#69 – BRANDT RANCH BEEF BRISKET at FATTY ‘CUE

Once again Time Out New York released their Top 100 Dishes of the year and once again, I’m going to eat my way through every one. And no price point or subway delay will stop me. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100.

I had absolutely no reason to return to Fatty ‘Cue. After a less than pleasant experience at Fatty Crab and my previous list outing here, I decided I was pretty much done with Zac Pelaccio’s ultra-hip fatty restaurants. Except I still had to try the Brandt Ranch Beef Brisket from Time Out’s list. The first time we went they were out of it and we were only able to conquer the Whole Pig. So now I had no choice but to return.

It was rather early on a Wednesday night yet I was still surprised that there was not much of a crowd at Fatty Cue. We got a seat right away. The atmosphere this time was bright and much less noisy. It felt like a neighborhood bar rather than the hottest, funkiest restaurant in Brooklyn. I wonder if the lack of customers was because it was early on a weekday night or if because the restaurant was recently shut down by the Health Department thanks to too many violations or if people finally realized that the food is overly fatty and way overpriced.

Any of those reasons may have kept me away if it wasn’t for the list item. I was shocked (although not too surprised) that the Brisket cost $23. When does BBQ ever cost that much? For that price, I expect a full on steak. But not at Fatty Cue. The dish looked almost identical to the Whole Pig we got a few months back. The concept here is Asian flavors integrated into Southern-style barbecued meat. So what better way to fully realize that concept then to make the dish into bao? Bao are little steamed buns stuffed with meat and sauces. But come on, how many times are you gonna do the same thing?

That being said, my second experience at Fatty ‘Cue was much more enjoyable than the first time around. The celery salad was interesting, if a little too aggressively acidic with the yuzu and sesame oil. And I’m a sucker for pork ribs and the sticky sweet Heritage Ribs were quite tasty and meaty. It still blows my mind they get away with serving just three (and one was tiny) ribs for $12.

I did like this brisket better than the overly fatty pork pieces from my last visit. The chunky nubs were full of flavor yet it was clear that most of the bites were layered with soft fat. The waiter told us the thinner slices were leaner, but they too had a layer of lard – it was just easier to eat around. I’ve been through my disdain of fat for fat-sake before on this site. I like when the fat (which of course is the real flavor of meat) is incorporated throughout the pieces rather than just left to coat my mouth.

The dish was served with a mild chili jam and some pickled red onions. The food runner instructed us to stuff everything into one of the steamed buns and then dip it into the brown dipping sauce (bone broth) before eating. The bone broth didn’t add a whole lot to the experience. It moistened the steamed buns, but mainly just added some flavorless grease. The meat itself, which was smoky and tender was the best part. I just wish the meat outweighed the fat.

I’m glad I returned to Fatty ‘Cue. Even though the meal wasn’t perfect, it was much better the second time. I’d still be careful what I order since it’s difficult to fill up here without paying a fortune. And even when you do fill up, you’re eating more fat than anything else. Will I return? That depends if Time Out adds a list item from here next year.

Would Fatty ‘Cue’s Brandt Ranch Beef Brisket make my Top 100 of the Year? I admit that the flavors were tasty if a bit mild and the fat overload was slightly less offensive as on the similarly composed Whole Pig. This dish gets a 6 out of 10.