By JENNIFER LEUZZI – Special to the Sun
June 9, 2006
A parade of barbecue rigs and refrigerated trucks filled with meat will make its way to Madison Square Park today. It’s all in preparation for this weekend’s 4th Annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, where America’s top pitmasters offer their best to a hungry throng of New Yorkers.Some, such as pitmaster Bryan Bracewell of Southside Market & BBQ, are coming from as far away as Texas. “We were surprised at the intensity of how much New Yorkers love barbecue,” Mr. Bracewell said of his experience last year. “We couldn’t believe the thousands of people waiting in line for hours to get it.”
This year, he’s driving to the city with a new 32-foot-long trailer – the old one was too small – that contains two 10-foot sausage pits and one rotisserie pit. He’s bringing almost twice as much meat as he did last year: 1,800 pounds of sausage and 2,500 pounds of brisket.
The president of Union Square Hospitality Group, Danny Meyer, said he is “amazed” by how large the event has grown since he founded it four years ago with David Swinghamer. The inspiration was simple, he said. “It was a chance to bring people together from many walks of life who had a common love for two great, democratic American art forms: barbecue and music.”
The pitmasters’ day begins like it will for most of the weekend’s expected 100,000 attendees: in a long line. Nine rigs will queue up at 11 a.m. today on 27th Street between Lexington and Madison avenues. From there, the pitmasters will head to Blue Smoke restaurant, where chef, local pitmaster, and organizing host Ken Callaghan welcome them and outline the weekend’s schedule. “I try and scare them a little bit,” Mr. Callaghan said, explaining that this is “combat cooking. … I tell them, ‘You’re about to get pummeled. I don’t think you’re ready.’”
Mr. Callaghan keeps his 7-foot-tall competition-class rotisserie-smoker in his driveway at home in Washington Township, N.J. Today it will be parked in front of Blue Smoke alongside the 18-wheeler that’ll be his refrigerator for the weekend. His menu features 4,000 pounds of baby back ribs, 4,000 pounds of St. Louis spareribs, 9,000 pounds of brisket, 7,500 pounds of pork shoulder, 1,800 pounds of rib tips, and 3,500 pounds of whole hog. He does not expect to have any leftovers.
After the orientation, the rigs will pull into place on Madison Avenue and the pitmasters will start their fires around 5 p.m. Barbecue is a slow and low-heat style of cooking. Mr. Bracewell’s brisket, for example, takes between 14 and 16 hours to cook. A crew of pitmasters, private security staff, police, and others will stand guard throughout the night watching the pits. “For our style of barbecue, wood is the biggest flavor” Mr. Bracewell said, “so we’re bringing a cord of oak from central Texas.” A cord of wood measures 4 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and 8 feet long.
The event takes 10 months to plan and requires the participation of hundreds. This year, the organizers – Union Square Hospitality Group, Blue Smoke, and the Jazz Standard – have enlisted Live Nation, an event company that specializes in concerts; the company was chosen, Mr. Callaghan said, because “they’re used to the logic of this kind of crowds and volume.”
With the crowds, street closings, and all those fire grills, police officers from the 13th Precinct will be on hand, too. “I’ve been there from the beginning” Officer Mike Hnatko, of NYPD Community Affairs, said. “It’s a great event for the community, and the park is the pride of Chelsea.” Last year’s festival raised $50,000 dollars for Madison Square Park.
After the last rib is served Sunday evening, the pitmasters will have about 13 hours to break down and get their rigs out of the city. Then they’ll enjoy a pitmaster after-party on Sunday night, featuring foods like fried chicken, seafood, and macaroni and cheese – anything but barbecue.
Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, Saturday and Sunday, noon-6 p.m., Madison Square Park, www.bigapplebbq.org.
I’m seriously thinking about getting a Bubba Fast Pass, just don’t know if even I can eat that much BBQ!
67 responses to “Big Apple BBQ”
I really wish we had something like this in Wisconsin. I would love to attend a big BBQ cookoff. Wisconsin, however, has never been known for great BBQ. We can cook some Brats and drink some beer, though…
[Comment ID #40461 Quote]
And you’ve got cheese…
Cuz in Wisconsin, Cheese is Cheese.
According to a geat Tim Allen 🙂
err “great”
Damn it figures, I even hit preview, and i still mucked it up
Hey NickL no reply on my email…any word?
