Recap: The First Barbecue Bros Super Bowl Super Smoke-Off

February 18, 2013August 1, 2014 / Barbecue Bros / Leave a comment

Monk: In Super Bowl parties past, the electric smoker that Speedy owns and is now permanently kept at my upstairs patio has served us quite well. We’ve smoked ribs and/or wings for the past couple of years, and our guests have chimed in how much they have enjoyed them. This year, we decided to step things up a bit and do both pork butts and wings. However, the kicker this year was that it would be a SUPER BOWL SUPER SMOKE OFF between the two of us – Speedy and his electric smoker versus me and my Weber charcoal grill. Winner gets Barbecue Bros ultimate bragging rights and buys the other dinner at the next barbecue restaurant. So yea, pretty high stakes.

Speedy: We decided we’d have everyone at the party vote on their favorite wings/pork. To avoid any bias, the voters wouldn’t know which of us prepared which meat. We prepped our meats at Monk’s house the night before. For my rub (MADE FROM SCRATCH – WHAT!), I used a paprika base and added equal parts sugar, brown sugar, ground cumin, chili powder, and a black/red pepper mixture. I then added a bit of cayenne pepper for a little heat. For my wings, I used a spicy teriyaki marinade (not made from scratch) with the idea that I would sprinkle on some of the red/black pepper mixture (note: this is made by McCormick’s at is called Hot Shot and I use it on almost everything) the next day before cooking.

Monk: For my pork butt, I started with a rub I bought at a farmer’s market in Charlotte about 5 years ago and has served me well in past barbecues. I stirred in some brown sugar, ground mustard, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Similar to Speedy, I rubbed the pork butt the night before and kept it wrapped in the fridge overnight. With the wings, I opted to go for a dry rub as opposed to Speedy’s marinade. Not having a lot of experience with wings, I simply searched for and found a rub on the internet and it called for black pepper, onion powder, chili powder, garlic powder and seasoned salt. After mixing the rub, I added it to a Ziploc bag with the wings, spread it as evenly as I could and also set it in the fridge overnight.

Speedy: I arrived back at Monk’s early the next day with Bojangles biscuits in hand for breakfast.

Monk: Talk about clutch!

Speedy: I wanted to show my sportsmanship so Monk wouldn’t take the defeat so hard. Monk had graciously already taken the pork butts out of the fridge, so I went upstairs and turned the smoker on to 250. I want to point out here that of course I’d prefer to have/use a charcoal or wood burner, but the electric smoker actually does a decent job and is super convenient. However, once I move to a place with a yard, a ceramic charcoal smoker will be among my first purchases. Anyway, I used cherry and white oak wood chips to create my smoke and after heating up, my pork was ready to cook.

Monk: The tricky part for me was that while I had used my charcoal grill plenty of times, I had never set it up it as an indirect cooker for smoking. Thankfully, a quick Google search brought me upon this great Instructables site that detailed step-by-step (with pictures) how to set it up and cook. This was my bible for the day. Unfortunately, getting the charcoal briquettes lighted was a bit of an adventure and while I had bought a charcoal chimney, I didn’t have any newspaper to get the fire started (noted for next time). With Speedy’s help, we ghetto-rigged a fire and got the coals lit. Once I had that, I added apple wood chips to get the smoke going. Alright, game on (albeit a good 30 minutes after Speedy flipped the switch on his cooker).

Speedy: On the electric smoker, the cook is pretty easy. It’s really just a matter of adding wood chips every hour or so to keep the smoke going. Otherwise, I try to keep the door closed so as to not let out any heat.

Monk: Whereas the hard part for me throughout the day was regulating the temperature of the Weber grill. The site I mentioned above said to simply adjust the vent at the top to regulate the temperate (closing to cool, opening to heat), but this was a little hit or miss for me and the temperature swing between 225 and 315 (I was aiming for around 250). I ended up playing with the bottom vents (which I hadn’t expected to touch at all) and adding some coals and that helped, though the temperature wasn’t as stable as I would have preferred. However, outside of adding wood chips and checking the temp on an hourly basis, I was mostly on cruise control. Speedy and I cracked our first beers of the day (Deviant Dale’s in a can) at 10:48. God I love smoking meat.

Speedy: About three hours in, it came time to baste the butt. I used apple juice with a bit of added sugar, as I wanted it to caramelize on the meat a bit in order to get some nice outside brown. I used a turkey baster to apply it. Additionally, with about 2.5 hours to go on the cook, it came time to put in the wings. Both Monk and I used the electric smoker for the wings. They also don’t require much attention – it’s really just a matter of letting them cook for a couple hours.

