An occasional publication of recipes, music, lore, useless information, shameless self promotion and questionable advice, from the good folks at Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ of Kansas City and Olathe, Kansas. 3 no. smoky crunchy bits of Kansas City barbecue It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year burnT Ends burnT Ends Holiday Libation from Doug Frost, Kansas City’s Master of Wine page 2 Savage Art page 6 Smoke Your Own Holiday Turkey page 8 Q&A with The Man in Red page 15
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41An occasional publication of recipes, music, lore, useless information,
shameless self promotion and questionable advice, from the good folks at Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ of Kansas City and Olathe, Kansas.
3no.
smoky crunchy bits of Kansas City barbecue
It’s The Most WonderfulTime of the Year�
burnT EndsburnT Ends
Holiday Libation from Doug Frost, Kansas City’s Master of Wine page 2
Savage Art page 6
Smoke Your Own Holiday Turkey page 8
Q&A with The Man in Red page 15
Thanksgiving
Our good friend, Doug Frost, is a Kansas City author who writes and
lectures about wine, beer and spirits. In 1991 he passed the rigorous Master
Sommelier examination and two years later became America’s eighth
Master of Wine. He was the second person in history to complete both
exams and sixteen years later he is still one of only three people in the
world to have achieved both these remarkable distinctions. According to
USA Today, “Frost likely knows as much as anyone in the world about how
to make, market, serve and identify wines.” We asked Doug to share his
thoughts about pairing wines with traditional holiday fare.
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A time to be GrApeful
Every holiday has its stories and origins, whether real or mythic, and
those stories are manifest in each holiday's traditions: explosions on
the Fourth of July, graveside visits on Memorial Day, gifts and religious
services at Christmas time, the fasts and feasts of Ramadan, or the
meals and gatherings at Passover. But few holidays are as synonymous
with extravagant feeding as Thanksgiving, established to express gratitude
(and perhaps no small amount of relief) that a handful of geographically
challenged religious zealots were able to establish a beachhead on a new
continent. Perhaps the thanks might have been directed more to the Native
Americans who fed our founding Puritans than to their sometimes harsh
God, but perhaps those neighborly mercies were a reflection of God's charity.
But we celebrate the Puritans' borrowed bounty by eating as if we were
starving. I'm not criticizing, just stating that the average Thanksgiving table
has such a wide array of foods that the task of selecting a wine "to go with
Thanksgiving", as is a perennial request from some magazine, newspaper or
news reporter, seems to me rather beside the point. For one, I have always
counseled restaurant servers to focus less upon matching wine to the food,
and more upon matching wine to the customer. If someone drinks soft
or even sweet wines, he or she is unlikely to find that remarkable pairing
of leg of lamb and some amazingly powerful Napa Cabernet particularly
compelling. To the palate of someone who loves Cabernet, it might be an
exquisite pairing, but to someone who doesn't drink big red wines, it might
be painful. The notion of selective food and wine pairing is based upon the
unlikely circumstance that the recipient likes and drinks every kind of wine,
therefore the perfect wine for the food, no matter its style, will be happily
received. Barolo (a searingly powerful, astringent and tart wine) might be
ideal for Osso Buco, but that doesn't make it ideal for most customers.
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So it may come as little surprise that if you're trying
to select a beverage for Thanksgiving dinner, my
recommendation is that you first start by selecting a
drink that you and your guests like. If it's German Riesling,
drink that; if it's Barolo, go ahead and drink that too. But
let's assume for a second that you are one of those rare
breeds who drinks and likes everything. You'd like to know
which beverage is ideal for Thanksgiving foods. As I've
noted above, there are lots and lots of different foods that
happily co-exist at the table on that high-caloric day, so we
have to consider more than mere turkey.
