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.