Tag Archives: beef ribs

Eating all the meats at Benny’s Barbecue

July 22, 2022
greedocatucci
0 comments
BBQ, BBQ turkey, beef brisket, beef ribs, Benny's Barbecue, ribs, sausage

Now, one thing I was missing during all the lockdowns was some real-deal BBQ. I mean, I did order some BBQ takeout a couple times, but it’s just not the same when it’s sitting in a container for half an hour before you get to eat it. So when I heard about Benny’s Barbecue, this funky new BBQ joint that just opened in a little shack down an alley just north of Yonge & Eglinton, then you KNOW I had to check it out, bro!!!

And when it comes to BBQ, I usually can’t just eat one meat, or two or three… so I went with a Sampler platter, which has a little bit of everything — pulled pork, beef brisket, back ribs, side ribs, turkey and sausage. And since it was Saturday, and they only serve beef ribs on Saturdays, I had to get one of those, too.

Pulled pork was nice and tender, tastes good with a pickle and a bit of BBQ sauce on top.

Brisket was more on the fatty side, which is just the way I like it. (Friends don’t let friends eat lean brisket, bro!) This meat didn’t need no sauce — nice and tender and you can cut it with a fork.

Sausage was hot n juicy with a nice snap. Nothing wrong with that at all!

Now, it’s been a little while since I’ve had BBQ turkey, and this wasn’t as tender as the last place I remember — that place is closed now though, bro! And it feels like I got five slices of turkey, compared to just two slices of brisket. Kinda wish it was the other way around…

And now, ribs. These side ribs weren’t bad, but I’d take the bigger, meatier back ribs any day:

Of course, since we’re talking bout ribs, now it’s time for the main event…

These beef ribs were just as good, as not better as that place where the owner didn’t have a permit. While I did have a few inedible fatty/gristly bits, the meat on here just melted in my mouth, bro!!!!

And while this would probably be enough food for three people, it’s just another light snack in Flavourtown. I will say that I did NOT have room for dessert, though…

BBQ beef ribs and beers… Oh my!

Now that we’ve reached a point where restaurants have reopened for indoor dining, it’s time for me to check out some funky joints that don’t have a patio. Like C’est What, one of the OG craft brewpubs in the city, at the corner of Front and Church. This place is soooo underground, it’s literally in a basement, bro! And they’re serving up all kinds of local craft beer, along with comfort food classics like poutine, mac ‘ n cheese, and these bad-to-the-bone BBQ beef ribs:

Now, these ribs were boiled, not smoked, but the meat was still pretty tender. Sauce had a pretty decent kick, especially when you dipped the meat in the extra sauce on the side. Coleslaw and hash-brown potatoes aren’t things I would normally eat with BBQ, but they got the job done. After a few beers, I definitely couldn’t complain!!!

And speaking of beers, we’re starting off with a Hopping Mad IPA from Granite Brewery. This copper cask beer had a nice punch, at 60 IBU, without being too puckery, and was still very crushable at 6%.

Speaking of IPAs, this Surround Sound DIPA from Collective Arts kicks it up a notch with Azacca, Amarillo and Comet hops, coming in at 8.2%. Definitely a lot more juicy and citrusy, if you’re into that!

But now we’re getting into the darker stuff, with a Long Shadow stout from Fairweather Brewing. They brew this one with coconut, vanilla and coffee, giving it a similar chocolately taste to Granville Island’s Lions Winter Ale, a personal favourite…although it’s not quite as rich. Would definitely try this again, though!

Speaking of dessert beers, this home-brewed C’est What Mocha Porter is a pretty decent one to curl up in front of a fireplace with. Plus, they donate one dollar from every pint to feminism, so I did my good deed for the day, son!!!

Even after that four-course liquid dinner, you KNOW I’ve still got room for dessert, bro! This chocolate hazelnut brownie, with ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry on top really hits the spot!!!

Riding these Cowboy Beef Short Ribs @ Smoque N’ Bones

Dude, this is body by beef ribs! I once ate beef ribs at Beach Hill Smokehouse AND Adamson Barbecue in the same weekend, and even polished one off with a side of Kitchen Sink Fries. But when I heard that Smoque N’ Bones, this funky little BBQ joint on Queen St, was serving up two Cowboy Beef Short Ribs for 48 bucks, you KNOW I was gonna ride that bucking bronco, bro!!!!!

