Big Apple Barbecue Block Party 2005

[Jason Perlow]

Here are some photo's from the AMEX pre-BABBP event at Blue Smoke this evening:

[Jason Perlow]

After the AMEX party, we went to Madison Square Park to check out the pitmasters prepping for tomorrow's big event:

Blue Smoke loading up their ribs for the night. The restaurant's kitchen (click) was also prepping hard as well.

Pitmaster Don Mclemore of Big Bob Gibson BBQ

Pitmaster Mike Mills of Memphis Championship BBQ, and author of Peace, Love and Barbecue

Dinosaur giving Boston Butts a rubdown

A silo of Whole Hog rigs smoking away

[juuceman]

so i walked by tonight (without the $150 AMEX escorted tour) and noted that ubon's, big bob gibson's, the texas spot on the corner of 23rd and madison, and ed mitchell were all cooking on site.. i've heard that last year a majority of the food was cooked off-site and brought in and simply finished on-site.. any truth to this?? if so, why the switch??

regardless, it was nice to wander thru tonight before the crowds.. everyone was applying the dry rubs to their meat, the cookers were getting up to temp, and the pitmasters and their families were discussing the bbq technique.. first time in nyc for a lot of these folks, most of whom run one or two restaurants in their home states..

[Fat Guy]

i've heard that last year a majority of the food was cooked off-site and brought in and simply finished on-site..  any truth to this?? 

←

I don't know where you heard that, but as far as I know it's not true.

[AK@Spicehouse]

Fabulous photos, thanks for the preview. On the way into the city this AM from the Island to check out the festivities. For the record, as the spice purveyour to Blue Smoke, they have prepped enough meat to use over 1100 pounds of spices solely for today and tommorrow. Thats a lot of rub. Good luck to all, can't wait to see this. Thanks again for the pix, feels like I was there.

After the AMEX party, we went to Madison Square Park to check out the pitmasters prepping for tomorrow's big event:

←

Edited June 11, 2005 by AK@Spicehouse (log)

[rooftop1000]

It was mentioned that pre-prepared food was used for last nights event..... I dont think thats the case for today and tomorrow

got to go eat BBQ

Tracey

[AK@Spicehouse]

I dont think its giving away any secrets. If they sell 4000 racks of ribs, precooking in the kitchen is essential..

It was mentioned that pre-prepared food was used for last nights event..... I dont think thats the case for today and tomorrow 

got to go eat BBQ

Tracey

←

[Fat Guy]

Barbecue is almost by definition pre-cooked. When you're dealing with something that cooks for so many hours, it's not practical to have it coming right off the pit for every order throughout the day. Especially when you get into the larger cuts of meat -- whole shoulders, whole hogs -- it's common for barbecue to be served lukewarm from meat that was cooked overnight and then maintained in various ways. When you go to Ed Mitchell's pits today, for example, sure you will see that his guys are out there with ten pits. But they have to cook 60 half-hogs (aka 30 hogs) this weekend. That means they've got to run the pits 'round the clock (aka 100% of each day), for service during just 25% (6 hours) of each day. If you go at noon today, you'll get meat from a hog that went on at 5pm yesterday and came off the pit at 3am today. Sometime prior to service, that hog will be brought up to temperature on a pit before it is pulled, chopped and seasoned. But it was pre-cooked in the sense that the time between 3am and noon is just as long as, say, the drive from Wilson, NC, to New York City.

That being said, most of the pitmasters at the BABBP have always done their pre-cooking at the event. Some things are brought up from the place or origin, like the sausages, but I can't imagine it would be practical to set up a whole charcuterie operation on the street. I'm pretty sure last year only the guys from Salt Lick were using pre-pre-cooked stuff. Oh, and maybe the snoot people -- their thing requires some unusual processes -- but I'm not sure.

[johnnyd]

Nice coverage gentlemen. Looking forward to pics of today. It's going to be a hot one too. Good luck everybody.

[ronnie_suburban]

. . . For the record, as the spice purveyour to Blue Smoke, they have prepped enough meat to use over 1100 pounds of spices solely for today and tommorrow. Thats a lot of rub. Good luck to all, can't wait to see this. Thanks again for the pix, feels like I was there.

←

Then I'm sure they're in excellent hands. Your paprika (which I'm guessing comprises a large percentage of their rub) is stellar.

And this plate . . .

. . . gets my full approval

Have fun!

=R=

[franktex]

Ma, I can smell the smoke all the way down here in Texas! Oh wait...that's my smoker out back! All this talk about barbeque, so I just couldn't resist! Thanks for the up-to-date coverage & pics, guys!

[SobaAddict70]

*drool*

I have to go to the gym later today. Not sure when I'll be able to make it to MS park.

Most likely tomorrow though.

Soba

[Laura B]

Just back from three hours at Madison Square Park! We had some pulled pork from Mitchell's BBQ in NC (we are from NC, so we had to have a taste of home), and then we tried Elgin's brisket and sausage plate. We loved both. Mitchell's was very good - I had never eaten his BBQ before, and I must say it was the best of the NC-style pulled pork I've ever had. To finish up, we had some custard from the shack and headed home. By the way, the shack had a custard and drinks only line today which was MUCH shorter than the regular line. I forgot to ask when I got to the front whether that was just for this weekend or there to stay.

