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Posts tagged ‘Pulled pork’

Feb 3

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Kansas City – SLAP’s BBQ

The Kansas City BBQ scene is littered with literally dozens of places that tried to stake a claim in an already busy arena, but could just never get a foothold, and slowly disappeared into thin air. On my latest quest to try all things BBQ in this city, I think I found a real keeper in SLAP’S BBQ (SLAP is the acronym for “Squeal Like A Pig”). Located in Kansas City, KS, SLAP’s is absolutely worth your time, and hopefully won’t be going away anytime soon. It might seem a bit hard to find, found at 533 Central Ave. in KCK, but it really is easy to get to. It’s just a few blocks west of I-70 on Central Ave., situated very close to the I70/Central Ave. interchange.

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While finding SLAP’s is no big deal, finding a place to park might be. The parking lot is a bit limited on what it can hold, but there is enough street side parking that you can make it work. Trust me; you’ll want to go through the effort to park, as the food is worth it. These people put some serious thought and work into the meat (including pork OF COURSE).

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The ribs were hands down as good as anything I’ve had in the KC area. The pulled pork was excellent as well. You can tell with smoked pork shoulder when the meat is fresh or not, and believe me, this stuff is fresh and of the highest quality. The selection of sides is pretty unique too, as they have twice-baked potato casserole, and hush puppies, two things I have not seen at any other BBQ places around here.

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I’d recommend if you’re in from out of town perhaps trying the place at a time other than right at noon (and it’s not open in the evening), as finding a place to park and a place to sit will be a bit easier. Getting the meat to go is always an option too. Either way, if you’re into trying new and uniquely good Kansas City BBQ, you‘d be doing yourself a disservice by not trying SLAP’s.

Until next time,
Mike

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It’s time for a contest!

We are giving away three prize packs, yes I said three!

These prize packs include a 4-piece EatPork.org grill set and a “Baconologist” t-shirt. Both prizes are pictured below.

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Here’s how you can win:

Our bloggers are always looking for new places to go and try pork dishes.

Tell us, where would you recommend they eat at in Kansas? What pork dish should they order?

Leave a comment to let us know your answer on this post.  The contest will close on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 2:30 pm CST. Winners will be selected at random and notified via email, as well as announced in a comment on this blog post. The winner will need to respond to our email no later then Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 5:00 pm CST to be eligible to claim their prize. If the prize is not claimed we will select another winner.

Interested in healthy recipes to help spice up your New Year’s resolution?’ Head on over to our site, eatpork.org, for recipes, coupons and more!

Oct 21

Kansas City – Zarda Bar-B-Q

Sometimes you might crave BBQ in the KC area, but can’t decide where to go. The fact that you have too many good choices can be a problem. Do you go to one of new, untested places you’ve only heard about? Do you go to one of the old, famous places and fight the tourist crowd? Do you go to one of the highly advertised places and stand in line for an hour? Eating BBQ in KC can be a tough life at times, but it doesn’t need to be. If none of the choices above sound good, it’s time to look at some of the overlooked, but tried and true places around the metro.

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One prime example of this type of place is “Zarda Bar-B-Q and Catering Company”. With locations in Lenexa (on 87th just west of I-35) and Blue Springs, MO (on MO Hwy. 7) they aren’t too hard to find. What I’ve found about Zarda over the years is that they are amazingly consistent, and they’re a pork lover’s dream. The ribs and pulled pork are always good, and the sausage, while a different style than most places, has great flavor. They will serve everything “wet”, or with sauce on it. If that’s not your cup of tea, then ask for it to be served dry. The sides are always good there too (which is important). I would contend that they have some of the best beans in the whole city!

zarda outside

Between the good location, the spacious (and nice) dining area, and the overall food quality, it’s a great place to go if you’re in town visiting (or live here), and don’t want to waste time driving, standing in line, or waiting on slow service.

