaroni au gratin sets a new standard for mac and cheese; the thick-cut frites rank among the best in Manhattan. Enjoy them in a chic feather-decorated bistro dining room, and don’t forget to book your table several weeks ahead of time.

Tulsa: Burn Co. Barbeque
From the moment chefs Adam Myers and Robby Corcoran opened their roadhouse-barbecue joint, Burn Co. Barbeque has played to standing-room-only crowds. It’s easy to understand why: homemade smoked sausages, smoked bologna and baby backs, and of course, the dish that made them famous: the fatty (think three kinds of sausage and cheese wrapped and smoke-roasted in bacon—you’ll find the recipe in Project Smoke.) Their new location more than doubled the seating and size of the kitchen, adding room for a butcher shop, but messieurs Myers and Corcoran still do all their cooking on what may be America’s most singular grill/smoker: the Hasty-Bake, made right here in Oklahoma.

Washington, D.C.: The Dabney
When chef Jeremiah Langhorne opened this cozy tavern in Blagden Alley in the heart of the nation’s capital, he designed his kitchen around a piece of cooking equipment that would have been at home in Colonial Williamsburg: a huge raised wood-burning hearth. The cooking may be primal—wood fire grilling, roasting, and yes, charring vegetables in grill baskets directly on the embers. But the Mid-Atlantic-inspired menu is thoroughly modern, with the likes of whole grilled black bass, BBQ Beaver Creek quail, and winter squash cooked in the fire.

And finally, Brooklyn, New York: Jake’s Handcrafted
OK, it’s not new, but the one-of-a-kind sausages sure are. Recent creations? A “Chinese takeout” sausage (char siu pork and fried rice). Cubano (a sausage made with cumin-scented pernil, pickles, and cheese). Tokyo chicken sausage and sate lamb sausage slathered with peanut sauce. Welcome to Jake’s Handcrafted in Brooklyn, where chef Jake Klein uses the sausage casing to channel the world’s great cuisines. Nepotism alert: Jake is my stepson, and you’ll see a family resemblance in his double smoked brisket sausage (studded with chunks of 18-hour smoked brisket.)

Did YOU have a favorite new smoke and fire restaurant this year? Please share it with us on the Barbecue Board, or my Facebook page.

The post Raichlen’s (Mostly New) Best Barbecue and Grilling Restaurants of 2016 appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Ah, the good old days. When legendary masters like Arthur Bryant and Sonny Bryan manned the barbecue pits. A lot of people complain that barbecue just isn’t what it used to be, and they’re right.

It’s better.

It’s better in traditional barbecue hotspots, like Kansas City and Dallas. It’s better in places where you’d never expect to find killer ’que, from Brooklyn to Minneapolis to L.A.

A new generation of pit masters and grill masters has applied time-honored smoking and grilling techniques to the kind of meat most of us want to eat today: humanely and locally raised animals free of growth hormones and antibiotics. We crave bespoke cocktails and wine lists, not cheap beer, and we admire the pit master who goes the extra mile of pickling his own peppers or baking his own sandwich buns.

I had the good fortune to visit more than 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada while on book tour for Man Made Meals.

Herewith, my Top 10 Smoke and Fire Restaurants of 2014.

1. Barrel & Ashes in Los Angeles: Talk about pedigree: chefs Timothy Hollingsworth and Rory Hermann cooked at The French Laundry and Bouchon respectively before launching this new open kitchen barbecue joint in Studio City. The craft cocktails, heirloom vegetable salads, and wood-fired tri-tip alone demand a visit. Don’t miss the smoked chicken sandwich impaled with a paring knife instead of the usual toothpick.
   
   

   Steven enjoys the smoked chicken sandwich at Barrel & Ashes

2. Butcher & the Boar in Minneapolis: I have two words for you: beef ribs. I have two more words for you: pork chops. Everything at this sprawling roadhouse is smokier than a fireplace and bigger than life, including the buzzy outdoor terrace. Chef Peter Botcher moves adroitly between the smoker and wood-burning grill, often using both to prepare a single dish.
   
