A grand barb ecue
William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody was one of America’s first self-invented Wild West heroes and one of Kansas’ earliest white residents. Young Bill Cody’s family settled in the Leavenworth area in 1853. His father, Isaac Cody, was a barbecue cook, and included in William Cody’s 1879 autobiography, The Life and Adventures of Buffalo Bill, are accounts of barbecue festivities hosted by his family. During the summer of 1853 we lived in our little log house, and father continued to trade with the Indians, who became very friendly; hardly a day passed without a social visit from them. I spent a great deal of time with the Indian boys, who taught me how to shoot with the bow and arrow, at which I became quite expert. I also took part in all their sports, and learned to talk the Kickapoo language to some extent. Father desired to express his friendship for these Indians, and accordingly arranged a grand barbecue for them. He invited them all to be present on a certain day, which they were; he then presented them with two fat beeves, to be killed and cooked in the various Indian styles. Mother made several large boilers full of coffee, which she gave to them, together with sugar and bread. There were about two hundred 2 4
Most Kansas Citians know that the most important Civil War battle west of the Mississippi was the Battle of Westport, fought primarily on the ground that is now Loose Park, just south of the Plaza. What many Kansas Citians don’t know is that William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody and his friend James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok both participated in the battle. Cody was a private in the 7th Kansas Cavalry — known as “Jennison’s Jayhawkers” —, and Hickok was a scout and sharpshooter for Gen. Samuel R. Curtis, commander of the Union forces. Wild Bill was already quite familiar with the area, having staked a claim in 1857 on 160 acres near what is now the corner of 83rd and Clare Road, in Lenexa. He also served as constable of Monticello Township. From left: Wild Bill, Texas Jack, and Buffalo Bill
Indians in attendance at the feast, and they all enjoyed and appreciated it. In the evening they had one of their grand fantastic war dances, which greatly amused me, it being the first sight of the kind I had ever witnessed. My Uncle Elijah and quite a large number of gentlemen and ladies came over from Weston to attend the entertainment. The Indians returned to their homes well satisfied.
WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO: Melissa Waters, manager of Oklahoma Joe’s catering service, is listening to the Grateful Dead — specifically “Three from the Vault” and “American Beauty.” Company’s Bully Porter?
Buffalo Bill and the Indians
Heroes of Westport
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e o J f o A Cup
with the Coffee King
At once cordially communal and intensely intimate, the sharing of a cup of coffee is an ancient rite that creates, re-creates and celebrates human relationships. This poetic perspective is offered up, over a cup of coffee, of course, by Danny O’Neill, founder and president of The Roasterie, Kansas City’s premier coffee company. Danny is as passionate about coffee as we are about barbecue. We recently had a nice chat with Mr. O’Neill, during which he reflected on both. “Barbecue and coffee have a lot in common. Both are inherently social. Both are best enjoyed with friends. And both are very egalitarian. They’re the opposite of elitist. Even really good coffee is affordable and accessible. “People will say to one another ‘Let’s have lunch sometime’ and it’s understood that there’s a certain benign insincerity in putting that out there. It’s like asking ‘How are you?’ It’s just something you say to express goodwill. But saying ‘Let’s have coffee’ has a different connotation altogether. You’re much more likely to follow through. Having coffee is less of a commitment than lunch, but at the same time it’s a way of saying “I really want to get to know you better.’ “When guests come to your house, what do you do? You make a pot of coffee. Coffee is welcoming, comforting, and — in spite of the caffeine — it’s relaxing. “And even though coffee is very social, it’s also quite comforting and contemplative, something you can enjoy by yourself. If you picture someone sitting alone in their house drinking a scotch, and you almost feel sorry for that person. It’s kind of a sad picture. The mood is lonely and somber, almost 4 4
depressing. But picture someone at home drinking coffee by themselves, and the connotation is entirely different. It feels quiet, restful, reflective.
Danny O
’Neill’s
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offee, a rsely gr “There’s absolutely no dd one p ound co in a cold ffee to n ound toddy c ine cups doubt that Kansas City is offee m o 12–16 h f w ater aker. Re ours an the Barbecue Capital of frigerat d drain. e f or the World. Here at the Roasterie, we believe we’ve helped make Kansas City a coffee capital as well.”
K u d o s fo r K il lm o n ter, Norm master bean roas The Roasterie’s st ever nored with the fir ho ly nt ce re as Killmon w e Specialty ent award by th em ev hi ac e im lifet ild for his n’s Roaster’s Gu Coffee Associatio ry. This award the coffee indust to ns io ut rib nt co orm Killmon be named the “N will henceforth d will be ement Award” an ev hi Ac e tim fe Li asters of ally to coffee ro presented annu it. outstanding mer 5 4
1 0 BACKyArd BArBeCue BAsICs Brisket & Burnt1ends This step-by-step how-to describes basically the same process of making burnt ends that our sponsored competition barbecue teams use. The exception being that you’ll need to use your own smoker. Ours are generally full up. (If you don’t have your own smoker, the folks at the Kansas City BBQ Store can set you up.)