Of course, there are some folks who might have goose,
capon, guinea hen or any other manner of winged creature,
and some might even go for something from a hoofed
creature, but most are having turkey. The usual store-
bought versions are all quite mild; try a heritage turkey
someday if you want to see how turkey used to taste. But
those Puritans didn't have turkey, at least as far as we can
tell; they probably had much smaller birds for dinner, as
well as lots of side dishes. So there's no reason to limit
yourself to turkey. Nonetheless, mild meats usually call for
relatively mild wines: for red wines, I'm particularly fond of
Rhone wines (Jean-Luc Colombo or Perrin are two reliable
producers), American Syrahs (Washington has a very
elegant way with the grape, from Chateau Ste Michelle to
DeLille, among many others) and sadly forgotten Beaujolais
wines, especially those we call Beaujolais Cru wines
(they are labeled by their delimited areas such as Morgon,
Moulin-A-Vent or Brouilly). If you like your reds with a
bit more tart and fruity snap, Italy may just what you're
looking for: Chianti continues to enjoy a resurgence, and 44
Badia a Coltibuono, Rocca della Macie and Frescobaldi are
consistently tasty. Valpolicella has a lighter reputation
but from producers such as Allegrini, Masi and Zenato.
If you want a bit more weight to your reds, there are
delicious wines from Spain and Australia that could
handle the array of foods too. What all these wines have
in common is a preponderance of fruit. Turkey is mild,
but many of Thanksgiving's side dishes are not; some of
those side dishes are downright sweet. So I find myself
happily popping bottles of wine with a bit of sweetness
to them: Vouvrays, German Rieslings, Alsace Pinot Gris
and Rieslings; any of these are likely to be found on my
table on turkey day.
While wine has become commonplace on many
Thanksgiving tables, there's no reason to limit yourself to
that: fall colors and weather makes me think about apple
cider; I can't help it. The local versions are usually free of
alcohol, though the apple ciders of yore were higher in
octane than beer. If you want to provide your own punch
to the cider, add some spiced rum and a little bit of butter
and simple syrup, and serve it hot.
Or if you want to drink exactly like our Puritanical
ancestors, have some beer. We can't be sure what sort
of beer they had, but we know that's the drink they
preferred and the only drink they had left by the time
of their original Thanksgiving celebration. Thankfully,
Kansas City is blessed with several excellent brewpubs
(McCoy's and 75th Street among them): and of course, the
utterly remarkable Boulevard Brewery.
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In Kansas City, barbecue is considered a fine art. And now, courtesy of painter Mike Savage, fine art is also barbecue. No, you can’t eat it, but it is a feast for the eyes. Especially for friends of Oklahoma Joe’s. Savage has created a painting of our joint at 47th & Mission that perfectly captures the colorful character and spirit of the place. And though the original painting hangs in the office of our owner, Jeff Stehney, prints of the artwork — titled “Joe’s BBQ, KCK” — are now available, just in time for holiday gift giving.
Savage, 52, grew up in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas. He attended St. John the Baptist Catholic School, along with “Cowtown” cartoonist and barbecue chronicler Charlie Podrebarac.
“He sat right in front of me for eight years,” Savage says. “There must have been something in the water at that school, because there was a bunch of us who were really good at drawing and art.” Mike and Charlie have been best friends (and Plaza Art Fair booth neighbors) ever since.
“Drawing is fundamental to most art, especially painting,” Savage observes. “If the painting is bad, it’s usually because the drawing was bad to start with. It’s like barbecue in that respect. It all starts with knowing how to cook. That’s fundamental. If can’t cook other stuff well, you sure won’t be able to make good barbecue.”
Savage attended the University of Kansas, earning a BA in art and
The Art of Barbecue
New fine art print celebrates Oklahoma Joe’s
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illustration. He went on to work as an graphic artist and creative director at several advertising agencies in the area before deciding to try making a go of it as a full-time independent artist.
“I’m grateful to be making a living making art,” he says. “You think about how many high school basketball players eventually
get to play in the NBA and obviously it’s very, very, few. I’m not saying I’m a big league artist. But I understand that I’m
living a life that lots of artists only dream of.”
Mike and his wife Cami are good friends of Oklahoma Joe’s
owners Jeff and Joy Stehney, but his affection for barbecue pre-dates his
friendship with Oklahoma Joe’s. It’s rooted in his love of art.
“There’s a natural connection between food and drink and art and music. They all speak to something deep within the human soul. That’s why you so often see paintings on the walls in restaurants. It’s why you see such cool and creative labels on the beer bottles from craft breweries like Boulevard. Great
civilizations leave behind their art, food, and beer. Kansas City has great art, great beer,
and great food. So, clearly, Kansas City is a great civilization.”
