This is a special message from Cattlemen’s Master’s Reserve.
From casual-themed restaurants to chef-driven dining spots, the smoky, sweet, tangy and spicy flavors of barbecue are increasingly prominent.
Restaurant operators report that their barbecue-loving customers are eager to sample new palate sensations, including those derived from American regional barbecue styles and ethnic influences, whether they come from a sauce, a spice rub, wood smoking or a combination of sources.
At the heart of barbecue’s popularity is its unique characteristic of being both familiar from the home table and appealing as a meal out, some operators said.
“Barbecue is more of a comfort food,” said Bob Barry, chief operating officer of The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille, a 26-unit casual-dining chain based in Edgewater, Md. “Yes, it is one of those things that you do at home, but it usually tastes better when you have it in a restaurant, whether because of the sauce or the preparation.”
Barry noted that barbecue flavors appear in virtually every category of his menu, notably in the Turtle’s wood-smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich and Pulled Pork Sliders, but also in several other dishes flavored with the chain’s signature Honey BBQ and Smoky BBQ sauces.
For example, Hog Hammers, an appetizer, are made by basting chunks of pork shank meat on the bone with Smoky BBQ sauce. Chicken breast is similarly flavored for the Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad. The BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza is topped with a blend of Smoky BBQ and marinara sauce.
Also seeing barbecue’s comfort-food persona as welcoming is Dudley McMahon, vice president of culinary development and purchasing for Quaker Steak & Lube, a 39-unit casual-dining chain based in Sharon, Pa.
“When people go to a restaurant, they are more willing to take a chance on a new item that is barbecue related, because of their previous experience, confidence and comfort level with it,” McMahon said.
At Quaker Steak & Lube, patrons are “very receptive” to trying new barbecue flavors, he said, which are well represented among the 20 signature sauces on the menu. They explore the various flavor profiles with dishes like chicken wings, baby back ribs, burgers and sandwiches.
Three of its five most popular sauces have a barbecue component, led by the smoky-and-sweet Original BBQ sauce, introduced in 1982. The other favorites are Louisiana Lickers, a mixture of its Hot, Cajun, Garlic and BBQ sauces and the smooth, fiery and sweet Buckeye BBQ sauce. It also offers the citrus-tinged, smoky Tequila Lime BBQ sauce.
As the chain expands into new states like Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, there will be opportunities to develop new sauces that reflect regional barbecue tastes, McMahon said. Also under consideration are sauces with emerging ethnic flavors like Thai cuisine.
Barbecue flavors born in the Southwest have taken root in central Oregon, reported Gavin McMichael, chef-owner of The Blacksmith Restaurant and two other eateries in Bend, Ore.
“Barbecue is just growing like crazy,” said McMichael. “I think it has had a real boom period during the recession, largely because people are cooking more at home and on the grill.”
A former protégé of Texas celebrity chef Stephan Pyles, McMichael came to Oregon nine years to introduce his “New Ranch Cuisine” style of cooking.
“It’s where Southwestern meets barbecue,” explained McMichael. “It is more rooted in comfort food rather than dominated by Latin flavors, as Southwestern food is.”
His repertoire includes steaks flavored with New Mexico green chile rub, fried green tomatoes with smoked chicken salad, grilled pizzas topped with smoked meats and vegetables and barbecue rice, the latter cooked in a pan in the smoker. In addition, he makes a barbecue sauce with a base of roasted chilies and hints of coffee for earthiness.
“That is classic Texas,” he said.
Such flavorful fare has been very well received by his customers, whose palates have blossomed in what was traditionally “meat and potatoes country,” McMichael said.
