BBQ

Tasty Tuesday–Beast Craft BBQ: Beer-Braised Short Rib Sammich

At the beginning of December, Beast debuted a new sandwich (I think, unless I missed it along the way), that I really wanted to try, but unfortunately, I couldn’t make it there that day. I waited (kind of) patiently for over a month, and last week, they finally had it again! It’s a beer-braised short rib sammich with onions, beer mustard, and some wonderful gooey gouda cheese, topped with pickle slices, on one of their amazing buns:

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This is my new favorite at Beast, which saying a lot, because I’ve tried so many amazing things there. It had a perfect combination of flavors and textures, and I wouldn’t change anything about it. As always, I’m so happy Beast came to Belleville, and I’m even happier that they’re doing so well, and continuing to come up with amazing new specials!

Tasty Tuesdy–Beast Craft BBQ–My Favorites

I’ve tried quite a few different things at Beast Craft BBQ now, and I’ve decided to make a list of my favorites by category of meat.

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In the poultry category (and I have tried both the turkey and chicken at Beast), The Jive Turkey is my favorite. Any Beast turkey is excellent, but I especially like the combination of flavors (including tomatoes, cucumbers, and smoky mayo), in this sandwich!

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In the beef category, I have to go with The Beefcake. Why, you may ask? First of all, burnt ends. They were the first thing I tried at Beast (other than the fried brussels sprouts), and the reason I fell in love with Beast. Aside from that, The Beefcake also has tobacco onions (onions straws in my world), that are amazing. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, if I could pay Beast to give me a box full of just those, I would! The rest of the sandwich, especially the white BBQ sauce, is great, too!

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In the pork category, I have to go with the biggest sandwich of all–The Pig Daddy. This is the sandwich that actually made me appreciate pork steak, plus it also has ribs, pulled pork, and candied bacon! Of course, you need an army to finish this particular beast, but given that we’re a family of seven, that is not a problem!

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And, the obligatory other category. The things that I include here (The Big NY, The Big Oscar, Pastrami Hash, and Nachos, brisket or otherwise), could go in one of the other meat categories I guess, but they’re such special items, I think they need their own group. Plus, the Brisket Nachos, my favorite item in this category, could fit in with all of the other meats at one time or another, depending on how Beast is serving them (I think I’ve seen both chicken or pork options at different times, as well)!

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Finally, side items. Now, Beast has a lot of good sides. But this one is a complete no-brainer, and I think the only side I’ve ever actually ordered (even though I’ve sampled the different things Ryan has tried)–the fried brussels sprouts. I’m weird in that I like brussels sprouts anyway, but when they’re fried with pork belly…AMAZING. Can’t get enough of them!

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So, those are my current favorites at Beast. Of course, this list may be revised in the future, depending on what new menu items Beast comes up with. But really, everything I’ve tried at Beast has been excellent, so you can’t go wrong, no matter what you order!

Tasty Tuesday–Smokin K’s BBQ & More

Apparently reviewing BBQ restaurants in the Metro East is my thing now…

We ate at Smokin K’s BBQ and more in Millstadt last week, because our church’s youth group was working there for a fundraiser. Like most places around here, the outside is fairly unassuming, although I did appreciate the smoker out front.

The inside is bright and colorful:

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The decor is mostly all of the awards the Smokin K’s BBQ team, 4 Smokin’ Butts, have won, and there are a lot of them!. There are trophies, ribbons, and other various prizes everywhere! Very impressive!

On to the food. I ordered the pastrami reuben and fries, and it was amazing. Definitely the best pastrami I’ve ever had. I liked that the fries were beer battered, and I took the suggestion of one of the owners and sprinkled them with Smokin K’s special seasoning, which was also good. (I also had the 4 Smokin’ Butts Bloody Mary, and it was fantastic…best Bloody Mary I’ve ever had. Very unique presentation, and it was just the right amount of spicy!)

