Why You Need to Give Mail-Order BBQ a Try
Mail-order BBQ is heating up during COVID-19, and one of the best options is Snow's BBQ.
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Before COVID-19, I never had much of a reason to try out mail-order barbecue. I was frequently eating out at NYC's best BBQ restaurants and going to events across the country, so why would I ship a frozen brisket to my doorstop?
However, the pandemic has cut off access to many of my favorite BBQ joints or in some cases closed them entirely. As such, it felt like the right time to test out some mail-order barbecue.
There are a ton of great spots around the country where you can order barbecue in the mail, including New York-based hotshots such as Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Mighty Quinn's Barbeque. I opted for Snow's BBQ in Lexington, Texas, one of my favorite barbecue experiences ever and a pioneer in mail-order barbecue long before the pandemic. My order included a whole brisket, two pounds of jalapeno sausage, and a pork steak.
The mail-order jalapeño sausage from Snow's BBQ was fantastic.
In most cases, mail-order BBQ is prepped, smoked, frozen, and then put in the mail. This means all you have to do is carefully reheat the smoked meats once they arrive. In the case of my Snow's order, I used an Anova sous vide to reheat my barbecue to specific temperatures (usually around 160 degrees) and the results were delicious.
Since you usually are getting a large order of barbecue, the meats can be stretched to make several meals. For my Snow's brisket, for example, it made three meals over three nights for my fiancée and I. We ate sliced brisket, brisket tacos, and brisket mac 'n' cheese.
Another great part of mail-order BBQ is that it encourages you to get creative with leftovers, like these brisket tacos.
The only downside to mail-order barbecue is the sometimes high cost. With the ongoing meat shortage, some prices have gone up and you still have to incur shipping fees. But the flip side is that a large order can make a lot of meals and that brings the overall cost down.
I know I'm not alone in missing barbecue joints, so this a great option for anyone who can't normally go to their favorite restaurants and a fantastic way to support barbecue joints during this challenging time.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Daddy Matty’s BBQ in Madison made the cut of the 24 best BBQ joints open for takeout in NJ.
Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, intrepid food reporter Pete Genovese has made a great list of the 24 best BBQ joints open for takeout now in New Jersey. The list includes several joints I’ve spotlighted in the past such as Red White and Que Smokehouse in Kearny and Daddy Matty’s BBQ in Madison. You should grab some barbecue this weekend!
If you’re wondering if you can host a friends-and-family Memorial Day barbecue this weekend given the coronavirus crisis, the answer is probably not, writes the Philadelphia Inquirer. “You really shouldn’t be having a cookout this year with folks other than those who live in your home,” the paper writes regarding Philly but the same advice applies for most large cities around the country.
In a sad but clear-eyed post on the fate of NYC restaurants, Grub Street wonders “Will we still recognize New York City when it reopens?”
In a fun write-up, Boston Magazine tried to figure out if there is a definitive New England method of grilling. They spoke with Andy Husbands, chef and owner of the Smoke Shop in Boston to find out.
Finally, in a bit of good news, a new BBQ joint called Holy Smokes Barbecue is opening in Watertown (in Upstate New York) soon despite the pandemic, reports WWNY-TV.
IRL BBQ
NOTE: Given the coronavirus crisis, we will be leaving this section blank until things get back to normal. Some events have been canceled entirely while others have been postponed to the fall. Many events are now up in the air, but I’ll be doing my best to keep the website up to date with events and dates that have been confirmed.
Check out the full up-to-date NYC BBQ calendar here.
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