H Smoky crunchy bits of
Kansas City barbecue
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Smoke Gets in Your Ears
H A barbecue playlist
A n o c c a s i o n a l p u b l i c a t i o n o f r e c i p i e s , m u s i c , l o r e , u s e l e ss i n f o r m a t i o n , s h a m e l e ss s e l f p r o m o t i o n a n d q u e s t i o n a b l e a d v i c e , f r o m t h e g o o d f o l k s a t O k l a h o m a J o e ’ s BBQ o f K a n s a s C i t y , O l a t h e , a n d L e a w o o d , K a n s a s .
Playlist Pick: “The Hesitating Blues” by W.C. Handy, popular in 1915
p p Joe Armato waits on a customer in his Fifth Street eatery, ca. 1915. Willy stands guard at the barbecue pit in the corner. Photo courtesy of Pete Armato.
In 2001, Pete Armato, then 75 years old, shared the story of his father, Joe, with author Doug Worgul, who was writing a history of Kansas City barbecue.
A a
few years after Henry Perry opened Kansas City’s first commercial barbecue enterprise — a simple pushcart set up in the alleyway at Eighth & Bank Streets, in the city’s Garment District — a scrawny Italian kid named Joe showed up in Kansas City, looking to make a life and a name for himself. Joseph Armato was born in Sambuca, Sicily, in June 1895. By the time he was fifteen the Mediterranean island was no longer big enough for him and his dreams. He was restless and stubbornly independent, and yearned for a better life. He knew that America was where he would find it. He arrived in Kansas City in 1910, with no family and no money. He quickly landed a job on the railroad. It was backbreaking work, but he stuck with it and saved every dime. By the time he was seventeen he had enough to buy a horse and cart. He quit the railroad and began selling ice and coal from his cart. And by the time he was twenty he saved enough money to buy himself a little restaurant, up in the northeast corner of town, at 607 East Fifth Street. 2
Who knows, maybe when he was selling coal and ice from his cart, Joe crossed paths with Henry Perry, over at Eighth & Bank. Maybe he sold some ice to ol’ Henry. Maybe Henry sold some barbecue to Joe. Could be that’s where Joe got the idea to sell barbecue in his restaurant. In any case, Joe’s little barbecue joint soon became a neighborhood favorite. That’s where Willy joins the story. It seems that Willy, an AfricanAmerican, was Joe’s first, and perhaps only, employee. And Willy’s barbecue skills appear to be one of the main reasons why Joe’s place became so popular. At least that’s what Joe himself told his children and grandchildren years later. “We don’t know much about Willy,” said Joe’s son, Pete, in a 2001 interview. “Not even his last name. The only thing we know for sure was that he made the best ribs around.” The diner was a favorite with the beat cops who patrolled the neighborhood. Around lunchtime a cop would poke his head in the door and shout “Got any ribs, Joe?” “Yeah, I got ribs!” Joe would shout back. “Who made ‘em?” the cop would want to know. “Willy made ‘em!” Joe called back. “Then we’ll have some!” And the cop would come on inside, followed by several others. Willy’s barbecue was served on slices of Italian bread, cut diagonally and mopped with Joe’s own barbecue sauce. He charged twenty cents for a sandwich. “My father wasn’t the first to open a barbecue joint in this town,” Joe’s son Pete said in 2001. “But he certainly was one of the first. They used to call him ‘Smoky Joe’ because his clothes always smelled like barbecue smoke. I know for sure my dad was Kansas City’s original ‘Smoky Joe’.” He can thank Willy for that. 3
Yeah, I got ribs!”
Fifth Street, Kansas City, Missouri, 1915.
