On The Town:
The Big Apple Barbecue 2006

June 10-11, 2006, Madison Square Park, New York City

By Liz Warton

The fourth annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party returned to Madison Square Park in New York City this past weekend, showcasing some of the finest barbecue from ten of the nation’s top pitmasters. This year’s event gave festival-goers a chance to pair barbeque with beers from the city’s own Brooklyn Brewery, including Blue Smoke’s signature ale, and specialty wines like a sparkling rosé. The Institute of Culinary Education hosted various culinary seminars and demonstrations revolving around barbecue. Festival patrons also enjoyed live performances from jazz and bluegrass musicians throughout the weekend.

The menu included every type of pork imaginable, including Otis Walker’s rib tips with a thick tomato-based sauce from Missouri’s Smoki O’s to chopped whole hog splashed with hot pepper vinegar from North Carolina’s Mitchell’s BBQ. Ken Callaghan from Blue Smoke served up tender-charred St. Louis Ribs spiced with a smoky dry rub while Blue Smoke pastry chef Jennifer Giblin offered summertime favorite Blueberry Pie topped with whipped cream alongside Double Chocolate Brownies. Champion barbeque chef and author Mike Mills from Illinois’s 17th St. Bar and Grill showed off his skills with baby back ribs spiked with his signature “Magic Rub.” Slow-cooked brisket and Elgin Hot Sausages were on the menu from Bryan Bracewell’s Southside Market & BBQ. The thick-cut brisket was served with tangy coleslaw while the famous hot sausages lived up to their reputation with a fiery explosion of flavor.

Other guest pitmasters included World Barbeque Champion Paul Kirk from NYC’s own RUB BBQ and Texas favorite Michael Rodriguez from The Salt Lick BBQ, who gave festival guests the chance to compare two award-winning briskets side-by-side. Mississippi’s Garry Roark from Ubon’s and John Stage from New York’s Dinosaur Bar-B-Que offered pulled pork with their own traditional barbeque sauces, while Alabama’s Chris Lilly from Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Que recommended his restaurant’s unusual vinegar-based white sauce as a complement to their smoky pulled hog.

Founded by Union Square Hospitality Group, Blue Smoke and Jazz Standard, the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party is a non-profit event dedicated to educating and creating a wider appreciation of barbeque. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Madison Square Park Conservancy, a local organization that maintains the public spaces and horticulture of the venue.