Rub BBQ
Considering how obsessed I am with barbecue it's odd how many legitimate north east joints I have yet to taste. I'm one step closer to correcting that travesty today after visiting Rub BBQ on 23rd street in Manhattan. I hit them up right when they opened, and was told the infamous burnt ends were not quite ready. In their place I ordered a half slab of st louis ribs (short end), a 1/4 pound of pork shoulder, and a side of slaw. Read on for my quick review!
The st louis ribs were outstanding... competition level in my opinion: subtantial smoke but not overpowering; bite-thru tender but stayed perfectly on the bone; toasty bark with a subtle spice profile; really a wonderful rib. The fat was not fully rendered on a few of the shortest ribs, and I wish there was a little more heat and sweet in that rub, but still these ribs were seriously tasty. Unfortunately the pork shoulder was not as good: mushy with a hefty amount of sauce and very little bark. The smoke was subtle, and it had that reheated-chicken flavor I can only replicate by eating cold shredded chicken out of the fridge. Bummer for me because a barbecue sandwich is absolutely one of my favorite things to eat. The vinegar cole slaw was good, and the pickles were typical but still a welcome tang to cut through the fat and smoke of barbecued meats.
But I kept going back to those ribs. And after working my way through several bones, I was thinking the pork shoulder must have just had an off day; I had to try something else. So I asked if the burnt ends were ready, which they were, and I quickly ordered up a 1/4 pound. These little beefy nuggets came over piping hot - too hot to even touch. Once they cooled down enough to bite into, they revealed themselves as succulent, rich, smokey, and truly outstanding. One of the best pieces of barbecued meat I've tasted in these here parts!
My conclusion is that Rub BBQ knows what they are doing... something that most everyone else who has eaten there must already know. And after seeing they cook on J&R's, I'm convinced those tall boxes can execute some seriously legitimate barbecue.
Baaaaaaaaaahhhhh-be-cuuuuuuuue!
