Dining Out in NYC: BBQ

On the lookout for some Q.

Pulled pork.

Chicken wings.

Mmmmm, tasty.

Street food is practically a way of life in New York City. Hot dog carts and kebob/roast nut stands dot most corners while various brands of traveling gyro litter the busier intersections. I crossed paths with one of the more interesting of these roving eateries after I moved from my former perch on the Bushwick edge of Williamsburg to my new digs on the Bed/Stuy end of Clinton Hill in Brooklyn. Coming home from work I spotted my new building and, not half a block away, saw a large red truck with a large red pig-shaped sign. I could hardly believe my eyes as I approached and realized that I had stumbled upon the ultimate in wheeled cuisine: mobile barbecue.

Kings County BBQ - generally residing on Quincy St at the corner of Bedford Ave - boasts a modest menu of Kansas City-style barbecue. Ribs, brisket, chicken drumsticks and pulled chicken adorn the menu with the usual suspects on the side: beans, fries, slaw and veggies. The stars of my dinner, however, would be two of my BBQ joint favorites: chicken wings and a pulled pork sandwich.

While I waited for the food the proprietor - whose name I didn't think to get while I was salivating over the idea of barbecue - was quite engaging as he prepared his fare. As well, several other locals engaged him in conversation as if they were old friends and as we chatted he even invited me to a little New Year's BBQ soiree near Pratt Institute.

The pork - accompanied by some sliced pickles and cole slaw - was pretty good, suffering the pitfalls you'd expect from a sandwich served from a truck in 35 degree weather. As pulled pork needs to be slow-cooked, the meat was obviously cooked off-site and heated up (via microwave) before being finished in a metal bowl over a grill with some dabs of BBQ sauce (the majority of the sauce for the sandwich was served on the side.) As expected, the microwave dried out the meat a bit but the barbecue sauce was nice and smoky (with a slight tang) and the cole slaw was fresh and crisp. Overall the sandwich - served on plain white bread, of course - was fairly tasty, everything considered.

The spotlight of the evening, though, goes to the chicken wings. Marinated in an apple brine, the wings are then dropped into a deep-fryer on the spot - each order made to order - and then tossed in a bowl with sauce and about half a table spoon of melted butter. The brine gave the wings a distinctive tartness while the light coating of sauce added a little smoky finish. The wings themselves were juicy and plump with just the right amount of crispness - perfectly fried.

While I might go for another pulled pork sandwich some time in warmer weather, the wings are definitely something I will be returning for. In general I expect the food cooked on-site (chicken wings, chicken drumsticks, burger, turkey burger) to be excellent as the flavors in the food were good all around. The prepared food (brisket, pulled chicken, pulled pork, ribs) will probably suffer a bit - especially in cold weather - from reheat syndrome but will still be quite passable for a quick fix.

And judging by the location, it will be a frequent fix as well.

© Eric Atienza 2008 Some rights reserved.

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