One of these days I'm going to learn my lesson about Oklahoma BBQ.
Stopped by Jay's KickAsh BBQ food truck and really wanted to like it. The folks were friendly, the truck is fun, and anything with a flaming green warthog on the side is making the kind of promises I'm generally willing to believe. Unfortunately, the food didn't quite live up to the advertising.
The ribs were okay-ish. They had some decent color and at least some evidence that smoke had been involved, but they were still a little tough and the connective tissue and fat hadn't completely broken down. They weren't bad by any means, but they needed more time at the right temperature to get where good ribs ought to be.
The brisket was another matter entirely. It was a sin against God and man. Gray as the soul of whoever figured out how to make brisket without a noticeable hint of smoke, with very little bark and a thick layer of pale, rubbery fat that hadn't rendered down. The meat itself was tight and dry rather than tender and juicy. Whether it was pulled too early, cooked too hot, held too long, or reheated poorly, I can't say, but something went badly wrong somewhere between smoker and plate.
And that's the frustrating part. Brisket doesn't have to fall apart, and fat doesn't need to disappear completely, but properly cooked brisket should be tender, the fat should be soft and rendered, and you should actually be able to tell that the thing spent some quality one on one time around smoke. This had none of those things.
On the bright side, the crinkle cut fries were hot and crispy, and easily the best thing on the plate. Unfortunately, "the frozen Walmart brand crinkle-cut fries were the highlight" may be the most devastating thing you can say about a BBQ joint.
Nice people, fun setup, decent ribs, excellent fries. But if you're going to call yourself KickAsh BBQ and put a flaming warthog on the trailer, you've got to know how to do a brisket. read more