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Ryan tried the slider trio, which included pulled pork, brisket, and pastrami, with a side of beans. He also loved the pastrami, and said the other meats were good, too, but was a little disappointed with the buns, which were somewhat flimsy. He also like the beans, even though they weren’t BBQ beans like he was expecting. That’s ok, though, because he really likes baked beans, and he thought Smokin K’s did a good job of making them!

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We didn’t try any of the desserts, but it sure was fun to look at all of the options in the pie case!

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Smokin K’s isn’t as conveniently located near us like Beast is, but you certainly won’t have to twist our arms to get us to go back there if we’re looking to go out to eat when we’re in Millstadt!

Tasty Tuesday–Righteous Pig BBQ: The Cuban

I’m taking a break from talking about the amazing food at Beast Craft BBQ to talk about another Belleville BBQ location: Righteous Pig.

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Ryan and I recently tried their Cuban sandwich (pork belly pastrami, pulled pork, mustard, BBQ sauce, and pickles).

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The pastrami was amazing…sliced super thin (I was actually shocked by how thin…I was expecting chunks of meat, so this was a very pleasant surprise), and almost prosciutto-like. We both loved it. The pulled pork, however, was dry. Maybe it was just because we ordered near the end of the day, but it was not nearly as remarkable as the pastrami was, and not what we were expecting. The bun was good–an onion roll, it appeared. It did start to fall apart before the sandwich was gone, but the taste was good. The mustard and pickles on the sandwich both added to the flavor, and the BBQ sauce was good…I thought it had a bit of a kick, but Ryan found it to be pretty tame. Go figure.

We also tried the pit beans and the potato salad. Both were good. Ryan really liked the beans, and while he’s not much of a non-mustard potato salad person, he liked that, too. I thought the potato salad was excellent, and I could admit the beans were good, even though I’m not a huge baked beans fan.

Righteous Pig certainly won’t replace my favorite BBQ place, Beast, but it’s worth a try, for the pastrami alone, especially if you’re spending the day in downtown Belleville!

Tasty Tuesday–Beast Craft BBQ: Brisket Nachos

Did you know that Beast Craft BBQ makes brisket nachos? Now, I’ve done brisket nachos at home before…actually, I make them every year with our Fourth of July leftovers. But I may just have to give that up this year, because Beast’s are so much better!

What makes their brisket nachos great (you know, aside from the wonderful Beast brisket)? Let’s start with the…brussels sprouts?!? Yes, the nachos are topped with brussels sprouts, and being a huge fan of them, I love it (there is someone in this house that insisted on picking around the sprouts, however). But, there’s more than just brisket and brussels sprouts on Beast’s nachos. There are also tomatoes and jalapeños, smoked cheddar cheese, a lime sour cream (which is AMAZING), and of course, Beast’s fantastic BBQ sauce.

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The tortilla chips managed to hold up under the weight of all that pretty well…they did get pretty soggy by the end. But when I say all that weight, I really mean it. None of us could believe the amount of toppings on the nachos, and it was a full family effort to finish them.

As always, I’m impressed with the menu items Beast creates…they sound familiar, but they always have a unique Beast twist, which has made everything I’ve tried unlike anything else I’ve ever had before!

Tasty Tuesday–Beast Craft BBQ: Pastrami Hash

I’m mentioned Beast’s amazing pastrami before. Sucker that I am for pastrami, I had to try the pastrami hash when it appeared on the menu, and it didn’t disappoint!

The hash is made with pastrami and brussels sprouts (!!!), and served on top of fries on top of rye bread. The whole thing is then smothered in smoked hollandaise, with the standard Beast pickle slices in top:

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I loved this Beast creation just as much as you would expect. One word of warning, though…this was an extremely salty dish–make sure you have a beverage to go with it!

Tasty Tuesday–Beast Craft BBQ: Apple Bottom Pork Steak Sammich

Yesterday, the Beast Craft BBQ menu featured the Apple Bottom Pork Steak Sammich:

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This is a no frills creation…everything that is on the sammich is in the title. A whole pork steak, which is drenched in apple butter BBQ sauce. Other than the pickle slices (have I mentioned how it tickles me that they put them on top of the bun instead of inside?), that’s all there is to it.