y’s Music M t i C ave as s n ns sty tunes f a a t K o r ck i e p a u l ay lis c p e b r t ba
These are the five basic things you need
in order to make barbecue: Meat, seasonings, smoke, sauce, and, of course, music. That’s right. Music. Barbecue and music are so closely akin, historically, culturally, anthropologically, and artistically, that it’s difficult to conceive of one without the other. You can, of course, make or eat barbecue unaccompanied by music, just as you can listen to James Brown, Jack White, Drive-By Truckers, or Asleep at The Wheel unaccompanied by ribs or brisket, but why in heaven’s name would you want to? Does smoked meat alone constitute barbecue, or must there be music for true barbecue to be achieved? This is a legitimate philosophical question. Which leads to another, more pragmatic, question; what to play? We asked some Kansas Citians who spend much of their time thinking about music to recommend some songs for an ideal barbecue playlist. Some responded to our request in a very literalistic way, with suggested songs that are actually about barbecue. Others responded to the spirit of the thing, and suggested songs that they feel capture the essence of barbecue. 4
I f a n yo n e c a n s p e a k w i t h au t h o r i t y about the spiritual bond between barbecue and music, it’s Lindsay Shannon. His roadhouse, B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ, has been serving Kansas City’s best combo platter of blues and barbecue since 1990. Given Kansas City’s heritage of barbecue and the blues, you’d think there’d be more places giving us both. But you’d be wrong. It’s all on Lindsay. And for him it’s a labor of love. In fact, he’s the host of “The Kansas City Blues Show” on KCFX, 101FM, The Fox, on Sunday nights, a gig he’s had for more than thirty years. “Blues and barbecue come from the same place,” says Shannon. “They were both born in poverty in the American South. If the only thing you can afford to feed your family is the tough ol’ ‘throw-away’ meat that the rich folks don’t want — meat you have to cook all day and all night just to get it tender enough to bite into — well, then, you just might have the blues. But you don’t need a music history lesson to appreciate the connection. People just know it in their gut and in their heart.” In a 2004 interview with The Kansas City Star, Shannon talked about Kansas City’s blues and barbecue roots. “Blues just seemed to ooze from this city in the old days. You couldn’t walk down the street without hearing it come from every other joint. The first time I ever heard Muddy Waters was at Deluxe Bar-B-Q. A lot of barbecue joints featured blues acts. And a lot of blues clubs served barbecue. It was hard to tell which sha n n o n was a joint and which was a club.” Lindsay’s playlist recommendations are literally and lyrically barbecue songs. “My first suggestion is ‘K.C. Brick Pit’, by Kansas City musician Mark Dufresne. I love this song. Mark includes some of the great old barbecue joints, past and present, in a great tune. Of course, another reason I especially like this song is that we have a brick pit right here at B.B.’s . It’s a sixty-year-old brick pit and we’re really proud of it. We think it makes our barbecue extra special.”
H e r e a r e S ha n n o n ’ s o t h e r picks f o r a b a r b e c u e p l a y l is t : “Christmas by the Barbecue” by Lynn August. “Fight at the Barbecue Tonight” by Jeremy Lyons & The Deltabilly Boys. “Bar-B-Q” by Z.Z. Top. “Gracie’s H&M Bar-B-Q” by Lonesome Hank & The Heartaches. “This song is about Grace Harris, who used to serve barbecue at the Grand Emporium back in the day, and also had a little joint up in KCK called H&M Bar-B-Q. She was quite the character.”
H e r e a r e Bi l l ’ s P l a y l is t ch o ic e s : “Ring of Fire” by Johnny & June Carter Cash. “It gets to the heart of the matter, prep wise, and always revs up a happy vibe.” “Summertime” by Janis Joplin. “A classic song by a classic singer, about the season when our culinary thoughts turn toward the outdoor grill.” “Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer” by Nat ‘King’ Cole. “You can almost smell that smoky haze rising from the grill.”
shapi r o Bi l l S h a p i r o , h o s t o f KCUR - F M ’ s m u s i c p r o g r a m , “Cyprus Avenue”, which is celebrating 35 years on the air, put “Strutting With Some Barbeque” by Louis Armstrong on the top of his list of songs for an ideal barbecue playlist. “Louie was probably Americas greatest musical pioneer and one of the few artists to specifically reference one of America’s great culinary contributions by name in a song.”
T o s a y t h a t Tim Fi n n i s a p o p u l a r m u s i c w r i t e r is to declare two truths. The first is that he writes about popular music for The Kansas City Star. The other, greater truth, is that he is indeed a very popular music writer. Tim’s thousands of readers, fans, and followers range from classic rock-loving Baby Boomers, to their indie-rock-loving children. A frequent winner of The Pitch’s annual “Best of Kansas City” awards in the “Favorite Columnist” category, Finn’s insightful, finely crafted, and often wickedly funny, reviews are the driving force behind The Star’s “Back to Rockville” music blog. “I chose these songs not so much for lyrical content,” he says about his barbecue playlist picks. “Though the Springsteen song is overtly about one of summer’s eternal rewards. Rather, I chose f i n n these for the vibes they evoke: of backyards and front porches, the release of worries and burdens, and the company of friends, food, and cold beverages.”