Monk: For my mop sauce, I just simply applied apple juice with a basting brush on the hour for the final 3 hours of the cook. Nothing fancy, but I just wanted to keep the meat from drying out while complementing the smoke from the apple wood chips and also getting a nice bark on the outside. After about an hour-and-a-half, I took the wings out of the smoker and dredged them in a mixture of honey, barbecue sauce, and apple juice from this recipe. I was going for the sweet-with-heat approach, and that recipe seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. I then put the wings back in the electric smoker for the final 30 minutes.

Speedy: With about an hour to go in the cook, it came time to make the dip. My dip recipe is (I think) the actual Lexington #1 dip recipe, which consists of water, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, sugar, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. As Lexington BBQ is the best on Earth, I thought this dip would cruise me to an easy victory. Unfortunately, Monk had similar ideas.

Monk: For my dip, I just simply made the Piedmont-Lexington style dip found on the NC Barbecue Society website, which ended up being more or less the same recipe as Speedy. Clearly, this wouldn’t be a distinguishing factor in our barbecue.

Speedy: My pork was ready to come off the smoker a little sooner than Monk’s. So I took it downstairs in a aluminum bin and started chopping. First, I cut out any pieces of fat that didn’t render into the meat. Initially, I was going to chop, but since I didn’t have a proper chopping board, I really ended up pulling the meat. I was really happy with the tenderness and flavor of my pork. Again, using the turkey baster, I basted on my still piping hot dip, though I’m not sure I used enough in the end. The wings were simply brought down and placed on a tray to serve.

Monk: I was definitely feeling the heat with Speedy already being done and guests starting to arrive. This must be exactly what the cooks experience on BBQ Pitmasters as the clock runs down. I chopped and shredded the pork in an aluminum bin (although not as finely as I would have liked), added in the dip and finally, we were ready to serve to our guests and get the voting going. One thing that I would have done differently is that I took the dip off the burner and let it cool so when I added it to the barbecue it cooled the meat off more than I would have liked. Next time, I will keep it on a low simmer right up until I add it to the pork.

Speedy: We each named our meats using Super Bowl themed names and had everyone pick their favorite of both wings and pork by placing cards into a ballot box.

Monk: In a tight vote, I ended up winning both wings and barbecue by a count of 6-4. I tasted Speedy’s barbecue and it was very good, as all of our pork butts had been in the past on the electric smoker. I probably could have used maybe another hour for the meat to increase the tenderness, but as was it was cooked through and still tender. And I liked his wings, though I can see how maybe they were a little too spicy for some folks. In any case, I was very fortunate to win against damn fine meat.

Speedy: I also tasted Monk’s food and have to say it was quite good. I knew my wings were in trouble once I tasted his, but I thought my pork was still going to win. I had a little more time on the cooker and (I thought) was a bit more tender, but I suppose people at the party did not agree. People have asked me – Speedy, are you disappointed? Of course. Speedy, are you bitter? Extremely. Speedy, do you think you should have allowed amateurs to judge the contest? No. Speedy, do you think you should have allowed Monk’s wife to tally the votes? Definitely no. Speedy, will you be able to bring yourself to cook again? Yes – and it will be better than ever.

Congratulations, Monk, on winning the first (but not last) Barbecue Bros smoke-off.

Bill Spoon’s Barbecue – Charlotte, NC

August 3, 2012August 1, 2014 / Barbecue Bros / 1 Comment

Name: Bill Spoon’s Barbecue
Date: 7/28/12
Location: 5524 South Boulevard Charlotte, NC 28217
Order: Monk: Daily Special – small barbecue plate with hush puppies, mustard slaw, mac and cheese, sweet tea; Speedy: Large BBQ special – hush puppies, mustard slaw, onion rings (link to menu)
Bill: Monk – $10; Speedy – $11.50

Monk: In terms of Charlotte, Bill Spoon’s Barbecue is pretty much the closest thing we have to a well-respected, old school barbecue joint. Since 1963, first Bill Spoon himself and now his grandson Steve Jr. has been cooking whole hog, eastern-style NC barbecue on South Blvd. Which in itself is a bit odd considering Charlotte is much closer to Lexington than it is to the eastern part of the state. Nevertheless, despite having lived in Charlotte since 2005 and being well aware of this place, this past weekend was my first visit to Bill Spoon’s. Inside, it definitely looks the part of a proper barbecue joint with wood-paneled walls, white and yellow checked table cloths, and zero frills.

Speedy: Bill Spoon’s has several things on the menu – chicken tenders, fried flounder, etc, but the only real barbecue items are the pulled pork (the signature dish) and the chicken. The restaurant is well respected in Charlotte, with people mentioning it frequently when barbecue comes up in conversation. Like Monk, I had not been despite living in the city for six years, even though it was always on my list of places to try. This sweltering Saturday seemed like as good a time as any.

