Eddie, the genius behind the looming success of the BBQ delicacy known at 7B BBQ offered me a…read moresample of his work in exchange for an honest review. He knew I was a native born Texican, and that I had encountered my share of legit BBQ. I freely admit, I didn't play hard to get. The following is my honest appraisal of the pork spareribs he handed me. And I'm talking about a legit smoked meat, not a backyard event where hamburgers and hotdogs are considered a BBQ.
I could smell the aroma of seasoning, sauce, and smoke, long before I opened the foil packet and gasped. However, what struck me the most, I could smell the meat more than the seasonings applied to it.
Let me say, when it comes to BBQ, I don't give a sideways rip what the presentation is. I want flavor more than I want to appreciate the beauty of the meal. Yet, I have to say, I noticed the bark on the edges of the ribs, and how the smoke saturated the meat giving an orangish hue. I was shocked at how appealing the meat appeared. It simply looked delicious!
The ribs wore a thin layer of Eddie's homemade sauce. At first, I was slightly disappointed to see that he wasn't very generous with his slathering of sauce. But, when I experienced my first bite, I immediately knew what he had done. His sauce was slightly sweet and slightly tangy, but not one of those profiles dominated the flavor. The sauce was a perfect complement to the smokiness of the meat. The smoke and sauce worked in tandem to create a perfect flavor profile. Talk about synergy! Any more sauce would have overpowered the natural flavor of the meat. And while we're at it, the smoke was just right, as well. The oak wasn't overpowering, nor was it fragile. The smoke was just right to create a trifecta of flavor in full harmony with the sauce and the meat. I've danced around the meat flavor, but let me emphasis to you that the natural flavor was absolutely apparent. The meat should never be drenched in sauce, otherwise I always suspect it was cooked too long, or--gasp--reheated.
And let's address the seasoning before I go any farther. From what I understand, Eddie has perfected an amazing blend of three dominate spices, and he applies them in equal portions to the meat. Some Texas BBQ tends to be salty and peppery, but that would never suit the delicate palates along the Canadian border. To them, bold and daring equate to overpowering and unsavory, which results in unpleasant. Way up north, his seasoning is a proper blend that respects his local community and will not offend!
So, I've covered just about everything except for the texture. Eddie warned me several times that the meat wasn't as tender as he preferred, but if he cooked it any longer, it would move toward mushy or completely overdone. Well, I grabbed one of the rib bones and it pulled away clean! Could the meat have been more tender? Perhaps. But, in full disclosure, he cooked the meat in his smoker and the outside temperature was roughly 25 degrees that day, and it's hard to keep the temperature dialed in on such a cold day.
Can you tell I enjoyed these ribs? And I promise you the brisket is equally enjoyable!
In closing, let me tell you just a tiny bit more. Eddie has mastered the BBQ process by investing heavily in learning the history behind the science, and spent three years testing his theories and putting them to the taste test before he would ever attempt to be in business.
The final bit of info you might appreciate: Eddie has a long established habit of cooking meals for needy families, which is something of a ministry for him. He's a kind, caring man, and he has a heart of gold. And if you think that's impressive, wait until you meet his even more amazing wife!
#todaysdiscovery
