Tag Archives: BBQ

Eating Out

Kamloops Ribfest 2015

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20150808_203929_Richtone(HDR)For the last few years, the weekend after the August long weekend has been big doing’s here in Kamloops.  We have a trifecta of events – Music in the Park, Hot Nights in the City, and Ribfest.  It is a great weekend of music, classic cars and BBQ – and BBQ – and more BBQ.

Now, I am a devout Meatatarian.  Green ‘stuff’ is my foods food.  And at the pinnacle of the meat pyramid, is Prime Rib, but that is a subject for another day.  Right under Prime Rib, is any suitable cut of meat that is cooked low and slow, and in the presence of copious amounts of hardwood smoke.  Done properly, cheap tough cuts of meat come out tender, juicy and full of all sorts of flavour.  This is the world of BBQ.

Oh, I should probably explains something first – that propane box on your deck is not a BBQ – it doesn’t do BBQ, and while it can grill up some great food, it is just that, a Grill.  So, what is the difference?  Glad you asked!  A BBQ is a cooker box that cooks meat, preferably over indirect heat, at around 220 degrees, for hours – and hours – and hours.  It is what they call “Low and Slow”.  This breaks down the connective tissues and turns them into a juicy flavourful addition to the meat they are in.  Combine that with the smoke from the hardwood of choice, and a rub for the meat, maybe a mop for while it is cooking, and you can start to see where BBQ is much more an art than a science.

BBQ really is an art.  Every region of the south has its own take, and despite the competitiveness that comes from the sense of local pride, each has its own amazing flavour.  Each Pitmaster has his or her own way of preparing the meat, seasoning it, and cooking it.  At Ribfest, a half dozen of these meat artists come together with their huge smokers and all the supplies to compete in front of judges and us common folk to take home the trophies for best in a variety of categories.

For me Ribfest represents two things.  First, it is a weekend to indulge in the amazing food put forth, and to use my taste buds to learn from what each of the teams is doing.  Secondly, it is a chance to (over, way over)indulge in BBQ without having to do anything more complicated that pull out my wallet.  No cleaning the smoker, no rubbing down ribs, no brining chicken – just go eat.  And by saying over indulge, I mean to the point of ridiculousness (and infamy at work).

20150807_115513 20140808_205437_Android 20140809_181035_Android 20140809_181039_AndroidRibfest starts on Friday at 11:00 am.  Perfect, make it a Brisket sandwich from Prairie Smoke and Spice for lunch.  Then let’s see – what should we have for dinner?  Oh look, there are ribs over there!  And chicken… and cornbread… and beans!

Saturday ends up being a carbon copy of Friday, just different competitors offerings.  Sunday, we broke with the pattern and went for a single rib tasting meal, with half a rack from 5 of the 6 competitors. We had ribs, chicken, brisket, pulled pork, beans, slaw, cornbread, ice cream and mini donuts – at least those are the things I remember.

Now, I have to stop and this point and express my love for a very special lady, and her son Steven and his sweetheart Merq.  They, without complaint, followed Sir Pork of Gluttony from booth to booth for 3 days, consuming a slightly less ridiculous amount of Q than I did.  I normally do the cooking for us, and this is my weekend off, so they were great sports to allow me this indulgence.

I could spend pages and pages going over the offering each competitor put forth.  Fortunately for you, the pages of my notebook are stuck together with BBQ sauce.  And besides, if I have to explain what good BBQ is (if I could), you won’t understand.  I just have to point you in the direction of your local Ribfest, and let you discover the amazing textures and flavours that you can create with brisket, ribs (beef and pork) chicken and pulled pork.  Only then will you understand the attraction and addiction of real BBQ.  And if after you experience it you don’t see the magic, that is fine cuz it means more for me! 😉

As mentioned, Ribfest in Kamloops combines with Hot Nights in the City.  This is a car show that stretches for a dozen blocks or so in downtown, the streets are closed off and there is every type, size and shape of vehicle you can imagine.  Oh yeah – and if you show up at night for Hot Nights in the City, you will be SOL – it happens in the daytime.  I don’t know, I just report the news <shrug>.

And throughout the event we have Music in the Park.  Sponsored by BC Lottery Corporation, this is summer long live concert series that takes place each and every night in the Riverside Park.  The stage is concert worthy, and the variety of music over the season encompasses every kind of music you can imagine.  For Ribfest this year, we had tribute bands on Friday night covering Pat Benatar and Heart, and then a Tom Petty tribute band on Saturday.  Perfect for the Ribfest happening in the same park space.