Suitable for Framing (and gift giving)
Special gallery-quality
prints of Mike Savages’
painting — “Joe’s BBQ,
KCK” — are on sale at
both Oklahoma Joe’s
restaurants and the
Kansas City Barbeque
Store. The size of the
image is 10.6-inches
high by 16-inches wide.
The overall size of the
print is 13.6-inches
high by 19-inches wide,
which includes a three-
inch wide white border
around the image. These
are not limited edition
prints and will not be
numbered, however,
Mike will sign all prints
on the white border
beneath the image. The
price for the print is
$60.
Home for the Holidays
Mike Savage has temporarily moved his
gallery, Sav-Art, to the Plaza for the
holiday shopping season. The gallery’s Plaza
address is 440 W. 47th Street (previously
occupied by Banana Republic).
Deep-frying turkeys for Thanksgiving has become increasingly popular over the
last several years. However, dipping a twelve-pound turkey into several gallons of
boiling oil in easily-tipped-over cooker a is an inherently dangerous proposition
which puts pets, children, the in-laws, the garage, the patio/deck, and the
Thanksgiving feast itself at high risk. We recommend barbecue instead.
If you’ve got the equipment and the inclination — and if you live in Kansas City
you probably do — smoking your own holiday turkey is a fairly straightforward
proposition. It doesn’t take much longer to cook a turkey on your grill/smoker than
it does to cook it in your kitchen oven, and the result is a Kansas City-flavored bird
that is sure to satisfy. Here are some tips from the Virtual Bullet web site; www.
virtualweberbullet.com.
Start with a 12-14 pound turkey. We recommend a natural or heritage turkey for
real turkey flavor. When smoking a turkey, it’s best to avoid the heavily injected
varieties. If your turkey is frozen when purchased, thaw it completely in the
refrigerator, then rinse it thoroughly inside and out.
It’s a good idea to brine your turkey before smoking it. This helps assure moister
meat. Here’s what you need to do: First, find a large non-reactive container, big
enough to hold the turkey. Food grade plastic is best. Make sure the container will
fit inside your refrigerator. You may need to remove or adjust some shelves. Prepare
your brine (see recipes). Place the turkey in the container, completely submerge it in
brine, and put the brine container in the refrigerator for at least eight hours and up
to 24 hours. The turkey and brine must be kept below 40 degrees during the entire
brining process.
The evening before you cook your turkey, remove the bird from the brine. Rinse the
turkey thoroughly under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place on
a rack over a rimmed baking sheet and allow to air-dry overnight in the refrigerator.
About an hour before you start cooking, take the turkey out of the refrigerator. For a
neat appearance, tuck the wings under the body, pin the neck skin down to the back
using toothpicks or skewers, and tie the legs together using kitchen twine. Then,
apply your favorite barbecue rub inside and out. We highly recommend Cowtown
Sweet Spot.
Let the turkey stand at room temperature while you fire up your cooker/smoker.
Bring the temperature up to 325-350 degrees, before putting the turkey in. This is the
temperature you’ll want to maintain for the duration of the cook.
If you’re using a kettle-style cooker, set it up to cook with indirect heat by
positioning your charcoal on one side of the cooker, then place the turkey on the
rack on the opposite side of the cooker. Position the lid such that the top lid vent is
over the turkey. This will draw the heat and smoke over and under the bird. Keep
your top vent fully open throughout the cook. Adjust your cooking temperature
using the bottom vents.
Cook the turkey until the internal temperature, measured in the breast reaches
160 degrees. Depending on your cooker, the weather conditions, and your fire
management, this make take anywhere from three to five hours. When the temp has
reached 160 degrees, remove the turkey and let rest at room temperature for 20-30
minutes. Carve the bird using a newly sharpened knife.
Of course, the Kansas City Barbeque Store is your favorite, most trusted, source for barbecue sauces, rubs, spices, smokers, and accessories. But the Kansas City Barbeque Store is also a vast repository of barbecue knowledge and scholarship, not all of it in the heads of its staff. Much of it is contained in the scores of different barbecue books the store keeps in stock. These titles range from basic how-to manuals, to more sophisticated cookbooks, to regional barbecue histories, to gorgeous coffee table photo books. Here are some of our favorites we think will make great holiday gifts for the barbecue lovers in your family.