Monk: Mrs. Monk and I were a few minutes late but before we had arrived so the table could order, Speedy and our other friends had already gotten the first of several baskets of hush puppies (many times fresh out of the deep fryer). That’s right, bottomless made-from-scratch hush puppies – just say the word and they will bring you baskets on baskets on baskets. And that is definitely a beautiful thing – especially when they are as good as the ones here.

Rudy: Whenever a place does this I first get excited…then I start to think they want me to fill up on these and distract me from the barbecue. Hopefully you were able to stay on track and get your fill on the meat.

Monk: *pfft* Please, we aren’t amateurs here.

Speedy: Bill Spoon’s cooks whole hog, which is different than my preferred shoulder-only sampling. However, it’s hard to find too much to complain about when talking about the pork I was served at Bill Spoon’s. It had good flavor, was tender, and had a nice hint of smoke. Overall, I was pleased, though I’m not sure it lived up to some of the accolades I’ve heard from people in Charlotte (who obviously have not been to Lexington).

Monk: The barbecue at Bill Spoon’s doesn’t necessarily need the eastern NC vinegar sauce found on each table, but as a good sauce should, it enhances the pork nicely. I agree that it had good smoke, no doubt attributable to the smokehouse out back.

Speedy: Agreed. I also added some Texas Pete to mine to get a little bit of a kick. None of the sides got me too excited, unless you count the hushpuppies. But Monk, tell them about the slaw…

Monk: Bill Spoon’s is unique in that it actually serves a mustard-based slaw (with some vinegar), as opposed to the typical red vinegar slaw or white mayonnaise slaw. Our disdain for mustard sauce is well documented here, but this was the first time I had seen or even heard of a mustard slaw. I probably liked it a little more than Speedy, but we both agreed that it was better than mayonnaise slaw but not nearly as good as red slaw.

Rudy: I don’t get why places feel they need to put their spin on something as basic as slaw. Just do it the way it’s always made and do it well.

Speedy: The slaw confused me more than anything else. I thought it was OK, but I didn’t feel the need to finish it, like I do with a good red slaw. I wasn’t disappointed in the meal at all, but I feel if you focus your smoking on one item, you should do it really, really well. I don’t think that was the case here, even though the pork was good. If definitely does not supplant Midwood Smokehouse as my favorite ‘cue joint in Charlotte.

Monk: For whatever reason, it took me over 7 years to make my first trip to Bill Spoon’s. Though I will always prefer Lexington style, with its solid, eastern NC barbecue I expect that it will be much, much sooner than 7 years for me to make a return trip.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3 hogs
Chopped Pork – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 3 hogs
Overall – 3 hogs

Speedy’s Barbecue Inc. – Lexington, NC

July 19, 2012August 1, 2014 / Barbecue Bros / Leave a comment

Name: Speedy’s Barbecue Inc.
Date: 7/14/2012
Location: 1317 Winston Road, Lexington, NC 27295
Order: Barbecue tray – Chopped pork, fries, barbecue slaw, hushpuppies
Bill: $8.50

Speedy: With Monk fresh back from a two week barbecue hiatus, we decided it would be best to hit one of the heavy hitters for our next barbecue experience. As such, we took a day trip up to Lexington to visit Speedy’s Barbecue Inc. Speedy’s sits just off Business 85 in Lexington in an unassuming brick building. It looks exactly what you’d expect a traditional barbecue joint to look like – complete with a smokehouse attached to the back. The front is adorned with a sign advertising Speedy’s as the “Best BBQ Anywhere” on one side and displaying their motto “Quality, Quantity, and Quick Service.”

Monk: So while I enjoyed the meal, I did a little research afterwards and learned that apparently Speedy’s cooks with electricity. This may explain the lack of smokiness (links here and here).

Rudy: I know this is a legendary place, but how do we feel about it being cooked with electricity? I want to say that I don’t care as long as the taste is there. But it is still hard to get so much quality from electricity instead of a smoker. I feel like the electricity is cheating. I saw a show on tv the other day where a barbecue place reheated their ribs in a microwave when they were ordered. Blasphemy.

Speedy: I’m a little dubious to the links mentioned above. While I trust the BBQ Jew, he only states that it’s not wood-burning. The other link is just a comment. Either way, electric smokers can produce good meat and the smokiness can be achieved by using hickory wood chips. I myself own an electric smoker (though as soon as I have a yard, I’ll be purchasing a big green egg). So while it’s not the best, I can’t hate too much on the electricity, if that is in fact accurate.

