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Early Sunday evening, September 6, 2010, my day of attending the 2010 Nugget Rib Cook-off was beginning to wind down, and after walking over 10 miles, and probably drinking at least that many beers during the course of the day, I was beginning to think about having some ribs for dinner, which seemed appropriate, since I'd spent the day wandering around some of the best rib cookers in the country. But what sets each one apart from each other? I've sampled enough ribs in my time of attending cook-offs to know that all of the ribs are good, no... make that delicious - and sometimes it's just the little things, or attention to detail that makes one rib cooker stand out from the crowd.
Photo: It's still busy on this early Sunday evening in Sparks, Nevada, as I snap a photo of BJ's... good thing I don't mind people in the foreground, as there are lots of 'em... something like 50,000 I heard... For some rib enthusiasts, it's the sauce, or maybe the rub, or perhaps the cute girl that's behind the counter, or cooking the ribs. For me, I look for smoke, as there's nothing that draws me closer to a rib restaurant than a smoky pit, or a smoky grill, especially when the grill is fired with mesquite logs. And yes, I was drawn to BJ's pit like a moth to a flame, as I could see clouds of smoke, and I could smell the fragrant aroma of mesquite smoke, and my hunch was confirmed by the large bags of mesquite charcoal and mesquite logs stored near the grill. But BJ's fires their grill with an unusual twist, as BJs places peeled onion halves over the mesquite coals. I asked one of the pitmasters if the onions were for flavor - in Mexico, the grill surface is rubbed with an onion half to enhance the flavor and clean the grill - but he told me that the main reason for the onion halves was to keep flare-ups in check, but he admitted that the onions did add some additional flavor to the ribs. The was enough to convince me to enjoy dinner at BJ's Nevada Barbecue Company on this pleasant Sunday evening.
Photo: Grilling ribs at BJ's...
Photo: Close photo of onion slices grilling over mesquite charcoal and logs, which attracted me to BJ's. To my knowledge, BJ's Nevada Barbecue is the only cooker in the Rib Cookoff that uses onion scraps to enhance the flavor and control the fire. I have since added this ritual to my home barbecue, every time I cook, as it's a lot of fun, and it smells wonderful. As I waited in line to order, I not only contemplated what I wanted to order, but I also had a chance to check out the many trophies and awards that BJ's has won over the course of the 20 years or so that they've been serving real Nevada-style barbecue. I noted that they're a six-time "Best of the West" rib cook-off winner, and they claim to be the preferred barbecue joint in Sparks, Reno and Carson City. Works for me... Since this is a rib cook-off, BJ's menu provided a seeming endless array of ribs, but they also offered chicken and brisket, but after seeing pork ribs cooking over the mesquite-fired grill, complete with onion halves, for me, anything other than ribs wasn't an option. I greeted the friendly counter girl, Brady, and ordered the Rib Combo Plate, which included a half-slab of ribs, beans, potato salad, and a piece of corn bread. I could see staff members in the kitchen area, chopping up meat, making sandwiches, preparing side dishes, and I noticed a couple of pots of beans and potatoes simmering on a stove. I asked Brady if everything was made on-site, and se reassured me that everything was, and the fact that they use nothing but fresh ingredients. OK, everybody says that, but when you see folks peeling potatoes, chopping onions, and a pot of potatoes simmering on the stove, you know you're eating fresh food!
Photo: Grilling ribs, after applying barbecue sauce.
Photo: I'm waiting in line at BJ's, and I get the chance to admire their many trophies and awards that they've accumulated over the years of entering barbecue contests. I have to admit that I couldn't taste any onion flavor in the ribs, but I can say that the ribs were absolutely delicious, flavorful, most, and so tender that the meat almost fell off the bone. Like most cook-off competitors, BJ's mops their ribs with their own barbecue sauce, and the ribs were covered with tangy-sweet sauce that complimented, but didn't overpower the delicious flavor of the ribs. Delicious ribs, and finger lickin' good, but nothing particularly special; ditto about the cornbread. But the potato salad... Oh my! The potato salad alone would be worth a trip to BJ's, as it's rates among the best commercially produced potato salad that I've had the pleasure to enjoy in a long time. If you're a lover of quality potato salad, Bj's is your kind of place.
Photo: Gotcha!!! The friendly counter guy points at me, as I snap his photo. I'm next in line, as he's just prepared a box of ribs, potato salad and beans for the very startled lady to the right of the photo. If you're a fan of the genres of barbecue found in the United States, and you're wondering what genre Nevada-style barbecue favors, I noted that it is an offshoot of Kansas City-style barbecue, and also very similar to California-style barbecue, another offshoot of the Kansas City-style, but without the tri-tip roast, as the California sub-style is noted for. A big difference is that Kansas City barbecue uses hickory, California barbecue uses oak, and the folks at BJ's use mesquite, which is a trademark of Texas-style barbecue. I'm confused... but despite my confusion, BJ's Nevada Barbecue Company produces outstanding barbecue.
Photo: I smile, as I'm ready to enjoy some of the best best barbecue Western Nevada has to offer. As an afterthought, I added sauce to my ribs, which was a great idea, as the sauce added lots of amazing flavor. After the photo was taken, I asked for a styrafoam box to put my meal in, as all seats were taken nearby, and I planned to hike a quarter mile, just outside the cookoff area, to enjoy a seat, and a beer with my meal.
Photo: My dinner of ribs, beans and some of the best potato salad in the business. Needless to say, I enjoyed every finger lickin' good piece of the meal. The ice-cold beer didn't hurt the atmosphere at all... I'm glad to see a local barbecue team make good at the Nugget Rib Cook-off, and BJ's Nevada Barbecue Company certainly well represents the greater Reno area in barbecue, and the residents of the State of Nevada should be proud to have BJ's call their state home. BJ's
Nevada Barbecue Company Copyright(c) 2010 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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