Introducing Myself as Directed

[KayCeeSmoker]

Hello All,

First off, I'm a Yank. Second, I call Kansas City my home, thus the KayCeeSmoker moniker.

I am visiting England a bit later in the year to see some friends and I thought I'd do a bit of KC BBQ for them while I was there. Figured I'd better have a look around the internet and get a feel for the 'Que scene in your neck of the woods to determine what I might need to bring.

It looks like you folks have it pretty well covered, so I think I'll just bring some of my favorite rubs and a sauce or two.

Interesting site; I'm sure I'll learn something useful and new here.

Cheers!

[Vibe]

Pictures to take into butchers or they'll generally be clueless. Otherwise many online sites but they are quite a bit more in price. And also research other names for the cuts, ie a packer brisket won't get you far nor will Boston butt. Pork shoulder they'll know but that's not enough on its own as it'll come rolled and maybe without bone. Even if you ask for bone in, will still be rolled - hence need for pictures


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[Kiska95]

Hey KC when you coming and where are you visiting?

I only ask as me and my Son are coming to Kansas City for the American Royal (end of September beginning of October) and could do with some tips on where to go etc. We are staying in Lees Summit.

Any help will be great and If I can do likewise for you, just ask away

[KayCeeSmoker]

Pictures to take into butchers or they'll generally be clueless.

Ah! Good idea!

I plan on keeping it simple: brisket, pulled pork and ribs. I want to do a whole (packer) brisket so that I can have nice slices from the flat and good bit of burnt ends from the point.

I want to find the upper bone-in portion of the shoulder, the "pork butt" and not the lower "picnic" portion to make the pulled pork.

As for ribs, are there baby backs available? If not, St. Louis type spares will do but my wife and a lot of others are in love with the baby backs.

I will bring pictures and a description of what I want. I'm sure you folks have visited the virtual weber bullet site. That fellow does a great job with photos and description from picking the meat, through the cook and to the table. I'll just capture some of that.

If you haven't visited there, there is a wealth of information and recipes.

http://virtualweberbullet.com/index.html

[KayCeeSmoker]

Hey KC when you coming and where are you visiting?

I only ask as me and my Son are coming to Kansas City for the American Royal (end of September beginning of October) and could do with some tips on where to go etc. We are staying in Lees Summit.

Any help will be great and If I can do likewise for you, just ask away

I'm coming over mid-September for about a week. I won't be going back to KC though. I am currently living in Texas for a bit. (Now, if I wanted to start a fight, I'd say that Texas BBQ can't hold a candle to KC BBQ...oops...I just started it if a Texan reads this!)

I do have two sons still in KC that are BBQ fanatics with whom I can hook you up if you need some guidance. We have often rented a limo for a BBQ Tour for out-of-towners. Start in the afternoon and drive from restaurant to restaurant having samples of the 'Que with beer (of course). Great fun!

Lucky you though! You'll get to see the Royal in its new home at Arrowhead Stadium! It was really overcrowded down at the old American Royal exposition site. Although tradition is going by the wayside, I think this is a very smart move for them. Might be a few kinks to work out the first year but you will enjoy it. The teams are generally VERY friendly as long as they don't think you are competitors seeking to steal their secrets. Once they know you're visiting from England, I'm certain they'll be happy to share some 'Que, beer and cooking ideas/tips.

It can be cold, hot or in-between that time of year and rain is a possibility as well. A light gore-tex type jacket isn't a bad idea, along with sun screen and sun glasses.

Famous BBQ places you should try to hit while in KC:

Arthur Bryants - Original 1727 Brooklyn Avenue, K.C., MO. This is pretty much where it got rolling in KC, sort of a shrine as much as a restaurant. I think they do a good job but Bryants is not my favorite. My sons love it though.

Gates - 1221 Brooklyn Ave, Kansas City, MO . Ollie Gates sort of perfected the "chain" BBQ restaurant concept in KC. His stuff is good and I use his sauce quite often. When politicians come to KC, Gates is often on the menu. He's catered to the White House as well.