Start with a whole untrimmed brisket. Whole briskets have two parts: the “flat” and the “point.” The flat is the long, wide, flat-ish part that makes up most of the brisket. The point is the fatty lump of meat that sits on top and at the end of the flat. Burnt ends are made from the point, so it’s important that you start with a whole, untrimmed brisket. Be aware that many grocery stores only sell flats. If you’re unsure, tell meat counter dude you need a whole brisket.
fig. 2 Trim excess fat from the brisket. While you’re doing this, notice where the point and the flat are joined. Notice that the grain of the flat and the grain of the point run perpendicular. This is important, inasmuch as you will have to remove the point from the flat later in the process.
fig. 3 Season your brisket with a rub of your own making (see recipe on page 7), or stop by the Kansas City BBQ Store and choose from the hundreds of rubs in our inventory. Seasoning can be done anywhere from four to 24 hours before you put your brisket in the smoker. Wrap it in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge.
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fig. 4 About an hour before you start cooking, take the brisket out of the fridge and let sit on your kitchen countertop at room temperature for about an hour. Once your smoker is all fired up, put your brisket in and cook it low and slow, at 225 degrees, for about an hour-and-a-half per pound. When the internal temp of the flat reaches 160 degrees, pull it from the smoker, quickly wrap it in aluminum foil and return it to the smoker. Let it continue to cook until the internal temp reaches 195 degrees. Remove it from the smoker and let it rest in the foil for an hour on your kitchen countertop. Then wrap in a big beach towel or two and put it in a picnic cooler and close it tight.
fig. 5 While your brisket is cooking, chop some fresh garlic, onion (and perhaps a slice or two of pickled jalapeno pepper). In a stock pot, sauté the onion in a little butter until golden brown. Then add one quart beef stock, together with the garlic and let simmer for about thirty minutes. After thirty minutes, remove from heat, carefully strain the stock into a sauce pan. Stir in one-and-a-half cups of your favorite barbecue sauce. Return the pan to the stove and keep warm.
WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO: Dan Hathaway, manager of The Kansas City BBQ Store, is listening to Chris Knight . “It’s my BBQ contest soundtrack.”
fig. 1
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s e h s i side d
tasty accompaniments
WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO: .Stephanie Wilson, Kansas City BBQ Store staff, is listening to The Kelihans, a local Irish rock band
up on the roof
some lIKe It hot On May 16, 2010, at 11:26 a.m. TV talk show host and really tall redhead, Conan O’Brien tweeted his Twitter followers this message: I’m in KC. I like my BBQ like I like my women. HOT. Also, rubbed with molasses, coffee grounds and cayenne.
Our Facebook friend, Trent Citrano, posted this photo of himself on our Facebook page last month. Trent wanted us to see that he wore his Oklahoma Joe’s T-shirt to a rooftop barbecue party in Yokohama, Japan, where he is the principal of the St. Maur International School. If you’ve got a photo of yourself wearing Joe’s garb in an exotic locale, post it on Facebook for all to see.
We’d love to hear from anybody who has tried the molasses, coffee grounds, and cayenne formula in making barbecue. Post your experience on our Facebook page. We’d also like to hear from any married men who have made a remark similar to Conan’s and have lived to tell about it. 9 4
Slaughterhouse five Competition BBQ team
Barbecue Royalty Imagine the Super Bowl, the Academy Awards, and Woodstock all cooked up into one big shindig. Awesome, right? You got your intense competition, your prestigious prizes, your rock ‘n’ roll and your, uh, adult beverages. All the ingredients for a primo event. Now add barbecue into the mix. Now you’ve got: THE. BEST. PARTY. EVER. You’ve got the American Royal Barbecue. Founded in 1980, the American Royal Barbecue is the biggest and most prestigious barbecue contest in the world. Nearly 500 teams compete in the Royal Open, and in the Invitational more than 120 elite championship teams go head-to-head for the biggest, baddest, barbecue bragging rights of all. This year, on October 1-3, Slaughterhouse Five — the barbecue team that gave rise to Oklahoma Joe’s restaurants — is celebrating its 20th consecutive competition at the Royal.
“The American Royal is my favorite contest of all time,” says Rod Gray, of the championship barbecue team Pellet Envy. “If you are lucky enough to cook in the Invitational, you are cooking against true champions from all over our great nation.”
Famed barbecue chef, cookbook author, and TV personality, Ray Lampe, says “The American Royal is the top of the mountain for barbecue cooks. If you go to Oklahoma Joes on the Thursday before the event you’ll see many of the top names in barbecue having lunch.”
“I first attended the American Royal Barbecue in 1987 and can say that this event has helped shape my life,” says Joe Davidson, co-founder and former co-owner of Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ & Catering, “I never dreamed I would someday be Grand Champion at the Invitational. That win is still atop my list of proudest wins. The Royal is truly an American barbecue tradition.”
“The American Royal contest has been the cornerstone that has developed competition barbecue into one of the most popular ‘sports’ in the United States over the last 25 years,” says Chris Marks, of Kansas City’s Three Little Pigs barbecue team (the winningest team in Royal history). “The American Royal has helped define Kansas City barbecue as the world’s most recognized style of barbecue.”
