Food and Wine Across America: Kansas City, MO
Food & Wine along with CBS The Early Show took a trip to Kansas City, MO as they ended their “Food Across America” and “Summer in the City Tour”.
Kansas City is all about the BBQ:
A few facts about K.C. barbecue from the Kansas City Barbecue Society, the world’s largest organization of barbecue and grilling enthusiasts:
There are more than 100 barbecue restaurants in the city. Area has more barbecue competitions than any other metropolitan area in the world. It has more barbecue competition teams than any other metropolitan area in the world. It boasts more certified barbecue judges that any other metropolitan area in the world. It’s home to the largest barbecue contest in the world, American Royal, which has some 500 teams.
Ollie Gates, of Gates BBQ, joined The Early Show to teach everyone a little bit about BBQ, dry vs. wet, etc…. The Carolina BBQ leans toward pork, Texas prefers its BBQ beef and Kansas City loves it all. The trademark for BBQ in Kansas City is a tomato based, sweet sticky sauce. Gates gave a version of his families BBQ recipe, the original is a guarded secret. He admitted that this recipe isn’t true BBQ…it takes time, but when the clock is tight, this is a great alternative.
Gates’ Rib Seasoning
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 c sugar
1/2 c salt
2 T paprika
2 T red pepperMethod:
In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Store in a tightly sealed jar.For the ribs:
Prepare grill and preheat until temperature reaches 230 - 250. Hickory chips and oak wood are the woods of choice; they add flavor to the smoke. Direct fire is recommended, so if using a standard charcoal grill, arrange wood chips accordingly.The product by which most people judge Gates Bar-B-Q is its pork spare rib, Gates says. The cooking procedure:
When cooking spare ribs, if they have been frozen, be sure they are completely thawed. Trim the end skin off the skirt until all excess fat is removed. Trim off the back, upper portion, until the rib is properly contoured. Score the skirt between the bones. That ensures the tenderness of the rib. Sprinkle the pork spare ribs with your rib seasoning, making sure both sides are covered evenly. Shake off any excess. Let stand in seasoning until it starts to liquefy, approximately 15 minutes. There is no need to baste the pork spare ribs; this seasoning does it all for you.
When cooking the ribs, place them on a cleaned grate over the open fire with skirt down. Keep water near to control fire. Leave ribs over fire until they start to brown. Turn over and move the pork spare rib to a low temperature area on the grate, browning evenly on both sides. Ribs are done when they are beautifully browned on both sides and will lay easily with no resistance over a cooking fork. Now you are ready to eat!
Note: Sauce can be used as a topping, served alongside the ribs at the table.
To learn more about what is available in Kansas City…beyond the BBQ go to Food & Wine’s 48 Hour Cheat Sheet.
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POSTED IN: Foodie Vacations, Recipes
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