barbeque

Friday Find: Robert Moss Joins the Kevin’s BBQ Joints Podcast

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Monk: Robert Moss, Barbecue Editor for Southern Living and founder of The Cue Sheet newsletter, joins the Kevin’s BBQ Joints Podcast to promote his recently-released book “The Revised and Expanded Second Edition of Barbecue: The History of An American Institution.” It’s a good conversation with Moss peppering in interesting tidbits he’s collected from his research in revising the book.

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Description: In this episode I chat with Robert F. Moss, contributing barbecue editor for Southern Living Magazine about his new book, The Revised and Expanded Second Edition of Barbecue: The History of An American Institution.

See all things Robert F. Moss here: http://www.robertfmoss.com/
Purchase Barbecue: The History of An American Institution here: https://amzn.to/3pxzOOg
Sign up for his fantastic newsletter The ‘Cue Sheet at the top right of this page here: http://www.robertfmoss.com
Here’s a link to all of his work at Southern Living: https://www.southernliving.com/author…
See Robert on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/robertfmoss/
Check Robert out of Twitter here: https://twitter.com/mossr

We start off with how he’s been holding up so far and get into some detailed burger talk.

It’s been 10 Years since the original book came out so a lot has changed in the barbecue world since 2009. The first edition focus primarily on the first golden age of barbecue in the 50’s and beyond.

We talk about his first chopped pork sandwich and a bit about his history. Primarily we focus on the new book and The ‘Cue Sheet which is an amazing resource that pops into your email box every Sunday (if you sign up, which you should)

Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace – Pioneertown, CA

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Name: Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace
Address: 53688 Pioneertown Rd, Pioneertown, CA 92268
Order: Tri-tip and half rack of baby back ribs, red rice, pinto beans (link to menu)
Pricing: $$$

Monk: Last month, Mrs. Monk and I found ourselves in southern California spending time in Temecula Wine Country and Palm Springs for our 10th wedding anniversary. This being a big anniversary, my gift to her was going to be not forcing her to go to a barbecue restaurant. I’m kind of a romantic that way.

After spending a few nights in Temecula’s wonderful wineries, we set off to spend a day hiking in Joshua Tree National Park. Looking for a lunch spot nearby, we were recommended Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown by my cousin who lives in the area. I do want to make it clear that I only asked my cousin for a food recommendation and she was the one who brought up barbecue. So I still (technically) kept my promise. Thankfully, Mrs. Monk obliged and we set our GPS coordinates to Pioneertown. She’s a keeper, that one.

Pioneertown has an interesting history since its inception in 1946 as a living old western movie set, with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry being some of they initial investors. During normal times, Pappy & Harriet’s is a live music and dance hall that since its opening in 1982 has hosted the likes of Victoria Williams and Robert Plant to nowadays more indie rock bands such as Vampire Weekend or Jenny Lewis. The original owners sold it in 2003 and it was then taken over by two New Yorkers who seem to have largely kept the original vibe while making it sightly more hipster.

In addition to the live music, P&H also grills their meats over mesquite wood in a Santa Maria-style wood-fired grill. I focused in on the tri-tip and the baby back ribs on the menu, but there was no combo plate listed. Thankfully, the waitress helpfully let me know that it could be done for a price, of course. The tri-tip came cooked medium with a slight pink on the inside for the middle slices but was a little cool to the touch by the time in arrived. It had good flavor, though I could have used a little more pepper. It also came with a ramekin of thin barbecue sauce for dipping.

The ribs were sauced with a savory-and-not-too-sweet sauce but were well cooked. I should note here that neither meat was overly smoky with mesquite smoke, a concern of mine going in.

The sides of rice and beans were bland and a little forgettable but the chili fries we ordered as our appetizer hit the spot after our morning hike.

Pappy & Harriet’s is a fun spot in a cool setting in a historic town. The weather was nice enough (if a bit chilly in the shade) to sit outside and enjoy the food with mesquite smoke wafting in the air. And the food isn’t too bad, either (if not a bit pricey). It was well worth our trip into Pioneertown.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 5 hogs
Tri-tip – 3 hogs
Ribs – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 2.5 hogs
Overall – 3 hogs

The Five Best Barbecue Joints in Nashville – December 2020

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Speedy: When you think barbecue in Tennessee, your mind naturally goes to Memphis. While that city has a much richer barbecue history, Nashville is no slouch. After living in Music City for 3 years, I felt like it was time to put together the Nashville top 5. So, without further adieu, here are my top 5 favorite ‘cue joints to visit in Nashville:

5. Shotgun Willie’s (review)

New to the Nashville scene, Shotgun Willie’s is a Texas style joint that does everything well, but didn’t blow me away with anything in particular. Still, a very solid meal in a place where good brisket is hard to come by.  4000 Gallatin Pike Suite B, Nashville, TN 37216 sgwbbq.com

4. Peg Leg Porker (review)

One of the more well known Nashville spots, owner Carey Bringle is known on both the competition and television circuit. For my money, these are the best ribs in town. 903 Gleaves St, Nashville, TN 37203 peglegporker.com

3. Jack’s Bar-B-Que (review)

The true Nashville OG, no get no frills when you visit Jack’s, but you do get a damn good barbecue meal. This North Carolina boy considers this to be the best pork in town. Multiple locations jacksbarbque.com

2. Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint (review)

A year ago, I would’ve pegged Martin’s number one for sure, but as they’ve expanded, I’ve noted some inconsistency. Still, all the meats are good to great, the sides are top notch, and the atmosphere (especially at the downtown location) can’t be beat. A must visit in Nashville. Multiple locations martinsbbqjoint.com

1. The Oak Texas BBQ (review)

I had my first experience with The Oak earlier this year, and have made a point to find their tasty food truck two more times. Each meat I’ve had has been extremely good, including the best brisket I’ve had in Tennessee. Trust me when I say this is one food truck that’s worth seeking out. Food truck facebook.com/theoaktxbbq

Friday Find: “I Ordered a Brisket in the Mail from Franklin Barbecue and it Was…”

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Monk: Jeremy from Mad Scientist BBQ first visited Franklin Barbecue in December 2018. With the world being what it is now and the prospects aren’t looking great for a return visit, he mail orders a full brisket from Franklin Barbecue via Goldbelly and in this video walks through how to reheat before comparing it to the his first experience at the actual restaurant two years ago. How did it turn out?

More about Mad Scientist BBQ:
I’m a barbecue enthusiast from Kentucky who loves to spend time smoking meat and enjoying the rewards of a long cook. I’m also a former Biology and Chemistry teacher, so I have a love for science. On my channel I’ll take you through all of the steps of making great BBQ while dispelling some of the common myths that are so pervasive in BBQ cooking. We’ll cover some of the science behind different techniques and approaches as well as why some methods really aren’t worth your time. Though I’m no competition cook, I’ve spent many hundreds of hours watching the fires and nurturing the meat in my smoker. It’s my hope that I can pass on what I’ve learned and help my viewers avoid some of the (many) mistakes I’ve made along the way.

So stay tuned for helpful, informative, and fun BBQ content!

–Jeremy Yoder