"barbecue" news and stories

Will Game 5 decide whether Arlington, Texas, Mayor Robert Cluck remains a stranger to Anchor Steam beer? There's more riding on the World Series win than a title. Cluck and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom have a bit of a bet on, and there's a batch of sourdough or barbecue riding on it, depending on whether the Giants or the Rangers clinch the Series. According to Your California Show, if the Rangers lose, the San Fran mayor will be delivered a healthy portion of Texas Spring Creek barbecue. And if the Giants lose, the Texas mayor will be gifted with San Francisco's calling cards: a loaf of sourdough bread, Ghirardelli chocolates, Dungeness crab and Anchor Steam beer. Lee and Linceum, it's up to you to decide.

What's going on behind the venerable ramparts of White Castle?

As Nation's Restaurant News reports, it appears that the chain is looking to be home to more than just its oddly addictive little sliders. It's testing three different restaurant-within-a-restaurant concepts, trying its hand at a strangely diverse mix of fast-food fare: barbecue, pressed club sandwiches, and "Americanized Asian noodles."

Taken together, it kind of looks like company executives simply headed down to the food court at their local mall and had an epiphany: "Hey, we could do all this!"

Inside one of its restaurants in Lafayette, Indiana, White Castle recently opened Blaze, which it bills as "modern barbecue." (We have no clue what they mean by "modern" here; presumably they won't be serving mastodons on a spit.) According to the online menu, Blaze offers a range of barbecue staples, from pulled chicken to brisket, and traditional sides (baked beans, mashed potatoes, etc.).

Happy National Barbecued Spareribs Day!

According to one "Simpsons" episode, when served his spareribs, cranky Mr. Burns replies, "Spare ribs, eh? I've played around with ten pins a time or two in my life and, to me, the term 'spare' reeks of second best. Give me ten full frames of 'strike' ribs." But there is nothing second-rate about a good set of barbecued spareribs, and nor are they a lesser cut of meat. In fact they're thought to have taken their name from the flavorful German "rippespeer," which is a smoked pork loin.

We've rounded up some enticing barbecued spareribs recipes, supporting our theory that the best ribs attain that delectable smoky barbecue flavor with rubs and/or sauces that delicately balance the sweet and piquant. Fire up the grill and check out our richly seasoned recommendations...

• Hound's Texas-Style Barbecue Spareribs
• Spareribs with Cherry Cola Glaze
• Chinese Barbecue Spareribs
• Braised BBQ Spareribs
• Singapore BBQ Spareribs
• Ribs with Black Vinegar Sauce

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• Grilling a steak may seem a like a no-brainer, but the devil is in the details.
• Bigmista's barbecue is "a famers market force" -- and a Southern California star.
• Show your colors this fourth of July. (You know -- red, white and blueberries.)
• Locals are relishing Jim Brown's artisanal burger relish.
• Even after hitting the two-decade mark, Chaya Venice is still hot.

While you're whiling away the afternoon at Uncle Joe's barbecue on July 4th, we won't blame you if your mind drifts to more exciting places. Life & Style Weekly and Slashfood.com want to know: