DISH OF THE WEEK: Beef Rib at HOMETOWN BAR-B-QUE

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

My hope was to have a Halloween themed Dish of the Week today, but I haven’t had any scary (in a good way) dishes in a while. So instead, I want to write about my new favorite barbecue restaurant in the entire city. And the dish that really changed the game for me was a gigantic monster. And monsters are very appropriate for Halloween. You like how I did that?

Hometown Bar-b-que has been open for about a year now, but since it’s sequesterd in Red Hook, I haven’t had a chance to try it. Finally, I got a few of my friends together for a full-on barbecue takedown.

You have to know I’m a bit of a BBQ snob. I take it very seriously and don’t stand for just any smoke and meat. I must say this is the best I’ve had in the New York area to date.

Everything is wonderful, from the super tender brisket to the nicely seasoned jerk baby back ribs to the excellent sides (a cheesy sweet cornbread and exemplary mac and cheese). But the gargantuan meat-thing that scared us straight with pleasure was the enormous beef rib.

We only ordered one rib for three hungry guys and we had plenty of meat leftover (although it was next to impossible not to keep eating). The one rib cost us over $40 if you can believe it. But it was worth every penny.

I’m not even usually a fan of beef ribs (I prefer the baby backs), but this featured a blackened crust of peppercorns and spices covering a neverending slab of rich meat and fat. The two merged together to form a pillowy mound of buttery sweetness that quickly parted ways with the bone. This here was like a giant fluffy meat marshmallow. 

It confirms my hypothesis that Hometown is the best barbecue in the city at this point. Despite the ever-growing BBQ scene, I can’t imagine how it could get much better from here. Although I have other plans, this is exactly where I’d like to be on Halloween. And I’d trade every single piece of candy in my satchel for just this one bone. No tricks, just treats.