Here are tim’s suggestions: C h u c k H a d d i x i s K a n s a s Ci t y ’ s p r e mi e r pop music historian and archivist, as well as the host of KCUR-FM’s other long-running (27 years) music program, “The Fish Fry”. Chuck has spent much of his life immersed in Kansas City history and culture, and though he is best known for his musical expertise, he is no slouch when it comes to barbecue knowledge. In a 2004 interview with The Kansas City Star, Haddix noted that “…the most obvious relationship between haddi x barbecue and the blues is that they’re both African-American traditions. Historically, African-Americans used the stuff of their lives, such as it was, and made art out of it. It says something about their spirit and their perseverance. And, of course, the regional flavors of the blues are as distinct as the regional flavors of barbecue. It’s like religion: many paths, one goal.”
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“Watch Me Fall” by Uncle Tupelo. “Girls in their Summer Clothes” by Bruce Springsteen. “Municipal Farm” by The Grisly Hand. “Sweet Virginia” by Rolling Stones.
Photo credit: Forester Michael
H e r e a r e C h u ck ’ s s u g g e s t i o n s f o r a b a r b e c u e p l a y l is t : “I Love Bar-B-Q” by The Guy Brothers and Orchestra. The Guy Brothers declare their love for barbecue in this classic anthem that sings the praises of `…them bones, them bones, them bones…’.” “Bar-B-Q” by Wendy Rene. “Recorded for the Stax label in 1964, Rene professes her affection for the aroma and taste of barbecue, reminding us that barbecue is not a sauce, it’s a situation.” “Hot Barbecue” by Brother Jack McDuff. “Recorded for the Prestige label in 1965, McDuff establishes the theme with the declaration of ‘Hot Bar-B-Q tonight’ then underscores that point with a smokin’ organ solo.”
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Bigger and Better Than Ever
It’s been said before,
but it bears repeating, we’re all about barbecue here at Joe’s. And, by that, we mean that we want you to know how to make your own barbecue on those occasions when ordering a slab of ribs or a Z-Man from Joe’s isn’t possible (on Sundays, for example) or when you simply want to get in touch with your Kansas City heritage. It’s for that reason that The Kansas City BBQ Store exists. To supply you with every possible thing you’ll ever need to make your own championship quality barbecue. The Kansas City BBQ Store has the world’s biggest and best inventory of barbecue sauces, seasonings, supplies, smokers, grills, and fuel. Whether you’re a backyard beginner, an accomplished amateur aficionado, or a world-class contest competitor, The Kansas City BBQ Store has what you need. Our store is managed and staffed by championship barbecue cooks who know their brisket from their butt. 8
The Kansas City BBQ Store is located at 11922 Strang Line Road, across the parking lot from Joe’s Olathe restaurant. If you haven’t visited the store since it moved to its new space, you’ll be wowed by how big (and awesome) it is. Go check ‘em out. The Kansas City BBQ Store 11922 Strang Line Rd. Olathe, Kansas 66062 913-782-5171 www.thekansascitybbqstore.com
Dan Hathaway is the manager of The Kansas City BBQ Store. Earlier this year, his competition barbecue team, Hathaway’s Old Style BBQ, won the Grand Championship at the Lawrence Sertoma 48 barbecue contest in Lawrence, Kansas. Music is part of Dan’s recipe for success when cooking championship barbecue. Here are a few of his suggestions for a barbecue playlist: “Danko/Manuel” by Drive-By Truckers. “This is probably my favorite Truckers song. It is a bit on the slow side, but it’s the perfect song to listen to when you’re sitting all alone with the cooker watching the smoke trickle out of the stack.” “Choctaw Bingo” by James McMurtry. “If you have heard this song, then you know why it’s on the list.” “Juniper” by Lucero. “This is one of the most fun songs I have ever seen performed live. These guys are a must have on any playlist.” “Blues For You” by Cross Canadian Ragweed. “This song cannot be played loud enough.”
