Kansas City Q

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Griff

Master Chef
Joined
Mar 13, 2005
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Location
Anchorage, Alaska
This should get some response. I got 2 days of work in Kansas City, Mo next week. Any recommendations on Q? I know some of the Food Network guys say Arthur Bryant's but I'd rather hear from someone whose judgment I trust a little more than, say Bobby Flay. Thanks in advace for any tips.

Griff
 
I was in KC last year. I went to Arthur Bryants, Gates BBQ, and Oklahoma Joes. Oklahoma Joe's was by far the best of the three. OK Joes is on the Kansas side of Kansas City and operates out of a Shamrock gas station. If you can arrange to eat there on Wednesday you'll be in for a treat, burnt ends, but it's only offered on Wednesday's. I was most disappointed in Arthur Bryants, food was very disappointing, burnt ends were like mush. I found out later that Bryants doesn't make their burnt ends out of the point, they just cut up pieces of the flat and cook it until burnt. If it's not from the point, its not true burnt ends. Gates was very good too. I also ate at KC Masterpiece. The ribs were very good and there is definitely the smell of smoke in the restaurant but having a bottle of store bought BBQ sauce on the table was kind of a turn off for me but then again the restaurant is based on this sauce. I've also heard good things about LC's BBQ too and it you're looking for something a little more upscale try Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue, you'll definitely need a reservation for this one (probably a 2 hour wait if you don't get one).
 
I'm doing some after work today! :D
The packer I did last weekend had a nice big point, and I froze it along with the corners. I'm gunna try them with some of that Sweet Baby Rays cut with pineapple juice. Mmmm I'm hungry.
 
I wasn't planning on measuring the internal temp. I was just gunna throw em on at 200-225 for 3-4 hours until they are nice and firm, chop em sauce em, and return to the smoke for another hour at a lower temp.
 
Burnt ends are BBQ nirvana and can only truly be made from the point of the brisket. Sorry if I'm coming off like a previously unnamed banned poster here but its true! The point is the toughest part of the brisket and needs additional cooking. After the flat hits 185-190 (your preference) pull the brisket from the smoker. The deckel (point) and flat are two separate and distinct muscle groups connected by a lot of fat and gristle. Separate the flat from the point (deckel) trim off any excess fat under the deckel and return to the smoker for another 3-4 hours of smoking. I like to cut the burnt ends in bite size chunks and serve with what I call BBQ broth (basically a 50/50 mixture of BBQ sauce and drippings from the brisket. If you foil your brisket this is a great way of capturing the drippings. Even if you don't foil while cooking, foil the flat to keep the brisket warm, while your cooking the point, this will allow you to collect the drippings to be used later for the broth) Serve either plain or with the broth. Great, great stuff. Great texture and flavor, the prime beef of brisket! Try it!
 
TexLaw said:
Jack Stack is good, but Kloset is right about the wait. Gates is also pretty good. I haven't made it Oklahoma Joes, yet, but I've heard nothing but good about it. You ought to make it by there, as I hear they are building a big restaurant to move into. Usually, bad things happen when a good place moves into a newer, bigger building.

I haven't had Kloset's experience with Arthur Bryant's. It's always been pretty good to me, but the sauce is somewhat on the weird side. Be sparing with it, until you find out you like it. The "hot" sauce isn't worth a flip.

True "burnt ends" are the edges (thinner) parts of the brisket that get very, very cooked. They aren't so much burnt (i.e., they aren't just a bunch of charcoal), but they are tough and like jerky. Basically, they are little hunks of bark. You don't get enough true burnt ends off any brisket to make any more than one decent serving, unless you leave the thing on the pit for a couple days. So, since they are so popular, folks simulate them by chopping up some brisket and putting those pieces back on the pit for a while. "True" burnt ends come from anywhere on the brisket. However, because a sliced piece of flat usually brings a better price than a chopped point, restaurants usually chunk up the point and cook it to "burnt ends." A little more time on a fire that's already going, and they get to put a premium on the product.


TL

TL,

I've only been to AB's once, perhaps I caught them on a bad day but the thing that distrubed me the most is that their burnt ends were made out of the flat. The chopped up the flat into cubes and put them back in the pit sauced for about an hour or so, I talked to one of the guys about it.
Pseudo-burnt ends made from the flat will not hold up as well as those made from the flat particularly if they are sauced and cooked. They tend to get very mushy and lose that burnt end texture. I wish I could have eaten at AB when Mr. Bryant was still alive. I know it was proclaimed by one food critic as the best restaurant in the world at that time. Mr. Bryant's daughter took it over and then sold the joint to a group that runs it today. It's still good but I wouldn't call it great.

OK Joes makes true burnt ends but only makes them once a week but the difference is truly noticeable. I guess it takes them a week to collect enough points to make up a large batch that sells out very quickly. Get there by lunch.

The one thing I will say about Kansas City is that they love their Q. Close to 100 BBQ joints'restaurants in the metro area. But in all honesty I can say that most people on this board can probably make Q at their home that equals or exceed that which you will find in most of the KC area or any area for that matter.
 
Thanks for the info. Although I got to admit Jane threw me for a loop with the lamb ribs idea. I'd always heard about Kansas City for Q and steaks. I'd pretty much decided that good steaks can had pretty much all over (even in Canuk land judging by the pictures Shawn has posted). So I was thinking about Q. Truth be known and based on past experience on trips of this nature it'll probably be fly, work, eat hotel food, work and fly. I'm flying all day Wednesday to get there, working all day Thursday and until noon on Friday and getting back to Alaska about midnight on Friday. Whew, I'm already tired.

Griff
 
Hey Griff,

I spotted this on Rays forum posted by Big Daddys

1st Annual Alaska State BBQ Cook-off
We are working dilegently on making this happen. We have corporate sponsors and have trophy's for GC, RGC, 1st place in each category and placks for 2nd & 3rd in each category. Home Depot is donating a WSM, and also have them for sale for $169. Right now it is $500 for GC, $250 for RGC, and $100 for 1st in each category. If you need to contact me for any information please call me at home and leave a message for me to contact you. 907 451-0736. I can give you all the details on where it will be held and any other questions. The plan is to have the Governor himself give out the awards since it is associated with the Governors picnic. I will do anything possible to help in any way. We are taking small steps into making this a big event in the coming years. The Halibut and salmon runs are fantastic this time of year also.
 
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