We asked a number of top cooks and Kansas Citians for their reflections on the Royal:
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“There is no dispute that Kansas City is the barbecue capital of the world,” says Rick Hughes, President and CEO of the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association. “With more than a hundred barbecue joints and being host to the largest barbecue contest in the world, barbecue is in our DNA.”
Chris Lilly, champion barbecue cook, TV personality and VP of the legendary Big Bob Gibson’s barbecue joint in Decatur, Alabama, says, “The American Royal is a celebration of a distinct American foodway, quenching not only competitive spirit but a sense of community
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B
eginning backyard barbecue cooks are often intimidated by the process of buying their first smoker. There are lots of choices. Each smoker offers a unique range of features and benefits and prices vary widely. Overly confident and ambitious first timers can easily spend too much on a rig that’s way too big. Stingy timid types tend to spend too little, quickly finding themselves frustrated at the limits and poor performance of their new equipment. Best thing to do is ask the advice of an experienced and seasoned cook. And most likely they’ll recommend the Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM). Not only will they say it’s the best all-round smoker for beginners, they’ll say it’s one of the best all-round smokers, period, no matter your level of experience and expertise. The Weber Smokey Mountain is a shining (and shiny) example of design elegance and simplicity. Nicknamed “The Bullet” for its cylindrical body and domed top (and bottom), the Weber Smokey Mountain is pleasingly easy on the eyes and ridiculously easy to operate. It may not cook as much meat as the big rigs, but it more than holds its own in performance. The Bullet comes in two sizes. The original 18.5-inch (diameter) version and the new 22.5-inch model. The original stands 41 inches high, and the newer edition is 48 inches tall. While it’s possible to make barbecue on a classic Weber kettle, the kettle is made primarily for grilling, not smoking. (Let’s review: Grilling = high heat, fast cook times. Barbecue = low heat, slow cook times.) The WSM, however, is specially made to cook low and slow. It’s air-tight design and quality construction make for efficient and effective temperature control, critical to producing tasty barbecue. WSM owners are an enthusiastically loyal bunch. Rick Salmon, one of the competition barbecue champions on staff at the
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Kansas City BBQ Store is one of them. “I like the Weber Smoky Mountain because it is the best smoker for the money,” Rick says. “It’s very versatile in that you can cook barbecue on it, grill on it, or even cook Memphis style on it. It is easy to use, fuel efficient and needs very little attention. With a little ingenuity you can add extra shelves to it to increase its capacity. It’s an excellent backyard cooker, but at the same time can win major barbecue competitions with it.” Dan Hathaway, manager of the Kansas City BBQ Store, and a competitive barbecue champion in his own right, agrees that the Bullet is one of the easiest charcoal/wood burners to operate. “Right out of the box you can fire it up and achieve 6-8 hour cooks without a lot of fire maintenance. For someone just getting started in the backyard this is perfect, because they’ll actually learn how things cook, instead of learning how not to ruin their food.” Fans of the durable cooker have even created a website devoted exclusively to discussion and information exchange regarding the smoker and its use. The enormously utilitarian site — called “The Virtual Bullet” www.virtualweberbullet. com — offers cooking techniques, recipes, FAQs, and more.
WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO: Jeff Stehney, owner, is listening the Oklahoma-based band Cross Canadian Ragweed. “My current favorite song is “Blues for You” on CD “Back to Tulsa-Live and Loud at Cain’s Ballroom”
Number ONe with a bullet
the weber Smokey Mountain
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BBQ & A whomp! there it is! By day Mitch Benjamin, 39, is a sales rep for TaylorMade-adidas Golf, but by night — and on weekends — Benjamin is a barbecue sauce mixologist and entrepreneur. His new sauce Meat Mitch’s “Whomp!” BBQ Sauce has just been released (and is on sale at the Kansas City BBQ Store). We sat down with Mitch recently for a little Q&A: How’d you get into barbecue? It was out of self defense. My fiancée loved barbecue so much that she was starting to eye up big dudes in overall’s with nicknames like “Stack” and “Big Rig”. I had to react. What’s your favorite barbecue experience? The American Royal is our team’s favorite time of the year. We get fired up, having the biggest, wildest, best party of the year, serving all of our friends the very best food we can make along with all the beer, wine, and spirits they can muster! What’s your barbecue philosophy? Have your recipes organized, know what everyone’s role is, don’t sway too much from your original plan and don’t start playing quarters at midnight. Everyone thinks their own sauce recipe is the best. How about yours? Meat Mitch “Whomp” BBQ sauce was created to win BBQ competitions. It has all the elements the judges are looking for, a beautiful glaze finish, a sweet, rich, depth and character, and it finishes with a little kick that says “Hello, Jim!”. My first production run of the sauce was on a Wednesday this past July, by Friday we had set up camp at The Wild Blue BBQ State Championship in Burlington, KS, and we walked away with the Grand Reserve Championship trophy and never even cooked any of the meat, just poured the sauce on it. WHOMP!
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