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moke Gets inYour Dwight YoakAm is Ears Ifsinging “Wild Ride”
it must be chicken time
B uildi n g a n id e a l b a r b e cu e pl a y li s t is not a hypothetical matter for Jeff Stehney. He’s got one. And he’s been playing it for years. Jeff and his wife Joy Stehney are the founders and owners of Oklahoma Joe’s. They got their start in the barbecue biz about 25 years ago cooking in contests with their competition barbecue team, Slaughterhouse Five. “Music was an important part of our contest experience right from the beginning. But let me clarify, when we first started cooking in contests in the late Eighties, it wasn’t a ‘playlist’ we were listening to,” Jeff says. “It was CDs. Lots of CDs. Played one after the other. We had our Friday night CDs and our Saturday morning CDs. And we must have had them stacked in a particular order, and played them in that order at every contest, because we began to notice after a while that every time we were preparing our chicken entry, “Wild Ride” by Dwight Yoakam was playing. We started calling it the Chicken Song. 11
The
of
Legend
Jimmie
a
Nutbuster
The Slaughterhouse Five playlist
“Then, a few years later when iTunes came along, we downloaded all our favorite songs (along with some mad skills and killer into a master playlist, and that playlist really sauces and rubs) has worked some has become the official Slaughterhouse Five serious magic over the years. Jeff and contest soundtrack. We turn it on at 11:00 on Joy Stehney, together with their Saturday mornings, just as we’re beginning teammates Jim Howell, Jason Brinkman, to put together our contest entries. The first and Larry Johnson have won more than song is Doyle Bramhall’s cover of ‘I Can See twenty Grand Championships, including Clearly Now’. ‘Wild Ride’ is still the Chicken the American Royal Open in 1993 and Song. And Dwight Yoakam also sings our the American Royal Invitational in 1995. Rib Song, ‘Dangerous Man’. And sometime Slaughterhouse Five was awarded after ‘Dangerous Man’ comes ‘Martini Time’ Team of the Year by the Kansas City by the Reverend Horton Heat. During that Barbeque Society in 1993, and won song we all take a little break and invite Legend of the American Royal our neighboring teams over to our area for (First Place) in 2010. a drink. The Jack Ingram song ‘Love You’ is always playing as we’re working on our pulled pork entry. And ‘Ring of Fire’ by H-Blockx vs. Dr. Ring-Ding is our Brisket Song.” Other highlights of Slaughterhouse Five’s contest playlist include “Soul City” by Southern Culture on the Skids, “Cannonball” by The Breeders, Joe Ely’s version of “The Road Goes on Forever”, and “Choctaw Bingo” by James McMurtry. The list concludes with “Southern Comfort” by Shooter Jennings. “There’s just a natural connection between music and barbecue,” Jeff says. “It’s certainly true in our experience, both at the contests where our team cooks and at our restaurants. The connection is the fellowship; the good times people share when they’re listening to good music or eating good barbecue. And it’s magnified when you’re enjoying both at the same time.”
dult beverages (in moderation, of course!) are a part of barbecue contest culture. And sometimes, under the influence of such beverages, groundbreaking libation innovations can occur. Here is the story of one such advancement in cocktail science, taken from the website www.drinksmixer.com.
This drink was invented by Jim Howell of Leawood, Kansas. It was created sometime in the early morning hours of Sunday October 7th, 2007. Jim and his barbecue team, Slaughterhouse Five were competing at the American Royal BBQ Competition when Jim started making these for the team. The word spread, and by 2:30 a.m. there were no less than a dozen championship barbecue cooks drinking them. Jim named the drink after the relatively unknown barbecue legend, Jimmie Nutbuster. Jimmie Nutbuster is known as the “Meat Genius,” but he does appreciate a good after-dinner drink and we’re sure he would approve of this recipe. Thanks to the new drink and inspiration from Jimmie Nutbuster, Slaughterhouse Five went on to win the Reserve Grand Championship at the American Royal BBQ Championship later that day. The team is busy spreading the recipe wherever they go and it is now written down in bars in not only the Kansas City area but also in St. Louis, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Columbus Ohio. Needless to say, This drink is a winner!
R ecipe
for
the
JIMMIE NUTBUSTER 2 oz Bailey’s Irish cream 1 oz Grand Marnier orange liqueur 1 oz Godiva chocolate liqueur Combine all ingredients in a shaker with crushed ice. Shake until cold. Strain into a cocktail glass filled half full with crushed ice.