Until next time,
Mike

Jun 17

1 Comment

Overland Park – Hayward’s

Across Antioch Rd. from the eastern entrance to Corporate Woods in Overland Park sits a barbecue joint that’s been in Johnson County since 1972. I’d always known  “Hayward’s Pit Bar B Que” was there, but had not made it in to eat until recently, when I read that it had been taken over by new owners. The new owner talked in a newspaper article I read about an improved menu and renovations to the building, so I thought I should go check out what all the buzz was about. Something else that helped lure me in was the fact that the owner and the pit master both honed their respective crafts at “Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ” (which is never a bad thing).

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I had a two meat sandwich consisting of pulled pork and pork sausage, along with a side of fried okra (can’t get that just anywhere around here!) The meats were really well cooked and the sausage was of extremely high quality, and was definitely better stuff than what you go buy at the store! The okra was fresh out of the fryer and too hot to eat, which is a good problem to have.  I plan on going back for the ribs at some point, because based on the other foods I can’t really see that they wouldn’t be good too!

If you’re looking for some freshly cooked, high quality pork, you’re just a few blocks from it as you drive along I-435 in JOCO. All you have to do is head south on Antioch Rd. a little ways and you’re there! Give the place a chance if you’re in the area. I doubt you’ll be disappointed!

Until next time,
Mike

Mar 19

1 Comment

Overland Park – Burnt End BBQ

As the name implies, Burnt End BBQ specialty is brisket burnt ends, but like any good Kansas City barbecue restaurant, they have plenty of pork! The pork items on the menu include hickory ham, pulled pork and ribs.

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This relatively new restaurant located at 11831 Metcalf Avenue in  Overland Park, KS is a part of the PB&J Restaurant’s, Inc, family of companies which includes the Newport Grill, Red Robin and YaYa’s.

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Like many good barbecue restaurants, Burnt End BBQ offers catering for large and small events and gift cards for those foodies on your gift list.  For the internet savvy, they have a Facebook page and can be followed on Twitter.

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Check out Burnt End BBQ on your next barbecue crawl through Kansas City!

Until next time,
Chris

Mar 12

Overland Park – Brobeck’s

Brobeck’s BBQ in Overland Park is a place I first heard of as I talked with a friend that grew up around Louisburg, KS. He told me of a place that used to be on Metcalf, near Stillwell, KS that burned down years ago, but all the people in the area thought it was the best BBQ around. He went on to tell me they moved up to Overland Park after the fire and opened back up. It took me a bit by surprise, because I’d lived here a few years at the time and had never heard of the place.

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I looked them up, and there they were, nestled in a small strip mall near the Overland Park Convention Center. They are just north of I-435, on the east side of Roe Ave. Brobeck’s BBQ doesn’t apparently advertise heavily, since I’d never even heard of them, but apparently they don’t have to. I went in there awhile back a little ahead of noon, and felt lucky just to get a place to sit down it was so busy!

Brobecks store front

I did my homework before I went and had read several times that their ribs were to die for, so I made sure to try those on the visit. I have to say they did not disappoint. You can see from the picture that there is a nice crust of dry rub on them, and a beautiful pink color to the meat. Some people might have found them to be a bit dry, but they were about perfect to my taste. They were as tender as ribs get, and the dry rub gave the meat all the added flavor it could ever need. The pulled pork was average at best, but the steak fries were awesome! I’d say the long story short for this place is you come for the ribs, but stay for the ribs!

Until next time,
Mike

Mar 4

Hiawatha – Gus’

While out on the road for work a few weeks ago I ran into beautiful Hiawatha, Kan., to grab a bite for lunch. I decided to go to a place I’d been to before and liked, a place called Gus’ in downtown Hiawatha.

I walked up to the door and saw that pulled pork was the special that day, and became immediately intrigued. I asked the waitress about the pulled pork, and it turns out it’s something the owner has recently gotten into doing. While it was the “special” that day, it is available most other days, but there are no guarantees, due to possible supply shortages.

