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.

CBS Lunch Break - Summer BBQ

(credit: fiestyfoodie.com)

Found this shout out on CBS local, Lunch Break: NYC Summer Barbecue « CBS New York.
Seems like southern style BBQ in New York is not such a crazy idea. All the more reason to visit 3BROS in Bayside. An important note in the article is that Three Brothers is still a butcher, which makes it a summer barbecue resource for smoked meats and steaks for the grill.

Smokey Spin On Spring Catering

May is National BBQ Month 2011. What better way to celebrate than with a catered party from 3BROS BBQ! With so many graduations, company picnics, confirmations and communions, it's very easy to fall into the same old deli catering. But when you are in the mood for something different, barbeque catering is a cost effective and impressive way to feed your family, friends and staff.

First off there is the smell. When you enter a party catered from Three Brothers, the delicious aroma of slow smoked barbecue is the first thing that you notice. It is hard to get that kind of impressive introduction from a tray of wraps. From a selection of bbq ribs, chicken, pulled pork and sliced brisket, your guests will enjoy a taste of southern BBQ, made right here in Queens.

Hearty homemade sides will round out the experience. Cool cole slaw, smokey baked beans, and warm mac and cheese will be a welcome replacement for Penne and baked ziti. Who wouldn't love to have a change from the usual catered dishes.

Why It's Great To Work At 3BROS

Nothing like a break...with a steak! Joe S. enjoying a bite to eat on his break at 3BROS.

Still Time For Easter Orders

There is still time to place Easter orders. Make your Easter exciting and easy with catering from 3BROS. Choose from traditional Gourmet Catering selections or spice things up with our popular Barbecue Catering packages.

Whether you are pressed for time, all thumbs in the kitchen or you just want to supplement your dinner with our delicious food, your guests will be impressed with our catering specialties.

Meal Deal At 3BROS

New at Three Brothers Barbecue is the ability to make a meal out of sandwiches, dry aged steaks, chicken cutlets or even a crab cake. For just 3 bucks you can add a small homemade side and a hunk of honey cornbread. This is a major deal, most sandwiches at 3BROS are big enough to share and the sides are easily enough for two. It gets even more exciting when you add the meal to a dry aged steak. A customer can choose their dry aged steak, have it cooked to order, and add creamed spinach, jambalaya, mac and cheese, or any other  of 3BROS' sides. This will be the best steak dinner you can get, steakhouse quality, for the best price around. 

Taste Of 3BROS In Bayside

Showing at the Taste Of Bayside in Queens. Featuring 3BROS famous Pulled Pork Tacos. The Adria Hotel ballroom smells great, filled with all different local Queens vendors. We are conveniently located next to Manhattan Beer Distributors, making me wish that we had our liquor license. At least for tonight, you can have a beer with your BBQ! It seems to be a great showing, in spite of the foul weather in the New York area. Hopefully we will be gaining some new 3BROS BBQ devotees.

Barbecue + Cuban = Bar-B-Cuban

What could be better than a hot pressed Cuban sandwich...the boys over at 3BROS have something to rival it, the Bar-B-Cuban! Hickory smoked pork, tender and juicy with just a hint of BBQ sauce makes this Cuban sandwich special. Combine this pork with traditional Cuban ingredients and you get a sandwich that doesn't violate the greatness of a legend. New York BBQ is all about taking the best of all the vibrant cultures that reside here and elevating them to new heights through synergy. 3BROS Butcher BBQ strives to find new and exiting ways to accomplish this.

5th Anniversary Sale

With the big football weekend coming up, its the perfect time to take advantage of the 3BROS Anniversary Sale. Manning vs. Manning, New England at the Jets...I know I am going to be enjoying some BBQ ribs while screaming at the TV. And of course if you are local, you don't even have to leave the couch. 3BROS will deliver the barbecue right to your door, as late as 11pm. Mention this blog post for 10% off your entire order.

"Tasty Trekker" Tries Tacos

Came across this review of our BBQ Tacos by the Tasty Trekker at NYC Tastes . Complimentary words from bloggers are as valuable to us at 3BROS as reviews from critics, maybe even more so. Bloggers are more likely to be motivated by a passion for food and eating, writing more from the heart and stomach. So please take a look at the blog and of course come in to Three Brothers Barbecue to try our Pulled Pork Tacos!