Kansas City-style barbecue facts for kids
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Kansas City-style barbecue combo plate with various meats and fries
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| Type | Lunch, dinner |
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| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Missouri |
| Associated national cuisine | United States |
| Created by | Henry Perry |
| Main ingredients | Beef, chicken, and pork |
Kansas City-style barbecue is a special way of cooking meat slowly over smoke. This delicious style of barbecue started in Kansas City, Missouri, in the early 1900s. It was created by a man named Henry Perry.
Contents
What Makes Kansas City Barbecue Special?
Kansas City barbecue is known for using many different kinds of meat. You can find pork, beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, and even sausage.
Many popular barbecue meats from other cities are also served here. These include pulled pork, brisket, and different cuts of beef ribs and pork ribs.
One very special item is called burnt ends. These are crispy, flavorful pieces cut from the point of a smoked beef brisket. They are a favorite for many!
Kansas City barbecue meats are rubbed with spices before cooking. They are then slow-smoked over different types of wood. A thick, tomato-based barbecue sauce is a key part of this style. Many restaurants offer sauces that are sweet, spicy, or tangy. The most common sauce is usually both sweet (often from molasses) and a little spicy.
Popular side dishes served with Kansas City barbecue include a unique style of baked beans, French fries, and coleslaw.
Barbecue Fun in Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area has over 100 barbecue restaurants. Many of these are famous across the country.
Kansas City also hosts some of the biggest barbecue cooking contests in the world. These include the Great Lenexa BBQ Battle and the American Royal World Series of Barbecue.
History of Kansas City Barbecue
Henry Perry: The Barbecue Pioneer
The story of Kansas City barbecue begins with Henry Perry. He started his barbecue business around 1908. His first spot was in a trolley barn in the famous African-American neighborhood of 18th and Vine.
Perry used to serve slow-cooked ribs on newspaper pages for just 25 cents a slab! He came from near Memphis, and his style was similar to Memphis barbecue. However, Kansas City barbecue often uses more sauce and more types of meat. Perry's first sauce was quite peppery.
His restaurant became a popular place during the exciting time of Kansas City Jazz in the 1920s and 1930s.
Arthur Bryant: A Barbecue Legend
Henry Perry had a cook named Charlie Bryant. Charlie then brought his brother, Arthur Bryant, into the business. After Henry Perry passed away in 1940, Charlie took over the restaurant. Then, in 1946, Arthur took over from his brother, and the restaurant was renamed Arthur Bryant's.
Arthur Bryant's moved to 1727 Brooklyn. It became a favorite spot for baseball fans and players in the 1950s and 1960s. This was because it was close to Municipal Stadium, where the Kansas City Athletics baseball team played.
In 1972, a writer named Calvin Trillin wrote an article saying Bryant's was the best restaurant on Earth! Even after becoming famous, Arthur Bryant kept the restaurant simple. It had fluorescent lights and plain tables. Famous people like Presidents Harry S. Truman, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan visited.
Arthur Bryant passed away in 1982. But his restaurant is still open today, and its sauce is still very popular. Inside, you can see photos of many famous people who have visited.
Gates and Sons: A Family Tradition
In 1946, Arthur Pinkard, who also cooked for Henry Perry, teamed up with George Gates. They started Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q. Their first restaurant was in the same neighborhood.
Gates barbecue sauce is different because it does not use molasses. It comes in different flavors like Original Classic, Mild, Sweet & Mild, and Extra Hot.
Gates and Sons grew into a chain of restaurants. They all have red roofs, a special logo (a man in a tuxedo and top hat), and a friendly "Hi, may I help you?" greeting when you walk in.
Today, Gates has six restaurants in the Kansas City area. You can also find their barbecue sandwiches at Kauffman Stadium during Kansas City Royals baseball games and at Arrowhead Stadium during Kansas City Chiefs football games.
Other Famous Barbecue Spots
Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue
Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue started as the second restaurant in the Smokestack BBQ chain. Jack Fiorella, the owner's son, opened his own Smokestack location in 1974.
Jack and his family wanted to offer more than just traditional barbecue. They added things like hickory-grilled steaks, lamb ribs, beef ribs, and grilled seafood. They also made the dining experience more comfortable and offered good service. This made their Martin City restaurant very successful.
In 1996, Jack Fiorella was named "Restaurateur of the Year." Later, Jack opened new restaurants, but he couldn't use the "Smokestack" name anymore. So, his restaurants became known as Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue.
They started shipping their barbecue all over the country in 2000. Jack Stack Barbecue has been featured on TV shows like The Food Network and The History Channel. It has also been called one of the best barbecue places in the U.S. by many magazines.
Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que
Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que began with barbecue competitions. Jeff Stehney and his wife Joy started their competition team, Slaughterhouse Five, in 1993. They won many awards, including the big American Royal BBQ contest.
In 1996, Jeff and Joy opened Oklahoma Joe's Bar-B-Que in a gas station in Kansas City, Kansas. Later, they changed the name to Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que. They now have other locations too.
Famous chef Anthony Bourdain said Joe's original location was one of "13 Places You Must Eat Before You Die." Men's Health magazine called it "America's manliest restaurant." It was also featured on the TV show Man v. Food.
KC Masterpiece Sauce
In 1977, Rich Davis created KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce. He wanted to share the taste of Kansas City barbecue. This sauce is sweeter and thicker than many traditional Kansas City sauces. It uses extra molasses to get its sweet and thick texture.
KC Masterpiece became very popular and is now one of the top barbecue sauce brands in the U.S.
Curt's Famous Meats
Curt's Famous Meats is a meat market that started in 1947. It is known for its barbecue prepared with Kansas City spices. Curt's has won the American Royal barbecue competition eight times!
Curt's is located in Independence, Missouri. It is also famous for its mostly female staff, known as the "Lady Meat Cutters."
Jones Bar-B-Q
Jones Bar-B-Q is a small, independent barbecue place in Kansas City, Kansas. It is owned by two sisters, Deborah and Mary Jones.
Many people have praised their barbecue. In 2016, they were thought to be the only Kansas City barbecue place owned and run by women pitmasters.
In 2018, the sisters appeared on Steve Harvey's TV show Steve. In 2019, they were featured on the TV series Queer Eye. After the show, they got a makeover for their restaurant and started bottling their sauce. They even had to add a second barbecue pit because so many people wanted their food!
In 2019, Bloomberg News named Jones Bar-B-Q's Coconut Pineapple sauce as one of their top five favorite barbecue sauces.