   

   Double thick pork chop at Butcher & the Boar

3. King + Duke in Atlanta: 24-foot open hearth with monster wood burning grill? Check. Smoker from which emerge home cured bacon, pastrami, and salmon? Check. And while you’re at it, try the coal-roasted onion soup, wood-fired burgers, and a 1 kilo rib steak that bears the imposing name “The King.” Just as you literary types suspected, this Buckhead restaurant is named for two characters in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
   
   

   Wood burning grill at King + Duke

4. Eli’s BBQ in Cincinnati: In a city where “barbecue” used to mean oven-baked ribs drowned in sugary barbecue sauce, Elias Leisring burns hardwood logs in mammoth Megatron and Old Hickory pits to serve vinegar-spiked pulled pork, spice- and smoke-blasted turkey breast, and what may be the best double-smoked hot dog in North America. (The secret? A generous sprinkling of pork crispies.) His 1927 former taproom location (music from vinyl only) with its sprawling circus tent seating outdoors is a far cry from the van that once served as his kitchen “dining room” at a local farmers market.
   
   

   Hot dog and friends at Eli’s BBQ

5. Jake’s Handcrafted in Brooklyn: Nepotism alert: Jake Klein, owner of this punk rock bar turned smoked sausage Mecca is my stepson. But the old man had nothing to do with Jake’s imaginative sausages, which range from double-smoked brisket bratwurst to Miami-inspired lechon asado sausage to a Reuben brat made with house-cured corned beef and home-fermented sauerkraut. Dine in the courtyard in the summer and tell Jake I said to take care of you.
   
   

   Double brisket sausages at Jake’s Handcrafted

6. La Barbecue in Austin: You might remember John Lewis as the former pit master of Franklin Barbecue. So you won’t be surprised by the format of his new solo venture, La Barbecue: open-air pit and trailer “kitchen” in a vacant lot dishing up brisket so moist it squirts and coal-black beef plate ribs so humongous it takes two hands to lift. He opens at 11 a.m., but the waiting line starts at 8. Doesn’t anyone in Austin work?
   
   

   The menu and spare ribs at La Barbecue

7. Miller’s Guild in Seattle: Head-to-tail butchery. 75-day aged prime beef. A fire-belching wood burning grill that would make the mouth of hell seem like a campfire. Hey, they had me at the strip steak—smoked daily in a smoke chamber before grilling over fruitwood. No down home joint this—it’s a high design restaurant where venture capitalists would be comfortable wooing startups.
8. NOLA Smokehouse in New Orleans: For all its fabulous food, New Orleans never had much of a tradition of barbecue. Rob Bechtold is determined to change that one brisket chili, one Smokehouse spare rib, and one smoked boudin at a time. The barebones dining room befits the old school barbecue aesthetic, and the chef is so committed, he often spends the night manning his smokers.
   
   

   Hard at work at NOLA Smokehouse

9. Pecan Lodge in Dallas: Lucky for me I got to this new Deep Ellum restaurant before it opened its doors to the public. Otherwise, I’d be standing in line with hundreds of other Dallas barbecue fanatics for some of the smokiest brisket and spiciest hot guts this side of the Chisholm Trail. Talk about the American Dream: refugees from corporate consulting, husband-wife team Justin and Diane Fourton got their start serving out of a station wagon at a the Dallas Farmers Market.
   
   

   Justin and Diane Fourton at Pecan Lodge

10. Q39 in Kansas City: Run by old school chef and competition barbecuer Rob Magee, this new school restaurant (open kitchen, industrial dining room) raises the bar in a city already endowed with awesome ’que. The “Best Wings on the Planet” live up to their name, as do the apple-brined pulled pork, wood-grilled brisket burgers, and honey-glazed Q spare ribs. And how many barbecue joints serve a white bean smoked sausage cassoulet?
    
    

    Hard at work at Q39 with a sampler platter

Finally … I know this highly subjective list will generate controversy. It’s supposed to. I may have left off your favorite new restaurant (sorry) and you may disagree with my choices. So please tell us your favorites (on the Barbecue Board, Facebook, or Twitter) and give me a reason to visit your town in 2015.

Need more recommendations? Check these out:
Raichlen’s 10 Best BBQ and Grill Restaurants of 2013
Raichlen’s Top 10 Meat Cities in the U.S.

The post Raichlen’s Top 10 Smoke and Fire Restaurants of 2014 appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.