BBQ&A For STRETCH barbecue is no grind, it’s an art Burnt Ends: You’re an artist, a cook, a musician, a promoter, and a businessman. That’s a lot of roles. How do you do it?
Metropolis and Gotham City
have nothing on us. Kansas City has its own superhero, thank you very much. His name is STRETCH. His powers include artistic vision, entrepreneurial fortitude, and the ability to turn tough old hunks of meat in to tender, tasty, barbecue. Television viewers first caught a glimpse of this superhero in January on an episode of “Pitmasters” filmed here in Kansas City. Just as a staged barbecue contest featuring a few of the city’s best barbecue cooks was getting heated, STRETCH, who was competing in the event, donned a cape — that’s right, a cape! —emblazoned with a skull and crossbones, grinned into the camera and said “This is barbecue!” STRETCH (who prefers his single ALL CAPS nickname, but whose birth name is Jeff Rumaner) is the owner of Grinders and Grinders West, the popular pizza and sandwich shops on 18th Street, in the Crossroads Arts District. He is also a sculptor who has installed works around the world, and a music impresario, who has staged world-class concerts and music events in the Crossroads. We caught up with the super-busy, multi-talented, entrepreneur to ask him a few questions. 14
STRETCH: The common thread that connects them all is that they cross all cultural boundaries. That’s why I opened my restaurants and music venue in the heart of the Crossroads. These places reflect my travels and life experiences — a food-art-music-fusion inspired by places like punk club CBGBs, Max’s Kansas City, night clubs, and classic dive joints with quality food and a fun atmosphere. A great experience at a great price whether you’re an artist, government official, lawyer, a musician, or a clown. BE: You’ve traveled the world, what are some outstanding culinary memories?
STRETCH: Slaughtering and eating goat with the Masai tribe in Africa, and shaving pigs in the Caucasus Mountain region of the Republic of Georgia. Both pretty memorable.
BE: What songs would you include on an ideal barbecue playlist? STRETCH: Barbecue requires an upbeat foot-tapping, head-banging beat. I love Van Halen’s “Eruption”. Eddie’s guitar solo at the beginning sounds like “The Ride of the Valkyries” by “www.what-song.com/ Movies/Artist/351/The-Vienna-Philharmonic-Orchestra80” The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra from the “Apocalypse Now” soundtrack. That song is perfect as meat is coming off the grill. Any Ska music works great for parties and while cooking. And don’t forget the Godfather of Soul, the Hardest Working Man in Show Business; James Brown. Hit it lick split it! That sums it all up. 15
CHARLIE
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Charlie’s Playist Pick: “Cross Road Blues” by Robert Johnson
Oklahoma Joe's BBQ 3 Locations Original “Gas Station” Location 3002 West 47th Ave. Kansas City, Kansas 66103 913-722-3366
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Olathe 11950 S.Strang Line Road Olathe, Kansas 66062 913-782-6858
Leawood 11723 Roe Avenue Leawood, Kansas 66211 (913) 338-5151
www.oklahomajoesbbq.com
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Jeff and Joy Stehney Owners & Proprietors Steve Querrey and Ryan Barrows Directors of Operations
Steve’s Playlist Pick: “Let It Bleed” by the Rolling Stones Ryan’s Playlist Pick: “Back Where I Come From” by Kenny Chesney BURNT END S w a s w r i t t e n a n d e d i t e d b y D o u g W o r g u l , O k l a h o m a J o e ’ s W r i t e r - i n - R e s i d e n c e , w w w. d o u g w o r g u l . c o m . D o u g ’ s PLAYLI S T PICK S : “ P i g m e at ” by R y C o o d e r , “ H i c k o r y W i n d ” by T h e B r y d s , “ K a n s a s C i t y ” by W i l b e r t H a r r i s o n . d e s i g n e d b y C r a i g B i ss e l l , w h o h a p p e n s t o b e t h e l a s t h u m a n b e i n g o n t h e fa c e o f t h e e a r t h w i t h o u t a w e b s i t e . C r a i g ’ s PLAYLI S T PICK S : A l m o s t a n y t h i n g by t h e G e a r D a d d i e s o r o l d e r S t e v e E a r l e s t u f f. On the front cover: Bluegrass legend Doc Watson (right) strums a tune with an unknown accomplice. Our Playist Pick from Doc Watson’s catalog; “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”.