OK, now let’s break it down. These big, beefy beauties were pull-apart tender, slathered in a tangy sauce — but not too much sauce, hoss! They did give you more sauce on the side, though… Oh, and speaking of sides, their potato salad was so outta bounds, you gotta shut the back door AND buy a ticket!!!!

Now, that’s not a spiky, bleach-blond hairdo on top of those taters — those are Hickory Sticks, the best chips ever!!! This secret ingredient adds a little crunch to this double-barrelled potato attack…and they’ve even got some pulled pork in there, too!

Because you KNOW I’m not gonna walk into a funky joint like Smoque N’ Bones and order a Budweiser…this here’s some Truth Serum, a nice, hoppy IPA from Rorschach Brewing. Not too bitter, with a hit of sweetness, and not one, not two, but three kinds of hops, this brew will have you pass a lie detector with flying colours, son!!!!!!

Dirty Deeds, Done with Beef @ Yonge-Dundas Rib Fest

Now, some people might spend the May 24 weekend getting wasted at the cottage with the long-reigning monarch of a by-gone era. But for me, the unofficial start of summer is the Yonge-Dundas Rib Fest, right in downtown Flavourtown. You’ve got beef ribs, pork ribs, brisket sammies, a bloomin’ onion, churros…and even an AC/DC tribute band!? Shut the front, back, rear, side, aft, port and starboard doors, son!!!

So, outta all the meat merchants, you KNOW I had to hit up Texas Jack’s from Arlington, Texas. Or, at least that’s what their sign said — the girl behind the counter was wearing a trucker hat from Martin’s BBQ in Nashville. Now, Texas BBQ is all about the brisket, and while you couldn’t get it lean or fatty, they were serving up chopped brisket sandwiches like they do after 2 pm at Franklin’s:

Now, this sandwich might be like 14 bucks, but at least they don’t shortchange ya on the meat, shoving all kinds of chopped beefy goodness between two hot dog buns. The only thing I’d say, and I don’t say this every day, is that this brisket couldda used some sauce — but that’s actually my bad for not squirting some from the giant containers out front.

Now, even though I saw em sitting right there on the grill, these beef ribs weren’t actually on the menu, which meant you had to make a special request. This also meant that the meat had probably been sitting on the grill too long — I had to really rip at it with my two front teeth. But hey, anytime you gotta fight your food, that just makes it taste better, right?

Of course, even after putting more meat in my mouth than I did at the Montana Testicle Festival, you KNOW I still had room for dessert, bro! These chocolate-covered churros were two for six dollars, and came with an all-you-can-sprinkle sugar bar. Since the wind was blowing, there was so much white powder on my clothes that I looked like I was partying with Charlie Sheen, son!!!

As for the tuneage, The AC/DC Show Canada was the closest we’ll get to catching the Thunder from Down Under without somebody like Axl Rose singing. And hey, they might not have giant cannons, an inflatable Rosie or a swinging Hell’s Bell, but at least they didn’t play any of the boring AC/DC songs from the last 20 years!!!

You call THAT a dinosaur rib, bro???

You know me, I loves me some beef ribs, bro! I once ate two beef ribs in three days, all in the name of friendly competition. So when I heard there was this new BBQ joint in the east end with Dinosaur Beef Ribs on the menu, I knew I had to come check it out. It turns out the dishes at Blackjack BBQ weren’t exactly as advertised, though…

Now, I never ate a dinosaur before — I’m still waiting for someone to come up with a real-deal Hot Tub Time Machine — but I would definitely expect it to have bigger ribs. Even in the world of beef ribs, these are really not that big. And there’s a big fat lie right on the menu, where it says you get two to an order…they actually gave you three. But at least that wasn’t a bad lie.

On the other hand, I do not believe them when they say these puppies were hickory smoked. I did not taste any smokiness, nor was there any kind of smoke ring. These tasted more like they were boiled in a pot, and maybe finished in the oven — and I would know, because I tried that once, and it didn’t go that great. But I still think my hometown heroes were a bit better than this?

