3 minute read
Review
FOOD
Generally speaking, you
aren’t going to find much brisket in etroit’s barbecue pits. Here, ribs and rib tips are king, and for beef and brisket you got to head north of ight Mile. ut even then, finding brisket worth mentioning is a bit of a challenge. Oakland ounty isn’t marillo, so it was with low e pectations that we set out to investigate rkins weet it’s claims of having “best brisket in the city.” olks they might not be wrong. rkins’ brisket checks all the bo es smokey, super tender, rich, and moist, with a rub that’s peppery, sweet, and ust the right level of salty. urely whoever is behind rkins is a Te as transplant, right ope. Owner rkan arana was born in ra and cut his teeth running a pit behind a Taylor party store before opening shop in outhfield in 1 . s rkan tells the story, his buddy made some beef erky and gave it to him as a gift. rkan didn’t like it and thought he could do better, so he started smoking. That eventually led to barbecuing, and after years of trial and error and developing his own recipes behind the party store, rkins was born.
What makes arana’s brisket better than most in the region He says he doesn’t buy the cheap stuff and has his own uni ue trimming method. He smokes low and slow for 1 hours or long enough to drink a 1 pack of beer, read a newspaper, and take a long nap, he tells me over cherry, apple, or oak wood. He says he only rubs on salt and pepper, and, post smoke, sprays on a “li uid avoring” that imparts some of the sweetness while adding depth.
He’s getting results. We also tried the brisket sandwich, which offered chopped brisket that wasn’t uite as rich as its sliced counterpart on the plate, but delicious nonetheless, and right at home with the brioche bun and raw onion. The brisket can also be applied to uesadillas, mac and cheese, baked potatoes, and grilled cheese choose your favorite vehicle and it’s hard to go wrong, or ust order it by the half pound. The signature barbecue sauce is, as one would e pect, sweet and peppery that seems to be the overarching avor profile at rkins. ike the brisket, the pulled pork is smoked at degrees for 1 hours, and it’s e cellent. light, tender and smoky verison with the sweet and peppery notes.
The smoked chickens’ skin is so crisp that it feels like it could shatter like glass, an effect arana says he achieves by smoking the bird for a few hours, then cooking it on the grill. That leaves it with the right proportions of smoky, salty, and peppery. rkins also offers t. ouis style ribs and rib tips, though we didn’t order them. This was strictly a brisket uest, but arana assured me they’re worth a try. He also sells giant half pound polish sausages and alape o cheese sausages that are enough for a meal. rkins’ sides are definitely worth noting The slaw is crisp and fresh in a sweet and tangy vinegar based dressing with plenty of pepper, while his mac and cheese is thick, gooey, and stretchy, with a smokey cheddar, cream cheese, Monterey ack, parmesan, and sour cream mi . The greens are bright and acidic, not cooked within an inch of their life as can happen with some, and arana says the recipe is a riff on his mom’s spinach soup. rkins’ small carryout only shop on outhfield oad south of 1 Mile oad has a cooler full of drinks, and though arana has said he has considered e panding, he’s happy with the largely word of mouth base he’s cultivated with one location.
Bangin’ brisket
By Tom Perkins
Brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken from Arkins Sweet BBQ Pit.
TOM PERKINS
Arkins Sweet BBQ Pit
30140 Southfield Rd., Southfield arkinsbbq.com 248-731-7397
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wed-Sun; closed Mon-Tues $5.20-$34.30 Handicap accessible