Test Kitchen: Cluck Cluck...Oink?

In trying to keep pushing along in our southern / soul food fanaticism and wanting to take a break from our barbecue, we decided to give fried chicken a go. After attempting a southern fried chicken & waffle sandwich...without finding a waffle - chicken combo that satisfied us, we went back to the parts and looked to put together a platter instead. Pairing a plate of southern fried chicken that would make the Colonel wish he had our secret recipe, with the kind of ingredient we love the most, pork. Slathering a sausage gravy on the crispy fried chicken resulted in a dish that could only be consumed by the most ravenous, dietary caution to the wind, southern food aficionado around. In other words we killed it right there in the kitchen.

The key was the gravy, studded with Italian pork sausage, it was a real New York take on this southern staple. The way that we ended up dredging up the gravy with every last fry on the platter pretty much confirmed that it was the star. It is no longer a mystery how biscuits and gravy could actually be considered a meal, the vehicle for the sauce, biscuit or Tom's fried chicken, is definitely secondary.

May Is National BBQ Month

Fire up the grill, dig out those BBQ utensils and strap on your apron, it's BBQ Month. May is the symbolic (and for some, spiritual) kickoff to the smokin and grillin season. For barbecue enthusiasts that love to experiment with smoking techniques and different ingredients, this event may be a time to visit a competition, take a class or read a new book on BBQ. The purist, low and slow, barbecue lovers will find plenty of deals and specials in local BBQ restaurants. For the griller, the baseball season, warmer weather and longer days have their grill calling to them. Using a convenient excuse like cooking for mom on Mother's Day, this weekend warrior will be seasoning steaks and chops, mixing it up with sausages and the traditional burgers and dogs. So take the opportunity to celebrate National BBQ Month your way.

Test Kitchen - Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch

So with a name that we are sure 90% of customers will not understand, we have tested one of our experimental Hot Dog concepts. Wanting to develop a spicy dog that was beyond the "Diablo" version of our cheesesteak, we laid out a selection of scorching spices to top our famous natural hot dog with. The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch is flavorful but not overbearing, it takes the Hot Dog just over the edge of comfort, leaving a tingling sensation as a mouth memory after eating it. Not for the faint hearted, the hand grenade hot dog will come with a caution, just as the Diablo and the Jambalaya does.

Pigs Are Perfect For Parties

Parties always benefit from one special invitation, one that brings the pig. From pulled pork and smoked ribs to a full roasted pig on a rotisserie or in a Caja China, guests will enjoy the presence of this porcine party goer. Enjoying a surge in popularity, pork is shedding it's prior stigma and becoming a standard at backyard barbecues and other catered events. We get more and more requests for whole pigs, not only for 3BROS to come and execute the roasting, but from weekend warriors that want to give the process a go on their own. Testing recipes and techniques, we always appreciate the feedback the following week actually incorporating our customers ideas in our test kitchen environment. Such a versatile animal deserves our respect, and we urge all of our customers to make the invitation of pork to their party

Spice Up Your Spring Party

Planning a party? It's that season, where weddings, graduations, Communions & Baptisms make every weekend a busy one. It can seem that the week never ends with the amount of work that goes into coordinating and executing a party or even just attending. Our advice to those weary backyard party planners is to sit back and relax...we got it covered. Having a party need not be a lesson in the home catering business, by holding a BBQ catered event, the day can be very much "set it and forget it." Barbecue catering combines authenticity of traditional smoked BBQ with the ease of a buffet station. Smoked ribs, chicken, pulled pork sliders and traditional sides make forks optional and knives unnecessary. Guests will enjoy the casual approach to the party as they are immediately hit with the warm smell of smoked barbecue. And your budget will feel huge as the cost of the event will pale in comparison to other catering options.