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I decided to take the bait and try the pulled pork. I chose the pulled pork tacos with chips as my meal. I figured I might as well step outside the box and try something besides the usual white bread bun with my pulled pork.

The tacos were very good it turns out. They were nothing but pulled pork, BBQ sauce and freshly cooked onion straws in a soft taco. While some people might prefer other additions to the taco, I found it to be fine the way it was. The meat was very good, as it was not just some overcooked gruel spooned from a crockpot, but rather real, smoked pork shoulder that had been separated by the use of human hands using metal utensils!

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Walking away that day, I felt like I would gladly come back to Gus’ and eat the pulled pork again, which usually means they’re doing something right. Feel free to give it a try if you’re up that way sometime!

Until next time,
Mike

Sep 24

2 Comments

Overland Park – Smokey’s on the Blvd BBQ

Among the new wave of BBQ joints that opened last year in Johnson County is a place called “Smokey’s on the Blvd BBQ” over on Metcalf, just south of 143rd St. in Overland Park. I finally went over there today to try some of that BBQ I kept hearing good things about from others.

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Smokey’s is a lively little place in a strip mall that has a full service menu that remains surprisingly simple. To me, it is a welcome addition to the area, as there hasn’t been a quality BBQ joint in that neighborhood for quite awhile as far as I can tell. It’s an area chock-full of sports bars and upscale fast food places that had no good “mom and pop” high quality ‘que being served until about a year ago when Smokey’s opened.

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I ordered the combo plate that came with 2 meats (add $1.00 for ribs) and a side, so I (of course) chose pork ribs and pulled pork. The ribs were very good I thought, and were well-seasoned with a very flavorful dry rub. The ribs had just a small amount of Smokey’s cream-based BBQ sauce on them, which added a nice flavor without taking over. The pulled pork had the same rub on it I think, and it went well there too, as it did on the ribs. The pulled pork was smokey and had some crispy bark on it which made for a nice flavor. For my side, I chose the “spicy” fries. They were hand cut fries that were perfectly cooked, and they had been sprinkled with the dry rub as well, which made them even more delicious!

Long story short is Smokey’s seems to be worth the time it takes to visit it. They are cooking up classic KC style BBQ in an area that I’d jokingly deemed a “BBQ Desert” in the past, which is good news to all those parched souls looking to quench their BBQ thirst in southern Overland Park!

Until next time,
Mike

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Aug 13

37 Comments

Ottawa – Smoked Creations

I’ve found that passing through a town at lunch time (and having some time on your hands) is a great way to discover some hidden treasures in the restaurant industry. That is exactly what allowed me to find Smoked Creations a few weeks ago, nestled in an old storefront in the recently budding mom and pop restaurant scene in downtown Ottawa, KS.

Smoked Creations. pic courtesy of visitottawakansas.com

Picture courtesy of visitottawakansas.com.

“Smoked Creations” offers up some authentic KC style BBQ just as you would expect, but also throws in some twists on the standard ‘que you’ll find at most BBQ joints. I think one of the main reasons is the owner/cook actually worked for years in Mexican restaurant kitchens before he took on this challenge, so you’re going to get a few alternatives to the old brisket or pork on white bread (such as the pulled pork chimichanga).

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One of those exceptions was a delicious little thing called the “BBQ Tornado”. When I saw it on the menu I knew I needed to try it. The BBQ Tornado is pulled pork and BBQ sauce rolled in a tortilla and deep fried (see picture). My only advice is to let it cool a bit before eating it if you value your tongue.

smoked creations BBQ Tornado

One cannot survive on BBQ Tornadoes alone, so when I saw a sandwich on the menu called “Pig Out”, I of course ordered it too, partly because of the name, but mostly because it is pulled pork, bacon, smoked cheddar, and pickles on Telera bread. I probably don’t need to explain how good this sandwich was, as the ingredients speak for themselves, but I’ll go ahead and tell you, it was good.

