Friday Find

48 Hours at Michelin’s #1 BBQ in California 

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Monk: The Ant’s BBQ Cookout YouTube channel has been doing some Bon Appétit-style 24/28 hours at a restaurant a la Andrew Knowlton spending 24 hours at Franklin BBQ circa 2016. In this video, he spends 2 full days at Daniel Castillo’s Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano, CA, who just received a Bib Gourmand from Michelin, which recognizes friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.

Description: I spent 2 days at Heritage BBQ, the top BBQ Restaurant on Michelin’s “Best BBQ in California” List.

The Most Exciting BBQ Joint in Texas is Egyptian

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Monk: Bon Appétit’s On the Line video series stops by Austin, TX and KG BBQ. Pitmaster Kareem El-Ghayesh left a corporate career in finance to pursue Texas barbecue, but outside of the traditional central Texas brisket he incorporates his Egyptian heritage in the other proteins on the menu such as pomegranate glazed pork ribs, lamb bacon ribs, smoked lambchops, smoked kofta, and sumac and cinnamon rubbed lamb shoulder. His middle-eastern influence is also found in the sides like Mediterranean rice, baladi salad (a tomato, cucumber, and onion salad), and a pink buttermilk potato salad. His smoker is even named after King Tut.

Looks delicious, and Kareem seems like an affable guy.

Description: Bon Appétit brings you along for a day with Egyptian pitmaster Kareem El-Ghayesh at KG Barbecue in Austin—where Texas barbecue is being transformed by incorporating the bright flavors of the Middle East.

Ruben Santana is the BBQ King Of Brooklyn

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Monk: In the world of fusion barbecue, Dominican-style Texas barbecue is fairly unique combination. Since 2020, Ruben Santana has been running Bark Barbecue which combines those two cuisines to seemingly delicious results. From Munchie’s Street Food Icons series.

Description: Ruben Santana is the owner and pitmaster of Bark Barbecue, a Texas-style BBQ pop up in NYC with a Dominican twist. As a Queens native of Dominican descent, Ruben smokes brisket, ribs, and other meats in the classic Texas style, while adding his own Dominican flair to the spice rubs and sides, which include arroz con gris, maduros, and more. Ruben, who previously worked in the HVAC and automotive industry, started Bark Barbecue out of his backyard in 2020. Now he’s selling out at some of the biggest food festivals in America and is becoming a leader in the NYC BBQ community and beyond. Follow his Instagram, @bark_barbecue, to see where he’ll be popping up next.