Jack's Stack - There are a few around town but I like the original Martin City location. There is a restaurant in Lee's Summit too. It has the ambiance and the wood smoke permeates the place. Jack Fiorella took his 'Que upscale. It used to be my absolute favorite years ago but now... it's pricey and keeps getting pricier (but it is good stuff). He has a wide menu as well, including fish and steak that you don't find in the usual BBQ joint.

Kansas City Joe's (Formerly Oklahoma Joe's) - a relative newcomer but very well regarded. Started out in an old gas station on the Kansas City, Kansas side. Good stuff, some unusual sandwich combos like the Z-man Sandwich:
slow-smoked beef brisket, smoked provolone cheese, topped with two crispy onion rings, on a toasted kaiser roll.

A very new and highly regarded place, Q39 is on the list as well. This guy, Rob Magee, has built a following very quickly. I've only had carry-out from there but, again, my sons give this place top ratings. The carry-out was very good; it would only get better when actually eaten in the restaurant.

Those are most of the "name" BBQ restaurants.

Have a good trip!

[Kiska95]

Thanks for the great advice

Where about in the UK are you visiting?

Yeah my son is 30 how old are yours? I like the idea of the limmo! Might be a plan if we could hook up with your sons just for some guidance when we are on the ground. We have a car booked so we wont be putting pressure on anyone to take us places.

Is there anywhere I should avoid?

I will PM you with my email address

Thanks again for the invaluable help

[PDC7]

I'm actually visiting Texas in October, so I'm looking for ideas on places to visit /eat whilst there, if you know anywhere decent near my current planned route that would really help, I will be visiting:

Houston, Galveston (to go moody gardens), Dallas, out of state to Oklahoma City, Amarillo and finally Dallas fort worth

Thanks in advance!!

[Kiska95]

You've become a Travel guide KC

[KayCeeSmoker]

PDC7,

Wow! You are going to cover some ground! Driving or flying to see all of that? Makes a difference in things to see if you drive.

I have a few tips on 'Que in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It's a much different style than KC in my opinion.

One thing about Texas Que though is that nowhere...absolutely nowhere... does smoked sausage better than Texas.

Around Love Field, the Dallas Metro Airport, I think Big Al's does a really good job. It's not fancy, just a BBQ joint, but they know how to run a smoker.

Hard 8 in Coppell puts on the best display with their large array of smokers and the way they present the food. There's a very large layout of brisket, ribs, chicken, sausage, pork chops, rib eye steaks and much more. You just point and they load it on a tray, weigh it out and charge you. This is all done outside under a patio type roof. Side dishes are inside.

You'll probably hear about Bone Daddy's BBQ; it's a breastaurant with scantily clad waitresses. Rumor is that they originally hired top shelf strippers as waitresses but that must have been before I came to town. Now it's just average young girls in halter tops and short shorts. The Que isn't anything to write home about.

Railhead in the downtown area of Fort Worth is pretty good too.

As far as the chain stores around here, I think Sonny Bryan's or Spring Creek do fairly well at a fair price. They are closer to my taste.

There are two that I have not tried that are supposed to be superb. One is Pecan Lodge and the other is Lockhart Smokehouse. They are pretty far from where I live but they are on the list. (The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is about 80 miles East to West).

There are a lot of supposedly famous 'Que restaurants around here but honestly, I have tried the ones that made the newspaper Top Ten List of BBQ places and have not been all that impressed.

I say that as a devotee of the Kansas City school of Que. I just find that what I left up north delivers more of a smoky taste with more zip from the rub. Everyone has a different idea of what good Que should taste like I guess.

Obviously, the Texas School of Que has a very large following as well.

[PDC7]

Thanks for the help

I'm going to be driving all the trip, we reviewed cost of flights and then factored in travel to airports, arriving 2-3 hours before the flights then travel from airports, and using different transport to view the areas and it worked out faster to drive overall, and when I get to each destination ive already got the hire car to go sight see. Im hoping the actually journey throws up some interesting sights, I've already planned some minor "diversions" to see some of Route 66 (Cadillac ranch and the likes) and seeing witchita falls etc etc