Not only were the meats good, but the Cajun fries were amazingly good as well (think “Five Guys” fries).  In my short experience at Smoked Creations I was very impressed, and would gladly go back, perhaps to try that “Pulled Pork Chimichanga”!

– Mike

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CONTEST!
Keep Calm and Eat Pork
That’s our motto here at In Pursuit of Pork  and we’re making a statement with our new aprons!
We know that there are many out there with the same motto and today on the blog we are giving away one of these new eatpork.org aprons to one lucky winner!

apron

Here’s how you can win:

Football season and tailgating are just around the corner, and this apron would be the perfect addition to your game day attire. Leave a comment on this post below telling us what your favorite pork tailgating dish is. The contest will close on Tuesday, August 20, 2013 at 4:00 pm CST. A winner will be selected at random and notified via email, as well as announced in a comment on this blog post. The winner will need to respond to our email no later then Tuesday, August 27, 2013 at 5:00 pm CST to be eligible to claim their prize. If the prize is not claimed we will select another winner.

Interested in more ways to ‘keep calm and eat pork?’ Head on over to our new site, eatpork.org, for recipes, coupons and more!

Jul 30

Arkansas City – Big-N-Small’s BBQ

Unfortunately this restaurant is no longer open.

My favorite barbecue restaurants have always been in or around Kansas City…until now.  I’ve found a place with smoked meat to rival much of what Kansas City has to offer.  The place is Big – N- Small’s BBQ located in Arkansas City, Kansas. bignsmalls5 The first time I had their delicious food, it came from a concession trailer they have set up during the warmer seasons in Winfield, Kansas, the home of the famous Walnut Valley Music Festival. It was so good that I had to try the original location at 1438 N. Summit, Arkansas City, Kansas. This place isn’t very big, and the service wasn’t extremely fast, but I wouldn’t let that stop you from checking it out. bignsmalls1The first thing I noticed was the fantastic aroma of wood smoke rolling out of a covered shelter behind the restaurant. The shelter holds their homemade smoker. Once my combo platter arrived I was excited to taste the same delicious wood smoke permeating through the meat. While the ribs were too tender for Kansas City Barbecue Society standards, they were still delicious. website snap shotThe pulled pork was way above average and my baked potato salad (with bacon) was an extremely good side. If you like your barbecue wood smoked, this is the place in southern Kansas for you!

– Chris

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Jul 9

Leavenworth – All Slabbed Up

Back in the fall I stopped in at a relatively new BBQ place in Leavenworth, Kan. called “All Slabbed Up” to see what it was all about. It turns out it was a great decision, as I found one of the best sandwiches known to mankind. It was pulled pork, bacon, and ham together with cheddar cheese in a Texas toast sandwich! I added a little BBQ sauce to it and it was close to divine.

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You pair this sandwich with some of their fries (more like skillet-fried potatoes) and you have something that is last-meal worthy! In fact, I considered going up there the day before our latest supposed apocalypse just so I could have an excuse to eat it.

I really have nothing more to say about this sandwich. I think the picture says enough! Overall, “All Slabbed Up” is a great place to eat. I like the atmosphere, and was really impressed with the quality of the food. The place is easy to get to, as it is on the west side of Highway 7/73 in Leavenworth at Muncie Rd. (across from the Ford Dealership).

photo 1It’s a fun little place that is putting out great food, and is a viable spot to keep in mind if the world is about to end and you have the desire to eat a lot of pork in a short amount of time!

– Mike

ATTENTION BACON LOVERS: Only six hours until our contest giveaway to Bacon Fest KC is closed! 

Yes it’s true. We are giving away 5 VIP tickets to Bacon Fest KC!

Head over to last week’s post, Studley – Cooking on the Cottonwood to learn how you can win.

Entries must be submitted by today, July 9th at 5:00 pm CST.

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