The Most Delicious Ribs from Rib King NYC 2021
Juicy Lucy BBQ owner Richie Holmes and his crew took home the Rib King NYC 2021 title.
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When the Rib King NYC 2021 competition started during the day Saturday, May 29, many of the competition’s top pitmasters were worried. Torrential rain had started late Friday night and it wasn’t forecast to stop until late on Saturday.
Matt Fisher, pitmaster of Custom Barbecue, told me he was seriously concerned the rain would depress turnout. But, as luck would have it, the rain let up shortly after the event started and hundreds of hungry people showed up to enjoy ribs from more than 10 pitmasters and chefs from NYC and beyond.
The Rib King NYC 2021, the second competition of this kind following the 2019 event, took place as part of the 5 Boro PicNYC at Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island. During Rib King, judges and the crowds all try the best ribs from featured pitmasters and then the judges declare a new Rib King.
Hundreds of people braved the rain for Rib King NYC 2021 at the 5 Boro PicNYC.
The 2021 Rib King title was given to Richie Holmes of Staten Island’s own Juicy Lucy BBQ. Holmes served up a St. Louis-style Compart Duroc Pork Rib with a side of bing cherry chipotle barbecue sauce. Notably, Holmes was also crowned Brisket King of NYC for the second time earlier this year, showing he has smoked meat talents for both beef and pork.
Other top-notch pitmasters and joints that participated in the event included Mable’s Smokehouse from Brooklyn; Franco V and Nathan Lithgow of Holy Ground from New York; Joseph Abou-Daoud of Smokin’ Joe’s in New Jersey; Robert Austin Cho of Kimchi Smoke in New Jersey; and Vincent DeGennaro and Joe Volpe of 7-10 Split and Friends of Firefighters.
Tank Jackson and Holy City Hogs had the longest line of the day for their ground pork sliders.
On top of the ribs, the event featured ground pork sliders from Tank Jackson of Holy City Hogs, whole hog from Big Papa Smoke’m, and clever vegetable dishes from chef Trevor Kunk. All of that was paired with drinks from Knob Creek and multiple breweries and cideries.
Additionally, barbecue and hot sauce makers who had won or participated in Sauce King NYC were also on hand. Sauce makers such as BBQ Buddha from NJ, Paulie G’s BBQ Sauce from SC, Coney Island Saucery from NY, and Bayou Gotham from NY all offered samples and the ability to buy sauces on site.
Tank Jackson and Holy City Hogs had the longest line of the day for their ground pork sliders.
If you are looking for more highlights, here are six of the most delicious ribs from Rib King NYC 2021.
Bark Barbecue and Jase BBQ
Two awesome barbecue pop-ups, Bark Barbecue and Jase’s BBQ, teamed up to put together platters that included smoked ribs, Dominican rice and beans, sweet plantains, and cornbread. The team won the “Best Rib Dinner” award.
Brothers Smokehouse
Co-owners and brothers Gavin, Jamie & Chris Farella of Brothers Smokehouse (which has locations in NY and NJ) served up their “famous sticky ribs,” which were glazed with their house BBQ sauce.
Hindsight BBQ
The relatively new Hindsight BBQ opened its doors in Waterbury, Connecticut in October 2020, and the crew is already cooking up some great BBQ. They won second place overall for the two types of ribs they served up: Maple bacon baby back ribs with house BBQ sauce and St. Louis style ribs with blackberry hard cider BBQ sauce.
Jesse Jones
Chef Jesse Jones has been a regular fixture at BBQ events held by Food Karma Projects and he always brings something interesting to the table. Jones got a late start due at Rib King NYC to charcoal lighting problems in the rain, but he pulled through and was able to cook up some delicious and immensely flavorful ribs served over a bed of coleslaw.
Juicy Lucy BBQ
Juicy Lucy BBQ won Rib King NYC with its “competition ribs” that are slightly different than what is served at the restaurant. They knocked it out of the park with these traditional but tasty ribs.
Smoke Sweats
For his first appearance ever at a large BBQ event, Anthony Scerri of the BBQ pop-up Smoke Sweats brought his A-game. He assembled a dedicated crew to help cook up "Bed-Style" pork ribs with a coffee spice rub made from Honduran coffee served with a side of coffee-infused BBQ sauce.
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All in all, Rib King NYC ended up providing a great time for all those who attended despite the rainy start. Congrats to the winners!
If you want to attend events like this one, read more about upcoming NYC BBQ events here and BBQ events nationally here. And if you don’t see your event listed, please let me know and I’ll add it.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
SPONSORED BY
Thanks to our sponsor Sauce King NYC, a virtual event from Food Karma Projects that is now in its second year. Using a panel of judges, Sauce King NYC determines the best barbecue sauces, hot sauces, marinades, and more from around the country. One award will even go to a “Metro NYC Startup,” so local companies without major distribution can apply as well. Submissions are being accepted through August 15th for the 2021 competition. Enter your best sauce today!
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Here are the top BBQ (and related) food news stories you need to know about this week:
Thrillist’s updated top barbecue joints in NYC list included the buzzworthy pop-up Bark Barbecue.
Thrillist has done an admirable job covering the NYC food scene for years and has just released its most recent version of the “best BBQ joints in NYC” list. It includes both new and old favorites in the barbecue scene. Notably, just a few weeks after I wrote about the Bark Barbecue pop-up in Queens, they were added to the updated list of best joints in NYC. Coincidence? READ HERE.
NYC-based vegan barbecue company Pure Grit BBQ, which pivoted smartly during the pandemic to focus on sauces and rubs, was featured in the New York Times this week. The blurb focused on how owner Kerry Fitzmaurice had created barbecue and hot sauces specifically with vegetables in mind. READ HERE.
While I’ve been touting the very good Jersey City BBQ joint Hamilton Pork for years, Eater NY appears to have finally caught on. “Sometimes I miss a place, and that’s what happened in the case of Hamilton Pork,” Eater NY senior critic Robert Sietsema writes in a new review. He goes on to praise the restaurant and says he was “amazed” by the quality. I firmly concur. READ HERE.
Joshua Feldman and Christopher Lusk, owners of Noble Smokehouse in Mystic, Connecticut, were interviewed about opening the new barbecue-focused restaurant in early 2021. The restaurant has been a massive hit thus far. READ HERE.
Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue, which recently opened a location in nearby King of Prussia, was spotlighted in an article about Philly restaurants that opened in 2021. READ HERE.
An as-of-yet-named barbecue restaurant is heading to the Upper East Side, located near 88th St. and 2nd Ave. The new joint is owned by Anna Nazarova and Robert Meller, who are also behind Slide Bar-B-Q in Maspeth, Queens. READ HERE.
Jersey Shore BBQ, which has two locations in NJ, is soon opening a new location in Point Pleasant Beach. The joint will feature barbecue it has become known for but also add in items like 20 different pizzas with smoked meats incorporated. "It's not going to be your typical pizza fare," owner Doug Walsh told the Asbury Park Press. "The pizzas are very interesting, like nothing around here." READ HERE.
IRL BBQ
Here are the top BBQ and related food events coming soon to the New York metro area:
Do not miss out on the next Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival in Brooklyn on July 31 and August 1.
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.
SAY HELLO
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