Hero of The Day - A Real Brawler

We don't know his name...we only know the facts, and here they are...Late Saturday afternoon a slim guy walked into our BBQ butcher shop and ordered a BBQ Brawler, a sandwich comprised of pulled pork, chopped brisket, pulled chicken, bacon, cheddar, coleslaw and onion rings on a hero roll. He proceeded to eat this mountain of food, weighing in at almost 2lbs. What was actually said at this point is sketchy, but it is believed that his exact quote was "Dude...I'm so f***king hungry!" upon which he ordered a second BBQ Brawler to stay and consumed that sandwich as well.

We have known many a customer to be quite stuffed by a brawler. We often find that we have to wrap half to go for some. This guy ate two...no challenge, no dare, no competitive eating competition on Man vs Food, no dunking in water to "lubricate." The guy was hungry and ate like a champ, making him our hero. Here's to you Buddy!

Pork Love

In case you didn't know...we love pork. Sure we love other meats as well, but the versatility of a pig, the ability to enjoy consumption of it from snout to tail, is a passion that superceeds all others. From basic pork BBQ right out of the smoker to a thick cut pork chop prepared using the new rules on pork temperature (yeah that's right, 145 degrees, medium rare) we rejoice each time we serve it. As a rule, I recommend a pork product to any new initiate to 3BROS, whether it is the pulled pork, smoked sausage or double smoked bacon. And just so you know, we get almost as many butcher customers expressing interest in how beautiful our pork chops are as we do for our dry aged steaks.

Test Kitchen Winner: Pickle Chips

We have been toying around with new menu items at 3BROS. Slowly but surely, you will be seeing them creep up in the shop. So here is a winner, Fried Pickle Chips. I have to say, I was a little skeptical about these. But just as my skepticism was turning into a vote of "no," my brother shoved a chip into my mouth. After recovering from the fact that the damn thing was fresh out of the fryer and nearly scorched my palette off, I enjoyed the vinegary flavor through the crunch of the coating. Paired with a creamy horseradish sauce, it blew me away. So I had no choice but to agree, even as I tried to ignore the pain that remained in my mouth. A great starter while waiting for your BBQ or some steaks to be cut.

Give It A Rest

MacGyver Style Cooling Rack

One of the most common bits of advice that you can cull from the avalanche of cooking shows is to let a steak rest. You can take all the rubs, marinades, special grilling methods, thermometers and so on...toss them out the window. If you don't let your meat rest, you are going to end up with all the juices that you worked so hard to flavor and develop on the cutting board. Invest in a wire cookie rack, take a few skewers and make your own (see photo), lay it on top of your grandmother's scolobasta or just sit it on a plate for a while. The steak will reabsorb the juices, delivering the dining experience you intended when you spent your money on a quality piece of meat. Especially in dry aged steaks, where the meat is dehydrated from the aging process, it is critical to retain as much of the remaining moisture in the steak.

Westi's Memories Bring Business

Memories Of Meats Past

Had a group come in tonight that knew the old Westi's that we have occupied for the better part of 7 years. German couple with some tourists from the old country. Of course they invoked the memory of Ozzie and Hanz, legends still to this day. A little worried about how they would react to the new format, butcher BBQ, and had the explanation on deck as to why we no longer carry leberkase, bratwurst, bockwurst or any of the other 30 or 40 deli meats we have had to abandon. And I tell you, it is unfortunate that we can't carry those any longer, because the stuff we used to get from our German and Polish suppliers would make you forget Boars Head even existed. But thankfully they were here on recommendation of how good our present selection of BBQ is and they enjoyed some ribs, burgers and other 3BROS specialties. I had to laugh when they left...the ghost of Ozzie, bringing in the customers to this day.

It's Been A While

Time to dust off the old BBQ blog and get ready for spring and summer. As I write this, we are ramping up for the Final Four and Championship game. Could never figure out how BBQ fit into basketball, since none of us were ever really fans. Football and baseball were always easy. I can't say I remember any of us really paying attention to hoops. Who would have thought that Jeremy Lin, an unsuspecting candidate for hero, would breath life into New York Knicks fans and basketball fans on a whole in the area? We now have customers stopping in for a quick bite and an update on the game, some even hanging around to watch (Malcolm)! And the BBQ deliveries for the March Madness and NBA games feel like Sunday football.