Monk: Ideally, I think barbecue should be cooked low-and-slow over burning wood. But the reality is, in North Carolina these days that is the exception rather than the rule (apparently something like 99% use gas or electricity, according to this interview with NC Barbecue Society founder Jim Early). In any case, barbecue was at the top of my list of things to eat as soon as I got back from my vacation abroad. So this quick road trip to Lexington was a perfect way to get some good barbecue and visit a spot that I hadn’t visited before. So Speedy, my question for you is how pumped were you to go to your namesake restaurant?

Speedy: I suppose I was pretty excited. Honestly, I probably haven’t been in ten years, because with Lex #1 just a mile or so away, there’s really no reason to go anywhere else in Lexington. I think it used to be open on Sundays (though apparently it is not anymore), which would give a reason to go. I do remember it being good, and for the sake of our readers, we thought it important to review as many places as possible. Of course I was super pumped to eat Lexington style barbecue (aka “the best style”).

Monk: The inside of Speedy’s is adorned with movie and tv posters from all eras, some of which are autographed, and is kind of kitschy in a non-pretentious way. We were seated with no wait and happened to be seated in front of a “Friends” poster with a cast-signed photo. A good sign, I guess?

Speedy: Sitting down and talking to the waitress was pretty amusing. She automatically assumed we were tourists – probably due to Monk’s incessant photo taking.

Rudy: I guess he wasn’t fully acclimated back from vacation yet.

Monk: …c’mon, it wasn’t that bad…

Speedy: She asked us if we had any questions and explained that they had a “local drink” called Cheerwine. Monk and I played along for a bit, though I did try to amp up my southern drawl to let her know it wasn’t my first rodeo. I think once we ordered, she realized that we were no amateurs.

Rudy: There you go with the Cheerwine stuff again. I have grown a huge appreciation for my new Texas barbecue, but they have nothing to compare to that. Just keep rubbing it in my face.

Monk: I feel like this kind of thing has happened a few times. Maybe we need someone to announce our arrival at each spot so folks know we aren’t messing around – whether it’s the difference between Eastern and Western NC barbecue or telling us what Cheerwine is. Nevertheless, I went to the bathroom and when I came back our order had already arrived – literally 2 minutes after we had ordered. Talk about “quick service” – the third “Q.”

Speedy: So Speedy’s is not just a clever name.

Monk: Excellent.

Speedy: The second “Q” mentioned in Speedy’s mantra is quantity and boy they aren’t kidding. The plate came piled high with plenty of pork, slaw and fries – too much for even a seasoned barbecue eater such as myself to finish. The pork is chopped fine, not pulled, which I personally prefer. It’s moist and tender and downright delicious. The waitress brought out an extra cup of dip (that’s Lexington for “sauce,” y’all) for us, and we did end up using it, though it probably wasn’t necessary. I like to add a little Texas Pete to my ‘cue as well, giving it a little bite and helping make sure it’s not dry. If I do have one complaint, it’s that the ‘cue did not have a noticeable smoke flavor. It’s easy to overdo it with smokiness, but I do think the hint of it is important. This is a minor thing, though, and I enjoyed the pork very much.

Monk: One thing I especially love about going to a proper barbecue restaurant is that the sides are choices in addition to hush puppies (aka “the way it should be”). We both went with fries and barbecue slaw – pretty standard for both of us. The hush puppies were pretty much spot on, the barbecue slaw was vinegary with a slight pepper kick as it should be, and the fries – well they were fries. I really didn’t eat too many of them since unlike Speedy, I was able to actually finish my huge portion of barbecue.

Rudy: I’m a little embarrassed that happened, and that he admitted to it. If anything needs to be sacrificed, it is sides and not the meat.

Speedy: I will say this, I thought the slaw could have been a little colder. I really like the contrast of hot ‘cue and cold slaw when eating a proper barbecue plate. The taste and chop were good, but the temperature left me a little lacking.

Monk: So while the barbecue “quality” (the first “Q”) was definitely strong-to-very-strong (albeit a notch or two below, say, Lexington #1), we can’t give it higher marks due to the lack of smoke flavor. But in a pinch, Speedy’s will definitely do. And they take credit cards, which isn’t always a given at these mom and pop barbecue joints.

Speedy: Overall, I was really pleased with my meal. It’s not the “best barbecue anywhere,” as advertised on the sign. Hell, it’s not even the best barbecue within a square mile. But it is pretty damn good. Did Monk and I drive an hour each way for a ten minute meal? Yes we did. Do either of us regret it even a little bit? Nope.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Pork – 4 hogs
Sides – 4 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs