We took the best dishes from Atlanta's best barbecue restaurants and assembled this masterpiece
By
Mara Shalhoup
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10781
Photograph by Andrew Thomas Lee, styling by Michelle Norris
No one in town has approached the art of barbecue with more finesse than the cooks and pitmasters at the 10 restaurants ranked in our September barbecue issue. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try yourself. After all, the origins of Georgia barbecue are rooted in backyards, not in restaurants. The barbecue you make at home could be just as good at what you find at the places on our list. Well, almost.
In an effort to create the menu for the backyard cookout of our dreams, we gathered recipes for five of our favorite things to eat—both meats and sides—from three of our favorite barbecue joints. Do you have what it takes to attempt these dishes? There’s one way to find out, and one thing to be sure of: Your friends—at least the ones you invite over—will thank you.
The dishes:
- Heirloom Market BBQ’s ribs with Korean BBQ sauce
- Heirloom Market BBQ’s kimchi slaw
- Community Q’s collard greens
- Community Q’s three-cheese mac and cheese
- Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q Smoked Brisket
All recipes serve eight to 10.
1Heirloom Market BBQ’s ribs with Korean BBQ sauce
For the ribs:
2 racks St. Louis–cut spare ribs
2 cups gochujang paste
Georgia Rub (below)
Heirloom Market Korean BBQ Sauce (below)
For the rub:
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cups brown sugar
⅛ cup smoked paprika
⅛ cup granulated garlic
⅛ cup granulated onion
1 tablespoon Korean red pepper flakes
⅛ cup coarsely ground black pepper
¼ cup kosher salt
Mix thoroughly, and keep in an airtight container.
For the sauce:
½ pound brown sugar
½ pound white sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
⅛ cup sesame oil
¾ cup Sprite
2 cups gochujang paste
Dissolve both sugars in 3 cups hot water. Add all other ingredients, and mix thoroughly.
Preparation
Add a thin layer of gochujang paste to both sides of ribs, then coat them with the rub; wrap the ribs in plastic, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to smoke, reapply rub to any bare spots.
Heat a smoker to between 190 and 225 degrees.
Add ribs, bone side down, and smoke in that temperature range for five to six hours—or until you can lift them with a set of tongs and they bend into an arc but don’t break.
2Heirloom Market BBQ’s kimchi slaw
For the slaw: Slivered green onions and black sesame seeds, for garnish For the kimchi sauce: Preparation For the slaw: In a large bowl, toss cabbage with kimchi sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate. May be served immediately or allowed to rest and ferment for up to two weeks.
8 cups thinly sliced cabbage
½ cup kimchi sauce (see below)
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional
6 cloves garlic
1 ¾ cups water, divided
1 cup coarse gochugaru
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
For the sauce:
In the jar of a blender, process garlic and ½ cup water.
In a large bowl, mix remaining 1 ¼ cups water with gochugaru, sugar, salt, onion powder, black pepper, and garlic mixture. Whisk until sugar is completely dissolved.
Will keep refrigerated for up to two months.
Heirloom Market BBQ Recipes courtesy of Jiyeon Lee and Cody Taylor.
3Community Q’s collard greens
¼ pound butter Preparation Saute the onions, country ham, and ⅛ cup garlic in the butter over medium-low heat. Add the collards and stir. Add the chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for an hour and a half. Add the sherry vinegar, Red Rooster, and ⅛ cup minced garlic. Simmer for 30 minutes or until greens are tender.
4 cup onions, small dice
1 cup country ham, medium dice
⅛ cup garlic, minced
⅛ cup salt
6 pounds collard greens, washed and chopped
3 quarts chicken stock
3 cups water
¾ cup sherry vinegar
⅛ cup Red Rooster
⅛ cup garlic, minced
4Community Q’s three-cheese mac and cheese
1 pound rigatoni Preparation Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Season water with salt. Add pasta to water, and cook until just tender, about 12 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain well in a colander without rinsing. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Add half the cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Parmesan, reserving the rest for the top. Add heavy cream, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer the noodle mixture to a medium buttered gratin dish or casserole. Sprinkle remaining cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Parmesan cheeses on top. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool slightly before serving.
½ pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
½ pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
¼ pound grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 cups heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
5Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q Smoked Brisket
½ cup kosher salt Preparation Get your smoker to 225 degrees using your preferred heating method. Apply wood chips or chunks to allow for smoke. Mix kosher salt and black pepper together to make seasoning rub. Apply rub to brisket. Place brisket on smoker. Add wood chips as necessary to supply ample smoke through the cook. Once the brisket reaches 170 degrees, wrap in butcher paper, and put back on smoker. Continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 200 degrees. (Total cook time should be about an hour and 15 minutes per pound.) Pull off, leaving wrapped, and let rest for two hours. Unwrap and slice against the grain. Fox Bros. recipe courtesy of Justin and Jonathan Fox. This article appears in ourSeptember 2018 issue.
1 cup coarse black pepper
5 to 8 pounds brisket flat
5 pounds hickory wood chips or chucks
