Mister Cutlets didn't pull the nickname "Mister Cutlets" out of thin air, as his how-to on Danny Meyer's Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, issued this afternoon, clearly shows. Among the Cutlets areas of expertise: smoked meat and the procuring thereof. Here are some of his tips, on the eve of the biggest barbecue event of the year:
· When ordering, it’s not rude to ask the servers to give you particular parts of the meat. When getting pulled pork, ask for some of the “bark,” or “Mr. Brown,” the crusty exterior of the pork butt (a good pork sandwich should always contain some.) For brisket, ask for deckle, the rich, tender cap muscle where all the flavor lives. If someone is about to hand you a gnarly-looking rib or sausage, don’t be ashamed to ask for a different one.Much more meaty goodness at Cutlets.· You can tell if barbecue is done right by certain signs that judges look for in competition. For example, if you take a bite of a rib, the meat should come away cleanly and easily and leave a clear bite mark behind. Pork should be soft enough to shred by hand, but not so soft that it disintegrates. The presence of a ton of sauce is a dead giveaway that the pitmaster has no faith in the taste of his meat.
· How to Properly Pig Out at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party [Cutlets]