We might go back tomorrow to try some of the Memphis BBQ and maybe get some more from Mitchell's. We are not inclined to stand in line for the NY vendors since we can just go to their restaurants if we want to try them.

Next year, we will definitely buy the fast pass! The lines are killer.

[sir loin]

I got there today for the opening bell at noon, and by 3:15 or so had only been able to get to 3 pits. The lines were no better than last year, but because the event was on Madison ave. this year at least there was a little elbow room . After waiting on the first line for the Saltlick,I decided the Fastpass seemed to be the way to go. I tried to buy a pass, only to be told that the card readers were not working so they would not sell anymore. This happened early on, and they said even people who had purchased the pass in advance would have to stand on the regular cash lines. Hopefully this will be fixed by tomorrow. I will have to try the pass next year, tomorrow I'm off to the seafood festival in Belmar

[slkinsey]

Unfortunately, the word is that they are sold out of the Bubba Fast Pass for this year.

Much more later when I awaken from my meat-induced coma.

One perplexing question: if this is supposed to feature some of the best Q from around the country, why no McRib?

[Jason Perlow]

Here is the link to our updated photo album. I'm going to post these on the thread as well, with descriptions if I can remember half the stuff we ate.

Big Apple Barbecue Block Party 05 (ImageGullet Album)

Click (HERE) to view as slide show

[Jason Perlow]

Things are just starting to heat up.

The calm before the storm.

Ed Mitchell Whole Hog Sandwiches with cracklin'.

"I'm Ed Mitchell and you're not."

Mitchell Pork Sandwich Closeup

Michell Pork Sandwich, Unsauced.

Southside Market & BBQ

Pitmaster Bryan Brycewell, Southside Market & BBQ (Elgin, TX)

Southside Market Pit

[bergerka]

I would just like to state that after a 2.5 hour odyssey from 231st and Broadway to the park, complete with a fire on the downtown 1 track, a walk in the heat from 231st to the A train at 207th, a wait of nearly 1/2 hour at 145th for the downtown D (the A was, of course! running local), and finally giving up on the N/R/W and walking from Herald Square to the park - just in time to get soaked by a downpour :angry: , Mitchell's completely delicious barbeque and his side of the only coleslaw I have ever liked were the only things that kept me from committing mass murder and mayhem today.

The lives of everyone in this city were saved by pork.

K, significantly less bitchy now that I'm full of bbq and sitting in my air-conditioned living room eating frozen grapes.

[Jason Perlow]

Mike Mills ribs

Mike Mills BBQ beans

[Jason Perlow]

Pitmaster Mike "Sarge" Davis of Whole Hog Cafe

These guys were filming some video for some stupid website.

Pitmaster Garry Roark, Ubon's "Championship Choice" BBQ

[Jason Perlow]

Pitmaster Otis Walker and the The Smoki O's crew from St. Louis.

Snoots.

A pair of cupcakes.

Pitmaster Don McLemore from Big Bob Gibson BBQ

Big Bob Gibson Pulled Pork

Blue Smoke Ribs

Blue Smoke Ribs getting their final sear

Salt Lick Plate

Salt Lick Sausage Closeup

Salt Lick Brisket Closeup

Salt Lick Pit Closeup

[johnnyd]

Holy Hannah, Ah'm droolin' heyah...

[Fat Guy]

I tried to buy a pass, only to be told that the  card readers were not working so they would not sell anymore. This happened early on, and they said even people who had purchased the pass in advance would have to stand on the regular cash lines.

←

People who purchased the Bubba Fast Pass in advance were allowed onto the Fast Pass lines and were served all their food free of charge while the computer system was down. My mother had one, as did my brother-in-law, and they had no problem going through the Fast Pass line and getting all the food they wanted, quickly and efficiently. With a Bubba Fast Pass, it was possible to sample the food of all ten pitmasters in about two hours. At the end of the day, the passes seemed to be working, so we had to have $14 deducted from one of our cards for a bunch of desserts, but we're loaded for bear tomorrow with almost all our credit still remaining.

[mickeymonkey]

was the salt lick plate that big? or was it just for display? god, i hope it was that big! the sausage looks incredible!!! must go tomorrow.

[kurl]

Today I tried Ed Mitchell's -- the first time I'd ever tried that style of barbecue -- and found it quite good, though not at all what I expected. It was more like chicken salad than any pork barbecue I'd had. I'd love to go take a trip and sample lots more of that style, though.

I also tried the Elgin's sausage and brisket, both of which I found superb -- I didn't have the opportunity to compare with Salt Lick, but I can recommmend Elgin wholeheartedly.

Tomorrow I guess I'll go for some ribs and shoulder. The question is: whose shoulder and whose ribs are the superlative ones?

I eagerly await a reply.