Home of the One and Only Kansas City #BBQBible!
Home of the One and Only Kansas City #BBQBible!
FLYOVER
COUNTRY
IS A MYTH
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FCS: The Meats
“With great palate comes great responsibility.” Perhaps that was not the line exactly as Ben Parker famously delivered it, but does it not hold true? Oftentimes, my recommendation on what BBQ joint a person should try is simply based on the question of “What do you like?” With that in mind, after a year that took me to every BBQ joint worth visiting, this column names the best BBQ joints in the metro, based on the cuts of meat where each spot excels.
Devan’s Dozen: (Pork) Ribs Edition
When it comes to barbeque, I consider few meats more luxurious than a properly smoked pork rib. Given the wide range of ribs present in KC, from the truly great to the utterly inedible, I decided to rank the 12 best slabs of ribs in the city. But first, I laid out my own 4 C’s as it relates to ribs for explaining what one should look for in a truly great rib. After all, every single great rib has one key characteristic in common.
Minor Hub? Major Grub!
When I travel, it is not only important to experience the sights and sounds of a place, but also the tastes and smells. While I have asked, or been asked, the best places to dine in a certain area, I have never thought to ask, “What should I eat at the airport?” and nobody has ever asked me. Now, that’s changing. There’s been much to-do about our glittering new airport but the part of the story that’s been missed - the Northland now has a gigantic food hall. All the options can be overwhelming so these are my top picks.
Destination Q
As a self-designated rib snob, I am quite particular about my pork ribs. I hold very specific standards for the texture, taste, temperature, moisture, and even the cut! Then, I made a long overdue trip to a barbeque joint on the outer edges of the metro. One bite into a slab of ribs that did not fit my usual preferences immediately changed everything that I thought I knew. These most unlikely ribs were some of the best I have ever had! In the same way that a book should never be judged by its cover, I will never again make the mistake of judging a rib by its cut - without at least taking a bite.