Now, you mighta caught a glimpse of some green stuff on my plate. Do not adjust your set, I actually did order a side salad. But that’s only because I also went for some Texas Supreme Fries–what, you thought this was Burgers, Bacon and Greens or something???

Now, this was actually a pretty decent take on chili fries…but what killed it, and not in the way that my Bro-man from another Maman Johnny Gaudreau has been killing it for the Flames this season, was the sour cream. The coldness did not mix well with the hot fries and chili, and there was kind of a salty bitterness to it???

I dunno bro, but next time I’m hangin’ with my homies in Gerrones, we’ll be chillin’ at Poor Romeo instead!!!

Sushi Legend: Come for the AYCE sushi, stay for the beef!

So, we’re hanging out at Sushi Legend, this funky AYCE sushi joint all up in an Asian strip mall at Finch and Leslie. Now, this place is pretty legit–you know they’ve got sushi, they’ve got sashimi, chicken katsu, fish cakes, peel-and-eat shrimp… But what really makes it is this tasty trio of beef dishes. Why settle for all-you-can-eat sushi when you can have all-you-can-eat beef, bro???

We’re starting out with some torched beef sushi. Man, I musta slammed at least 17 of these! The meat is nicely grilled, served on a bed of rice, with a little bit of fruit on top. One of the best beef dishes I’ve had this week!

Next up, you’ve got these garlic steak bites. They might be tiny little pieces of meat, but they’re packed with flavour, hot off the wok with crushed garlic overtop. Goes great with the garlic mushrooms, which they’re serving up the same way…

But man, the best dish on the entire AYCE menu might be these Korean-style beef ribs. The meat is super tender, grilled to perfection, and you can just bite it right off the bone. Bro, I could eat my body weight in these babies and still have room for dessert! Oh, and speaking of dessert…

Can you say AYCE creme brulee, Jose???

TORONTO BBQ BEEF RIB BATTLE: Adamson Barbecue vs. Beach Hill Smokehouse

Dude, is there anything better than Texas style barbecue, bro? Now, I can’t go to Texas every day (when I do, I hit up Franklin Barbecue), but there are a couple funky BBQ joints in Toronto doing it up right: Adamson Barbecue and Beach Hill Smokehouse. I’ve had a whole buncha smoked meats at both of these places, and it’s all pretty legit. But there remained one last meat kingdom to be conquered, and that’s beef ribs. So I figured, why not try them both, and see how they stack up?

Beef ribs are usually the rarest delicacy of the barbecue world–most places only offer them one or two days a week, and they sell out pretty quickly. When I went to Franklin, the guy three spots ahead of me got the last beef bone, so I can’t compare these ones to the best in the world… But what I will say is you can’t really go wrong either way.

Adamson Barbecue

So, let’s start off in alphabetical order. The lineup outside Adamson for this Beef-Rib-Straganza started around 10:15–by 10:30, it was already a couple dozen deep. This Saturday afternoon special sells for 28 bucks a pound, and what you see above is about a pound of beef. Their meat was so juicy and fatty that they actually cut a chunk of pure fat right off it–but what was left was so tender than even the fatty bits were delicious.

Basically, this was beef brisket on a bone, and it’s honky-tonk redonkadonk! The potato salad on the side was super fresh, and the (cold) macaroni salad added some nice little zip. Oh, and they also had burnt ends on special, seven bucks for a quarter pound. You KNOW I can’t say no to burnt ends, bro!!!!

Mmm, meat candy…

Beach Hill Smokehouse

Beach Hill’s beef ribs are an even rarer treat–they only serve ’em up on Thursdays. And while there was no one ahead of me when I showed up right around 11, I’m told these babies definitely don’t last until dinner. And it’s probably best to get ’em when they’re fresh. The meat you see here was melt-in-your-mouth tasty. Some of the stuff towards the back was a little tougher, maybe not as tender as Adamson, but they also didn’t need to take a big chunk of fat off, either. I think I probably got more beef for my buck at Beach Hill.