I mentioned that when I tried the “Pig Daddy” that Beast turned me into a pork steak convert. Before tasting their rendition of this St. Louis staple, I was simply not interested. But once I discovered how good Beast’s pork steaks are, I knew I’d try this sammich eventually. I wasn’t disappointed…the pork steak was as good as I remembered from the first time I tried it. And the apple butter BBQ sauce…it seems fairly unassuming at first, but the more you eat of it, the more the heat builds…it definitely has a kick to it!

This was another great Beast creation, but it was way too much, even when sharing. I had no idea how big a whole pork steak is! I was also worried about reheating the leftovers, because I was afraid that doing so would result in the dry pork steak that I’m familiar with and dislike. Any tips on how to manage a good reheat in the future are welcome!

I’m looking forward to seeing what else Beast may do with that apple BBQ sauce in the future!

Tasty Tuesday–Beast Craft BBQ: A Look Inside

I have shared a lot about the delicious food at Belleville’s Beast Craft BBQ, but I realized that I have yet to write about the restaurant itself!

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Beast is in a very unassuming location between a gas station and a bowling alley, but don’t let that discourage you…the inside is well-decorated and clean.

I love the hand-written menus (and especially the occasional illustrations!)…the special is right there when you walk in the door, and the full menu is at the hostess’ station.

To the right is the bar area, which is also where you pick up carryout orders. There are TVs where you can catch the big game, and a few tables in addition to the bar seating:

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The beer wall is the focal point of this area…I love the local selections!

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If beer isn’t your thing, you also have a choice of local soft drinks, featuring Ski:

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In addition to the bar, there is a small dining room. From what I’ve seen, it fills up quickly, so come early, or be ready to wait. Beast doesn’t do reservations.

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Have I mentioned how much I love the Beast logo? It’s perfect in its straightforward simplicity!

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It doesn’t matter if you’re planning on sitting down to eat, or carrying out your food…just visit Beast as soon as possible…you won’t regret it!

Tasty Tuesday–Beast Craft BBQ: Kentucky Hot Brown

Yesterday, Beast had a new turkey creation on the menu…the Kentucky Hot Brown. As soon as I saw it, I started rearranging the dinner menu for the week, just so I could try it!

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In case you’re unfamiliar with the Kentucky Hot Brown, the Beast version stays fairly true to the original, with turkey, pork belly (instead of plain old bacon), tomatoes, cucumbers, and Mornay sauce, which I discovered is a Béchamel sauce with grated cheese added in. The sandwich is served open-faced, which was a first for me at Beast.

This was another amazing addition to the Beast menu, and totally worth changing our dinner plans for the next few days so I could fit it in. I have to admit, as much as I love the burnt ends, I think the turkey might be my favorite item from Beast…it has been amazing every way I’ve tried it, and even plain it’s delicious. But who knows? Maybe Beast will come up with another burnt end speciality that will have me changing my mind about my favorite yet again!

Tasty Tuesday–Beast Craft BBQ: Big Country

Beast had me at asparagus fries…

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The Big Country is another amazing creation from Beast…it’s currently tied with the Beefcake for my favorite beef-based sammich. Brisket and burnt ends, smoked bacon, plus brisket gravy (yeah, they do that!), and asparagus fries, which, as far as I could tell, was really just pan-fried asparagus, similar to how I cook it, and was delicious!

I think I’ve made it clear by now that I absolutely love Beast’s burnt ends, and the brisket is also amazing. The brisket gravy was new to me, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Let me just say, it’s delicious. I have to admit that I let the sammich get a bit cold while I was taking pictures of it and doing a few other things, and I think the gravy would have been even better if I had gotten to it before it cooled off, but even at room temperature, it was great. And the asparagus was a great contribution…a nice little taste of spring, plus, you know, it makes the sammich healthy!

As always, I will be anxiously awaiting Beast’s next creation…I don’t how they keep coming up with interesting and unexpected combos that work so well, but they really do!