Smoke & Spice, by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison (Harvard Common Press, 1994)
This exceptionally well-researched and expertly written book is foundational for serious and aspiring barbecue cooks alike. The authors respect and love of authentic barbecue cooking is evident on every page. Purists may quibble with their inclusion of certain fish dishes and grilling recipes, but better to be inclusive than exclusive, when it comes to barbecue. A note of caution: some experienced cooks have reported that the suggested cooking times in some recipes are not long enough.
Dr. BBQ’s Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook, by Ray Lampe (St. Martin’s Press, 2005)
Ray Lampe is one of those characters who, if he didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him. A former Chicago truck driver and frequent barbecue champion, Lampe has a bigger-than-big persona and a wealth of barbecue knowledge, both of which are invaluable to the barbecue community at-large and to cooks of levels of expertise. His passion for barbecue is palpable and his recipes highly palatable.
Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book, by Chris Lilly (Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2009)
Chris Lilly is one of the most respected pitmasters in American barbecue. His experience, expertise, and engaging telegenic personality have helped attract thousands to cooking barbecue themselves, either in their backyards or on the completion circuit. His tasty cookbook is a sweet and savory sauce of history, instruction, and recipes, accompanied by delicious photographs.
Read all about it!Give the gift of barbecue books
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Peace, Love and Barbecue, by Mike Mills and Amy Mills Tunnicliffe (Rodale 2005)
Mike Mills is a barbecue legend. A past world champion on the competitive barbecue circuit, and a successful barbecue restaurateur, he has written a book that is as entertaining as it is educational. Steeped in lore, and chuck full of authentic and accessible recipes from across America’s barbecue.
Barbecue; the History of an American Institution, by Robert F. Moss (The University of Alabama Press, 2010)
Perhaps the most thoroughly researched book, yet, on the history of American barbecue traditions. A scholarly, though highly accessible work, this book is must for the library of anyone who is passionate about America’s first food, and hungry to learn more about it.
Texas BBQ, Photographs by Wyatt McSpadden (University of Texas Press, 2009)
This book is a work of art. It transcends barbecue. It is a portrait of a region, a culture, and a way of life that all Americans — regardless of their taste for barbecue — should know about and even cherish. The photographs capture in loving and perfect detail the breadth and depth of Texas’ barbecue traditions. This is not a book to read. It is a book to love.
Thin Blue Smoke, a barbecue novel by Doug Worgul (Macmillan UK, 2009)
Since your humble reviewer has an inherent conflict of interest in evaluating this particular book (he wrote it), he’ll let other reviewers speak on its behalf:
“Thin Blue Smoke makes the poetry of Kansas City barbecue accessible to all readers. More than gorgeous prose and fully developed characters — this novel offers us catharsis. Communion has never tasted so good.” — Matthew Quick, author of The Silver Linings Playbook and Sorta Like a Rock Star
“Thin Blue Smoke is an epic American redemption tale. It is a story of love and loss, hope and despair, God and whiskey, barbecue and the blues. Hilarious and heart-rending, sacred and profane, this book marks the emergence of a vital new voice in American fiction.” — From the publisher, Macmillan
“...beautiful and affecting... This novel will satisfy anyone who reads it.” — Jo Caird, reviewer for CultureWars.org, the online review of the Institute of Ideas in London.
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Holiday desserts
Browne’s Irish Marketplace and Deli, at 33rd and
Pennsylvania, is a Kansas City and American treasure.
Founded in 1887, it has the distinction of being the
nation’s oldest Irish-owned and operated business.
It is certainly one of Kansas City’s oldest enterprises,
and perhaps the oldest to have been continually
owned and operated by a single family. The founders’
great-granddaughter, Kerry Browne, and her husband
John McClain, are the store’s current proprietors. This
traditional Irish dessert which features the surprising
ingredient of Porter beer with a cake recipe is a
Browne family favorite and a tasty alternative to the