FINAL VERDICT: This was actually a tougher call than I thought it would be. I kinda feel like if Adamson had served me up a meatier middle rib, I might be giving them the edge–but I have to judge them on the portion they provided. So that’s why I’m giving Beach Hill Smokehouse the title of best BBQ beef rib in Toronto…but you really can’t go wrong either way, unless you show up too late.

And when it comes to availability, it’s advantage Adamson. You might have to get there 45 minutes early, but you will be able to buy beef ribs on a Saturday. On the other hand, unless you live and/or work near Main and Gerrard, this blog post might be the closest you’ll ever get to a Beach Hill beef rib–unless you take a Ferris Beef-Rib’s Day Off…

Everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink fries, bro!!!!

So, we’re hanging out at Hogtown Smoke, this friendly neighbourhood BBQ joint in the Beaches. Now, I heard this place is serving up one of the funkiest starters in town, a redneck take on poutine that’s totally honky-tonk redonkadonk–Kitchen Sink Stacked Fries!

OK, now let’s break it down. You’ve got some hand-cut, french-fried potaters, topped with pulled pork, cheese, coleslaw, BBQ sauce and a whole buncha root-beer baked beans. It’s like a culinary gangbang in Flavourtown, heading straight down my piehole! But wait, how did that piece of beef get in there???

We’re talking brontosaurus bone beef rib, bro! Cuz you KNOW those fries was just a small side dish! This marvelous meat sensation tips the scales at 1 pound, 8 ounces–that’s like a culinary food baby in Flavourtown! Dude, this was so much food I almost didn’t finish it. But almost only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades, son!!!!

NO FRY LEFT BEHIND, BRO!!!!

How to make TheBomb.ca beef ribs at home

I fucking love beef ribs, bro!!!! Whether it’s eating them for breakfast at a ribfest, a whole whack of them for 19 bucks at Smoke Bourbon, or finding them on special at one of the many great BBQ joints all over this city, if you’re asking “Where’s the beef?” the answer is straight down my piehole, son! But one thing I’ve never done was try to make them at home. So when I saw beef ribs on special at Longo’s, I figured I’d give’r a go. Here’s how that all went down:

OK, so first of all, I found this recipe on the internet for insane-in-the-membrane beef ribs, so I knew it had to be good. The recipe says to boil ’em for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven and prepare the sauce. But I ain’t got stuff like red wine, brown sugar or curry powder ’round here, so instead, I reached for my old friend Bull’s-Eye. It’s the official sauce of the Stampede, son!

But this ain’t any old BBQ sauce–it’s Guinness BBQ sauce, bro! Pretty sure I bought this on St. Patty’s Day on the way home from Pogue Mahone, cuz the seal was already broken ‘n shit…but it’s all good in the Flavourhood, homes!

So, once the ribs came out of the pot, I smothered ’em in enough Guinness sauce to drown an Irishman, then stuck ’em in the oven for half an hour. The recipe said to pour the remaining sauce overtop, but since I didn’t measure, that just meant more saucy goodness for me!!!

So now, here comes the fun part. At this point, these ribs have taken me 50 minutes to prepare, and I’m so hungry I could eat a flip-flop with nothing on it, and it would still taste good! Alas, these ribs weren’t quite the stuff that legends are made of. I shouldda cut the fat off the back first, and probably didn’t need to cook them so long–but that’s not to say I didn’t lick my plate clean like KISS with no makeup, bro!

Beef ribs for brunch, bro!!!!

Man, I love the smell of grilled meat in the morning! And this weekend, at Yonge-Dundas Square, they’re all fired up like Pat Benatar from 11 am until 11 pm for the Northern Heat Series Yonge Dundas Square Ribfest. At this place, they grill ’em all–chicken, ribs, pulled pork, and this tender nugget of beef-love in Flavourtown, served up in a slab for 23 bucks and change, son!

Now, we got our ribs from Oak & Barrel straight outta Chilliwack, and lemme tell ya, they weren’t gone gone gone too long straight down my piehole, bro! They’ve got this wicked-awesome whiskey-soaked BBQ sauce that takes this dish straight down to Downtown Flavourtown. We scarfed down so many of these suckers that my body is at least 5% beef rib right now. Good thing I don’t hafta take a Beefalyzer before getting behind the wheel of the Camaro!!!!

1 2 Next →