Meat sources

[Dave the Cook]

Danny:

Could you outline the process you went through in designing your meat specs?

For instance:

What was behind the decision to use Niman Ranch pork? Do you feel it is a superior ingredient? Or is its reputation, from a marketing standpoint, so valuable that it's worth its premium price, regardless of its effect on the quality of the final product? Perhaps a combination of these notions?

Grass- or grain-fed beef? Do you think there is a growing market for grass-fed beef?

Finally, chickens: what's it take to make a Blue Smoke bird?

Thanks for taking time out of what must be a very busy schedule to join us here for a couple of days.

[Danny Meyer]

In all the visits we made to barbecue restaurants and pitmasters across the country, we heard lots about spice, wood, sauce, smoking temperature, holding strategies and time. We rarely heard anything about the raw ingredients or meat specs. As you probably know, the pork world is now by-and-large controlled by two huge companies. As we do at all our restaurants, we constantly look for the best raw ingredients we can find. We also care about animal husbandry and the environment. That's why we initially turned to Niman Ranch. Their pigs are raised naturally, and the pork tastes slightly sweeter than other meats we'd tried. The marbling you get in their pork shoulder adds lots of flavor. They're not trying to be "the other white meat" -- which is leaner, but perhaps sacrifices flavor.

As for a marketing advantage, I don't recall one write-up or review on Blue Smoke that even mentioned it, so I'd say there has been none. One of my favorite Niman products is their Spicy Beef Links, which is part of our 3-Sausage Sampler along with Kreuz' Texas Hot Links and our own Black Pepper links.

As for beef, we have different suppliers, for different products (beef ribs, brisket, burgers, smoked prime rib) and all are grain-fed.

In my opinion, Smoked Chicken is one of the underrated dishes at Blue Smoke. We used the one at Black's in Lockhart, Texas as a reference point. As a raw product, we use D'Artagnan's organic chicken (mostly for its wonderful flavor). We Kosher the bird, rub it with butter and then smoke it with apple wood for about an hour and a half. It needs no sauce whatsoever, and with a little sprinkling of our "pepper salt", makes an incredibly satisfying plate of food.

Thanks for the question.

[Danny Meyer]

I just reviewed our reviews and now know that I was mistaken when I wrote that no one had written about our use of Niman Ranch pork. In fact, in her Newsday review just weeks after we opened, Sylvia Carter wrote: "I applaud Blue Smoke for it's use of Niman pork."

I apologize for the error.