"barbeque" news and stories

New York City may be known for a plethora of culinary delights -- pizza, bagels, knishes and more -- but authentic regional BBQ has seldomly been counted in its repertoire. However, as the 8th Annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party took over Manhattan this past weekend, 17 famous pitmasters flooded in from BBQ capitals around the country to share their meaty goods with an estimated 100,000 New Yorkers.

Organized by Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, Jazz Standard and Blue Smoke, the event featured BBQ meats galore, live music by acts like Bob Schneider, Carolyn Wonderland and Nick Curran & The Lowlifes, plus a slew of free cooking demos and culinary discussions in the Every Day with Rachael Ray seminar tents.

The event skewed toward beef and pork, as ribs and whole hog dominated the menu, most notably by the Texas Salt & Pepper Beef Ribs of New York's Blue Smoke pitmaster Ken Callaghan, the succulent, fall-off-the-bone sweet St. Louis-style ribs from Dallas's Baker's Ribs, and whole hog from both Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint in Nashville and The Pit in Raleigh, N.C.

How does Georgia barbeque differ from Kansas barbeque? Quiz yourself on barbeque recipes from all different regions of the country.

It is beginning to look like unofficial hot dog day here at Slashfood, though I'd like to clarify that this recipe calls for 100% all-beef wieners rather than some of the other available alternatives. Ugh.

Anyhoo...

For those of you gearing up for some grilling this weekend, you may want to check out Bobby Flay's "Texas Dog" - a simple recipe which includes a hot dog smothered in his special homemade BBQ sauce, then topped with freshly-made coleslaw and quartered dill pickles. This is perfect for backyard "plate-less" eating since the usual side dishes are already on the bun.

Granted, this recipe may not win an award for being the fanciest dish or require a lot of skill to prepare, because let's be honest, at the end of the day it is still just a hot dog, but it tastes delicious and everything can be prepared beforehand. If you are having company over for a backyard barbecue, really, isn't that the point? I've included a copy of the recipe and instructions after the jump.

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Where I live, we are usually enjoying some Spring-like weather by now, but this year the snow and cold just wont go away. I haven't been inspired enough to cook much lately since I've had it with winter staples like soups and stews, roasts, and anything else that has to be done in the oven. Though I do tend to barbeque year-round, even that has been put on the back-burner lately, simply for lack of inspiration.

I am in desperate need of some sunlight, some warm weather, and some fresh recipes to get the creative juices flowing again - which is why I was so excited to see Brilynn's recipe for Mango Wrapped Thai Shrimp. This dish just looks like summer. It conjurs up visions of a tropical island and endless sunshine, and I'm sure it tastes pretty amazing too. You can view the entire recipe at her site Jumbo Empanadas.

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We've seen the pizza belt before and know of a Jello belt, citrus belt and corn belt, but a barbecue belt? Of course, geographically speaking a barbecue belt would probably cover most of South and Southwest, although this particular version will just cover your waistline. It is a handy way for a 'cue-lover to have all their tools at the ready. The tools aren't included, but don't you already have them?

The belt is made of 100% cotton canvas and has a hook for tongs, a holder for the spatula, pockets for seasonings, sauces and condiments, and a beer holder. Because we all know it's important to have beer on hand at a barbecue. You know, for marinades and such...