If you’re new to Q, or just love good food and like trying new things, you have to hit your closest Ribfest.  If you’re near Kamloops, you need to come here and experience not just Ribfest, but all of the other things that the weekend has to offer.

Hope to see you here next year!!

Eating Out

The Burning Barrel Cookhouse

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UPDATE:

On October 14th, Cat and Joe announced they have parted ways with the Burning Barrel.  I don’t know what the reasons were, but we are sad to hear this as we know how excited that they were with the restaurant.  We wish them the best, and time will tell how the BB does without thier passion for the Q and customer service.

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In our hometown of Kamloops, like everywhere these days it seems, we are overrun by McRestaurants of every description.  Chain restaurants abound everywhere, some of which are decent enough, but all seem to be generic and not really offering much originality or character.  Many have a shtick of one sort of another to try and stand out, but the food is pretty much the same.  Good locally owned restaurants struggle against the name brand recognition, and all too often we as consumers pass these local eateries by because we want to play it safe when spending our hard earned money on a meal out.

This really is a shame, because we tend to miss out on some amazing food.  Food made with love and pride, by people who call our home town – home.  It might be local fare, or food from another region that they are bringing to a new home, but it can be creative, unique and just different to what the chains offer.

A great case in point is The Burning Barrel.  Cat and Joe started their adventures on the Kamloops food scene with their rockin’ black food truck serving amazing authentic southern BBQ food, the smoking done right on the truck.  Many a lunch was planned by looking our office window and seeing The Pig Rig parked at 2nd and Seymour…  There was always as a crowd, and the food was always excellent.

Based on the success of the Pig Rig, Cat and Joe decided to go to the next stage and open a year round brick and mortar restaurant.  I had opportunity to chat with them a few times last year, as they were dreaming and planning their new baby.  It was so neat to be able to see the enthusiasm and excitement as they shared bits and pieces of the plan they were nurturing.

After an unimaginable amount of work, they have brought forth their creation, The Burning Barrel Cookhouse.  It opened a couple of weeks ago, and unfortunately I have been slow getting my gastric system back to normal after Meatapalooza (Ribfest) so we haven’t been able to stop to check them out until tonight.

Kathy and I stopped in for dinner on our way back from some errands.  We parked and walked into the restaurant, and immediately we were enveloped by the wonderful smell of BBQ.  The room is the perfect size, and every table has a great view of the Thompson River valley to the north, and tonight we even got a beautiful sunset reflecting on Mt. Paul.

Cat met us at the door, and seated us at a table right by the window.  She told us we had just missed the dinner rush, so our timing was perfect.  We pulled up at our table, and our drinks orders were taken.  We took quite a while going over a really well put together menu, offering not just amazing BBQ, but dishes to accommodate kids and those for whom the pleasure of BBQ is lost (not going to try to convert you folks, cuz it means more Q for me!!)

Now, as previously mentioned, we are still working off of the effects of Ribfest.  As a result, we chose to go with pasta based dishes, but mine still got in my BBQ fix.  Kathy had Smoky Gnocchi, and I had a Pulled Pork Mac ‘n Cheese.  To go along with the dishes, we went with a square of cornbread to give that a try.

Our orders were taken, and while we waited we had a nice visit with Cat.  She works the front of house like a proud matriarch, making sure that everything is just right.  Joe was in the kitchen making sure that things back there were just as perfect as she had things out front.

Our meals arrived in a very reasonable time, hot and looking very appetizing.   We tucked in, and they didn’t disappoint.

Smokey Gnocchi
Smokey Gnocchi

The Gnocchi was really, really good, and the smoky tomato sauce was chunky and flavourful.

 

 

 

Pulled Pork Mac n' Cheese
Pulled Pork Mac n’ Cheese

The Pulled Pork in my dish was perfectly done, mixed with elbow mac done to perfection, homemade cheese sauce and a healthy dose of melted cheeses on top.  It was homey, hearty and a great way to indulge a BBQ fix without going ‘all in’.  And I promise Joe, next time we are by, your ribs are on my plate.  The corn bread was a great touch, and remarkably close to my own recipe.  Not too cakey, not to dry, just sweet enough…  just the way we like it.

At the end, we were completely satisfied, and that is going some because we had some lofty expectations based on my experience with Cat and Joe and the Pig Rig.  We have nothing but kudo’s for both Cat and Joe for coming out the gate with a great product and a super experience for our dining dollar.  Awesome food and great local people combine to give Kamloops a specialty eatery deserving of your dining patronage.

Please check them out, enjoy an awesome meal and let Mr. Mike McEarls know that these local restaurateurs are here to give them a solid run for our money!

Smokin’ good eats!!