The Best Bites from Brisket King NYC 2021
Richie Holmes of Juicy Lucy BBQ in Staten Island won Brisket King NYC for the second time.
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On Wednesday night, hundreds of hungry New York and New Jersey residents gathered to stuff their faces with delicious smoked meats at Brisket King NYC 2021. Hosted at Pig Beach NYC in Brooklyn, the event featured more than a dozen chefs and pitmasters serving up their best brisket creations.
Juicy Lucy BBQ from Staten Island shocked the crowd and won the top prize for the second year in a row. The restaurant won in 2019, and 2020’s edition of the event was canceled due to the pandemic. The big surprise came from this being the first time a restaurant has ever won two years in a row.
“Juicy Lucy was in the top three on every judge’s score sheet,” Brisket King judge Adam Poch, who has judged the event four times, told NYC BBQ. “They were the clear winner. All of the judges loved it. Coming up with first place was easier this year than we thought it was going to be because Juicy Lucy stood out among everyone else.”
Juicy Lucy’s tasty brisket, which was first perfected under the eye of former pitmaster Mauro "Max" Chiefari, won the People’s Choice award as well. Owner Richie Holmes has taken up the mantle of making Juicy Lucy’s top-notch brisket, and it’s clear he is dedicated to Central Texas-style brisket as a core menu item. Now that he has three Brisket King trophies, Holmes will not be competing next year.
Brisket King NYC 2021 was hosted at Pig Beach NYC in Brooklyn.
Other key winners from the night included James Cruse from Central City Barbecue in New Orleans, who won the runner up trophy; Robert Austin Cho from Kimchi Smoke in New Jersey, who won the award for “most creative combo” for his "Chonut" sandwich; Leland Avellino of Avellino Family Barbecue in Connecticut won a year’s worth of Cabot cheese for his brisket performance; Chef Jesse Jones was awarded the Unsung Hero award for his dish honoring his mother: smoked brisket with creole mustard, cucumbers, and his mother's buttermilk yeast biscuits.
“There was a lot more debate about second place than first because there were so many good dishes,” Poch said. “The next two most-talked-about dishes of the night were Central City and Kimchi Smoke. They put out the best plates of food, not just the brisket but plates that represented the best we had that day. … Blue Smoke was also near the top for best brisket of the day. Handsome Devil put out an amazing dish with three different meats. Carlitos’ taco was something else. ... It was unfortunate we couldn’t give out more awards for the day.”
The sometimes crowded event also allowed people to try spirits from Knob Creek, Maker’s Mark, Austin Eastciders, The Long Drink, Laphroaig, and more.
Other good joints in attendance that served up dishes included Gentle Giant Brewing Company in Rockland County, Hill Country Barbecue Market in Manhattan, Pulkies in Brooklyn, and Queens Bully in Forest Hills. And while there are simply too many good dishes to shout out, here are some of the best bites I had at Brisket King NYC 2021.
Avellino Family Barbecue — Leland Avellino, Stamford, CT
Pitmaster Leland Avellino, who previously ran the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que location in Stamford, CT, has a new operation in Avellino Family Barbecue. He served up his take on Texas brisket with house-cured jalapeños.
Carlitos Tacos — Carlos Castillo, Paramus, NJ
Pitmaster Carlos Castillo has been improving his brisket for years, and this year he served up incredible Texas brisket tacos with birria consome. All of the flavors came together perfectly, and the line was long all night to try this taco.
Central City BBQ — James Cruse, New Orleans, LA
James Cruse of Central City BBQ came the furthest of any Brisket King competitor so he could show off his skills. He served up Texas-style Snake River Farms American Wagyu brisket with dirty cajun rice.
Handsome Devil — Ed Randolph, Newburgh, NY
Ed Randolph opened his Handsome Devil restaurant in Newburgh last year, and there he serves up a ton of great food. He brought some of his top items to Brisket King NYC and served up a Texas trinity with sliced brisket, pastrami, and brisket sausage.
