KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
Some regions pride themselves on one main meat, but Kansas City is an all-around showoff! Brisket, ribs, burnt ends, and pulled pork are all cooked with a fierce determination that only comes from having the barbeque world’s most prominent critic, the Kansas City Barbeque Society, looking over your shoulder. Ardie Davis wrote the book on barbecue judging by laying out the first curriculum for the Kansas City Barbecue Society and has written six books on BBQ, including the forthcoming Barbecue Lover’s Kansas City Style. Here are his opinions on his region’s best-smoked meats.
For the best burnt ends, you should check out Q39. If you don’t know what that is, Kansas city locals have come up with this tasty delight. It’s a combination of beef brisket trimmings of fat, meat, and bark turned to lean, juicy pieces of brisket from the pointed end, 17 or more hours pit time, and then cubed, glazed, or sauced. It can be served as an appetizer, entrée, or sandwich.
Head over to SLAP’S BBQ if you’re searching for brisket. SLAP’S Texas stick-burner style of brisket is juicy and thick-sliced, with a slightly sweet Kansas City accent.
Plowboys Barbeque is where you will find the best barbecue pork ribs in Kansas. Although spareribs from the lower portion of the rib cages are the most commonly served, baby back ribs from the upper part of the rib cage are also popular. Competitive barbecue has guided a change from traditional Kansas City-style untrimmed, unskinned whole spareribs to neatly trimmed St. Louis-style rectangular slabs without breast bone, brisket flap, and bone-side membrane.