Just asking is all 🙂
[Comment ID #40465 Quote]
And a lot of it. I believe Wisconsin produces 35% of all the cheese in the US. If memory serves me correct we have over 115 manufacturing plants.
I have a funny feeling that this BBQ is going to be something more spectacular than the bbq we are having in my uni house tonight…….
Sounds like an awesome event though, one not to be missed.
These BBQ events are a blast! We have a few in Colorado (I’m sure they’re not as big as this one in NYC) and we have setup the booth and sold hot sauce at 2 of them for the past couple of years. They have these all over the country so I’m sure you can google them. If you’re in Colorado in June or August I suggest hitting up one of these:
http://www.townoffrisco.com/bbq.html
http://www.bbqatthesummit.com/
They are both up in the mountains in ski towns. Awesome setting for BBQ, beer, and music.
See you there!
this was advertised on Regis and Kelly this morning.
I love bbq almost as much as I love hot sauce. This is one reason I want to move out of my apartment so bad cause I can smoke(in a smoker)! my food all the time 😀
thunder and lightning over long island right now. hope its OK for the cooking
Calling for rain all day here tomorrow and for the next few days…
Chat at ya’ll later take care……………..Signing out
good night mr freeze
Hey huv, you still around?
Yep – i’m here John
[Comment ID #40638 Quote]
Hey huvason, habby-horse #6 has been open.
Just got done eating some. Nice! you have to open it 🙂
Creator, it must be a hit, my uncle is visiting from California and wants to order some, so make more…
[Comment ID #40638 Quote]
It’s pouring now. I’m guessing this will dampen the BBQ event tomorrow – unfortunately. Probably difficult to keep cooking all night. Unless these trailers are protected from the elements!
[Comment ID #40645 Quote]
So I take it that it is good! I’ll have no chance to eat it this weekend – more twirling, then off to Pittsburg for Sunday and Monday for work. Next weekend though I may open it.
[Comment ID #40647 Quote]
Excuses, excuses…lol you just know that the $ of your jar just went up ha ha 😉
open it, you wont be disappointed
[Comment ID #40648 Quote]
True… Wonder where the rest of the jars are! Nicks looks like it was part a 1 of 4 batch.
I need to go eat something to tone down the heat a bit, cant go to sleep with the slight burn on my tongue 🙄
[Comment ID #40650 Quote]
LOL – is the jar dead now?
I almost started to eat it right out of the jar…
Huv, one of my regulars has outdone the pizza!
[Comment ID #40653 Quote]
What did he do!
[Comment ID #40651 Quote]
Not nearly, I controlled myself…lol I just wanted to try it tonight. But I can see it not lasting very long.
Creator, can I order a 5 gallon bucket next time?
[Comment ID #40655 Quote]
Send some my way so I can try 😉
[Comment ID #40654 Quote]
He prepared a pasta dish with nothing but Talon for the sauce! Said it was awesome…
[Comment ID #40658 Quote]
Sounds good – I may have to try that myself. Mext weekend I’m doing a TALON pizza with chicken breast marinated in DEFCON ONE.
Did you get my email today? ALso, package is on its way!
[Comment ID #40656 Quote]
You have some, right there on your shelf…
listen, I can hear it calling, “huvason…huvaaa sooooonnnnnnn”
email, envelope both arrived. I’ve got to sit down with the program and work out the particulars for you. Should have it the first of the week. I can do the ingredient dec tomorrow after the North Market gig. He was inspired by his fellow “kook” from the blog. That’s you huv…
[Comment ID #40660 Quote]
Nah. that’s just the Homunculus!
[Comment ID #40661 Quote]
Glad you got the stuff. Package should be there early next week. No problem with when you can get to it.
You need to start a TALON club! See who can come up with the craziest use of it! The pasta sounds great! I know the pizza is great. What else can I do with it 😈
Throw some meat & veggies in it and call it soup?
[Comment ID #40666 Quote]
I’m going to make some meatloaf out of it next week some time! Mix it right into the meat!
That’s something like I would do.
How about make some shrimp Creole and use it instead of tomatoes?
[Comment ID #40669 Quote]
Hmmm never made that. I’ll have to check it out! I can use it on just about anything – it’s like Ketchup 😈
To sort of keep it on topic, we have come up with 3 new bbq sauces, apple smoked bourbon chipotle, apple smoked spiced rum ancho and mesquite tequila lime chile. When this guy was in the store yesterday he was mixing talon into the sauces in a cup to make them more his style. I must admit, they were tasty! And a LOT hotter that way.