Kimchi Smoke — Robert Austin Cho, Westwood, NJ
For years, Robert Austin Cho has been serving up great BBQ in New Jersey and always bringing his A-game for Brisket King. He won People’s Choice in 2019 and won this year’s best creative combo for his Texas brisket sandwich on a doughnut topped with kimchi and BBQ sauce.
Blue Smoke — Bret Lunsford, Manhattan, NY
Blue Smoke pitmaster Bret Lunsford served up one of the best takes on traditional Texas brisket at Brisket King NYC. This was Lunsford’s first barbecue competition ever, and though he didn’t win the top prize, I’m sure he has a lot of new fans.
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All in all, Brisket King NYC 2021 was a success with top-notch food and what felt like a return to “normal” barbecue events. It’s made me look forward to more events later this year, including Rib King NYC in late May and the Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival in late July.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Several food truck events are heading to New York and New Jersey soon.
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Lohud wrote about some of the best outdoor food and beer festivals returning to NY and NJ in the next few months, including Wing Weeks in White Plains, NY; the Chester Food Truck & Music Festival, in Chester, NJ; the Garden State Plaza Food Truck Festival in Paramus, NJ; and the Rock, Ribs & Ridges festival in August, NJ. READ HERE.
Robert Sietsema of Eater NY wrote about 11 of the best sandwiches he’s eaten during the pandemic, including the pastrami sandwich at Hometown Bar-B-Que and the Deep Fried PBJ at Hudson Smokehouse. READ HERE.
One neat thing happening down in Coney Island: The original Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand is selling 5-cent hot dogs on Thursday nights. But there’s a slight catch: “Every time customers order anything — burgers, hot dogs, fries, and other chicken or seafood dishes (even frog legs) — they can pair a 5-cent dog with it. Two orders of fries, for example, could score two 5-cent dogs.” Still a good deal, though! READ HERE.
Don’t miss “This Week In Grilling & BBQ” every Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern on the Facebook page for The Smoke Sheet. On the show, NYC BBQ, BBQ Tourist, and Grill Girl Robin talk about the latest and greatest in barbecue.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
The next big BBQ event of the year will be the Rib King NYC competition during the 5 Boro PicNYC.
May 15, 2021: Who says NJ doesn’t have great BBQ and beer? The Beer BBQ Bacon Showdown in Morris Plains, NJ, is New Jersey’s first festival featuring only New Jersey beer, coupled with restaurants, gourmet food trucks, and more offering BBQ & bacon creations. There will be a competition to showcase their culinary skills, with a panel of judges choosing the best of the best, along with the People’s Choice awards. BUY TICKETS HERE.
May 29, 2021: This Memorial Day weekend, you won’t want to miss the food, drinks, and fun at the 5 Boro PicNYC at Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island. This event will feature a new version of the Rib King NYC competition, winners from Sauce King NYC showing off their best sauces, and much more. BUY TICKETS HERE.
July 31 & August 1st, 2021: The 11th Annual Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival will be back at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint for a two-day event. This event focuses on bourbon and beer tastings, along with multiple barbecue joints serving up lots of excellent smoked meats. BUY TICKETS HERE.
September 11, 2021: At the end of the summer, Pig Island NYC will celebrate its 12th year on September 11, 2021, at Snug Harbor on Staten Island. Join in for all-inclusive food and drink, from all-star pitmasters and chefs who will be serving up delicious porky goodness, as well as local breweries, distilleries, and cideries. Top chefs will compete for the best dishes and event-goers reap the benefits. BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 16-17, 2021: The 8th Annual Hot Sauce Expo NYC will be back for two days in fall 2021. The event will be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint and will feature tons of hot sauce samples, barbecue, and beer to purchase, fun on-stage events, and more. BUY TICKETS HERE.
NOTE: Due to COVID-19, information concerning events in NYC is subject to change, and events may be rescheduled. CHECK OUT THE FULL EVENTS CALENDAR HERE
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