Hog-A-Mania!

Image by K. Todd Storch via Flickr

Anthony Bourdain is a traveling, boozing, foodie icon. Therefore when Mr. Bourdain speaks, I listen. So when he informed me in the June issue of Men's Health Magazine of "13 Places to Eat Before You Die," I said yes sir.

Number 13 on the list is a Kansas City BBQ joint called Oklahoma Joe's. Why it’s called Oklahoma when it’s in Kansas City? I have no idea, and to tell you the truth I stopped caring as soon as I was close enough to have the smell of tasty smoked meat waft my direction. It’s a smell that pretty much renders me brain-dead to any thought other than satisfying my appetite. After walking a full two miles to get there from my hotel (dumb idea, don’t ask why cuz I don’t know) I had mentally regressed to what I would imagine to be about the level of Neanderthal man.

Upon arrival, the line stretched out the door and into the parking lot of the gas station/BBQ oasis known as OK Joe's. This was discouraging but I was not to be deterred from my goal of consuming delicious animal flesh. The wait was actually relatively short and painless thanks to an efficient ordering system and a great staff.

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When the time came for me to order, I froze. There were too many tempting dishes to chose from. I knew I had to do, work my magic and get the inside info. Long story short, I ended up getting a little ditty that’s not even on the menu. Yeah, I’m that good.

It is called the hog-a-mania and it is a plate of porky bliss. It consists of a hearty serving of smoked pork sausage, a heaping portion of tender pulled pork, and a quarter rack of BBQ pork ribs. All this was served atop two slices of buttery toasted white bread with choice of two sides, I had their famous fries and some baked beans that could almost be considered chili.

Image by Generation X-Ray via Flickr

When it comes to BBQ it’s all about the rub and the smoke, not the sauce. However, OMG the sauce at OK Joe’s is amazing. Cowtown Barbecue Sauce, as it’s called, is not vinegary, it’s not tomatoey, and it’s not syrupy. It is a beautiful balance of all of the above with the addition of some unique spices. To refrain from drowning out the flavor of the meat I went light on the sauce, until I hit the fries. Be careful when saucing the fries, it may get to the point that they have been sauced so much that they are too slippery for hand to mouth transfer. My solution, use a fork or get a bib.