[Comment ID #40669 Quote]
mmmm shrimp creole! anything cajun is good for me 😀
Aaron, when I first got started, I was really into Cajun. That’s where the CaJohn abomination of Cajun came from. It’s still probably my best cooking. I used to make a couple of gallons of Creole sauce and freeze it for future easy to do meals. It’s a very versitile sauce.
[Comment ID #40672 Quote]
MOre on topic – rain has stopped in NY so maybe it’s not going to mess up the event that much! Cooled off as well.
New Sauces sound good!
[Comment ID #40675 Quote]
Whoops – spoke to soon. Thunderlightningrain is back!
[Comment ID #40674 Quote]
Yeah to tell you the truth that is what first brought me to getting some of your stuff! I was like hey this is a cool name! Too bad we can’t have a big ol cajun feast at Zest Fest with all the bloggers. That would be kickin 😀
I’ve got a big “Grillmasters” event at the North Market here in Columbus next Saturday. Doing a cooking demo at noon. Had to come up with something to debut for the faithful. I’ve had lots of success with the Irish Scream BBQ sauce (Irish Whiskey) so I thought I’d try some more liqour infused sauces. They are mild, but then again, that’s where the Selects come in handy. Talon is the same as the Selects, it’s just a blend of Red Savina & Fatalii. 80% chiles. Just add them & you can achieve a huvason level of heat. Or should I say “Beast” level?
Just add them & you can achieve a huvason level of heat. Or should I say “Beast” level?
LOL – Either one works!
[Comment ID #40672 Quote]
mmmmm those sound good. Will check your site
CaJohn, got a pic comming your way
We cook a lot in our booth at many of the shows, ZestFest is way too busy on Sat & Sunday for that. Maybe I can whip up some Cajun vittles on Friday. Tracy & MSK have had som BBQ shrimp of mine. It’s pretty easy to do. I’ll come up with something. Jambalaya is another of my booth faves as well, although the Chicken Ettouffee is the crowd favorite! We make mixes to do several Cajun/Creole dishes. We just don’t wholesale ’em.
[Comment ID #40680 Quote]
They’re not on there yet, tomorrow is a test run for them, I had the Bourbon-Chipotle last Saturday, it was well received, next week is the big roll-out.
[Comment ID #40683 Quote]
drop me a line when they are out
mmmm some CaJohn Jambalaya and Chicken Ettouffee you are speaking my language!
Thanks for the pic eman! I will treasure it! It couldn’t be in more deserving company!
[Comment ID #40686 Quote]
I will print one out for you and send it to your store. I would have her sign it but…..its the whole week old thing…you understand
I understand, I like that idea. Thanks!
I’m out of here guys. Have a good bight all!
Me too, got an early wake-up call. G’Night all!
[Comment ID #40662 Quote]
The call is coming from inside the floorboards!!! LOL!
[Comment ID #40649 Quote]
Yeah, the original bunch of 4 were in different Ball jars. The next lrage bunch will be in different ones as well. AND THIS TIME I’M NOT NUMBERING THEM!!! I want you guys to enjoy the stuff, not let it rot on your shelf, as you ponder what it must taste like.
[Comment ID #40650 Quote]
Ahhhh, Defcon dreams…
[Comment ID #40655 Quote]
Interesting question. If and when we go ahead with full production, we will probably offer a quart size, and maybe even a half gallon jar. Happy happy joy joy.
[Comment ID #40709 Quote]
Dont worry Creator, I still had a slight tingle as I drifted off to sleep. 🙂
[Comment ID #40708 Quote]
” I want you guys to enjoy the stuff, not let it rot on your shelf, as you ponder what it must taste like.”
I lived up to my end here Creator, huvason is still holding out,
Oh thats right, he has twirling 🙄
[Comment ID #40710 Quote]
As long as they are refillable, I’ll drive right on over to get more 🙂
[Comment ID #40713 Quote]
That’s the nice thing about Ball jars, they are resealable.
[Comment ID #40477 Quote]
This event makes me realize how spoiled I am living here in the heart of BBQ country, Austin, TX. I would defintely need some kind of Bubba Pass, as I can’t imagine wainting in line that long for BBQ!
FM
The food network did a nice piece on this event a couple of weeks ago. I think it would be fun to set up our smoker in New York and smoke all night for a hungry crowd the next day.