Reds True BBQ Leeds - My thoughts

[Pecker]

I don't want to comment on Reds, as I haven't been, but just on a more general point about autheticity.

I'll take tasty over authentic every day of the week, and twice on Sundays.

I make a Chimmichurri Sauce which everyone (who has tasted it) says is delicious. It's my most asked for recipe, even from veggies.

I've searched on t'internet and, as far as I can tell, it's not really very authentic. I've had steak with Chimmichurri Sauce in an Argentinean restaurant and the sauce was nowhere near as good as mine - I say that with no hesitation at all - but from what I can tell it was authentic.

Should I ditch my recipe and start making it the traditional way, and have a less pleasant experience just so I can proudly boast of my authenticity? Maybe I should - but I'm bloody well not going to!

Steve W

[aris]

I don't want to comment on Reds, as I haven't been, but just on a more general point about autheticity.
I'll take tasty over authentic every day of the week, and twice on Sundays.

Agree 100%

Should I ditch my recipe and start making it the traditional way, and have a less pleasant experience just so I can proudly boast of my authenticity? Maybe I should - but I'm bloody well not going to!

What you should do is share your recipe with us

[Pecker]

At this thread here:

http://www.bbbqs.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=2139

The only thing I'll add is that I wouldn't whixx it too much in the blender, or you just get a thick, frothy, creamy sauce. You're looking for runny liquid with bits in it - just very small bits.

You watch, everyone will hate in now I've bigged it up!

Steve W

[Toby]

Think i am going to knock a batch up this weekend, cooking for the teams comp and i reckon it would be a good offering!

[keith157]

Think i am going to knock a batch up this weekend, cooking for the teams comp and i reckon it would be a good offering!

Save some for Sunday please, it would go a treat on the crackers (assuming I've eaten all the offerings, although 12 teams MIGHT be pushing it )

[Pecker]

Okay, enough yakking.

Me and my mate Mark have finally arranged for our long-planned meet up in Leeds tonight.

I'll be getting there around 5:00 and his train is due in about 6:00. Due to their weekend booking policy I'll be going straight there and asking them on the door if they'll ring us the first table for two that comes free after 6:30.

Hopefully between us we can sample a range of things on the menu.

I've not been to the States or a barbecue competition, so I'll post comment over the weekend based purely on my own tastes (and own barbecues at home) and my general culinary experience.

Steve W

[keith157]

That's all we want, and some pictures as well, preferably of the food but if one of you gets bombed out of his skull and does silly things we'll take that as well

Enjoy and have a great time

[Pecker]

Firstly, we enjoyed it.

Secondly, for information, we had a rack of baby backs and 2 ribs of beef, splitting both.

The baby backs were delicious. A little smoke, not overpowering, a sauce which was a bit sweet and not all that hot (spice-wise), but that's a matter of taste, of course. They were lovely and juicy, and had a very nice bite to them.

The beef was a little drier but far more tender, quite literally falling off the bone. In texture/firmness, it was very much like eating a piece of beef from a beef casserole, only a tad drier.

The sweet potato chips were nice...but not as nice as mine. They were fried, and subsequently quite dry on the outside (this is what happens if you deep fry sweet potatoes). They're far better oven roasted with a little olive oil. Still very nice, though.

The slaw - I want to be clear here, I think coleslaw is the food of the devil. It really is one of the foods I could quite happily never eat again. But you know what? This was actually quite good!

The restaurant itself was very pleasant, good atmosphere, maybe just a tiny bit crowded. Our waitress was new - at least I hope she was new; she clearly didn't have a clue! Having said that, she was polite enough, and didn't make any huge cock ups. She was clearly trying, I just think a little more training would have helped.

Look, the serving trays. I have to say this, I don't care how bloody 'authentic' it is, this is not a 'mom & pop', down-home, sh*t-kicking shack in the back of nowhere, populated by the casts of Deliverance and The Dukes of Hazzard. It's a restaurant in a large metropolitan city, charging an understandably healthy amount for diners wanting to try a range of cuisines. Next week it'll be Thai, last week it was Mexican, etc. The school dinner trays covered in grease paper simply don't cut it. How about serving on a big block of wood?

All in all, a really good time. I'd definitely go back, and it's a place I'd like to take the kids (maybe at a quieter time), or anyone else.

I cannot claim to be massively knowledgeable as to its authenticity - I've never to the States - but I liked the food.

If the aim is to serve juicy, tender, tasty, smoky ribs, then they've hit the target.

On the downside? Being picky, the sauce was a little sweet for me. I’ve said before, I’ve eaten a fair bit of American food, and their tastes do appear to be a bit louder, brasher, a bit more in-your-face than I would like myself. Nothing wrong with that, and this is American food. It certainly wouldn’t put me going off going again. Incidentally, I went for the ‘Unholy Sauce’, which is apparently a bit sweeter than the normal, so that’s my own lookout.

Okay, these are the Baby Backs:



Fries & Slaw:



Beef ribs:



Picked up the beef rib and it was so tender it just slid off:



Hope that helps, and no one minds my opinions.

One more thing, I’ve read others’ comments, and you know what, maybe I just got lucky. To state the obvious, you can’t cook 8 hour ribs to order. Subsequently, it’d be impossible for a place of this size not to have ribs lying around for a while. It’s just inevitable. I think the Baby Backs were great, maybe could have rested a little longer, whilst the beef ribs were possibly just too long out of the oven, but both were very tasty.

Any questions?

Steve W

[Tiny]

Pecker,
Good review, you hinted at it but what was the fiscal damage? 2 sets of ribs, sweet potato chips and slaw I am reckoning £25-28, but if you took beer that would have cost a fortune!

Cheers
Tiny

[Pecker]

Pecker,
Good review, you hinted at it but what was the fiscal damage? 2 sets of ribs, sweet potato chips and slaw I am reckoning £25-28, but if you took beer that would have cost a fortune!

Cheers
Tiny

Sorry, I should have posted that.

A beer each, about £4 or £5.
Baby Backs £14.50 (£12.50 + £1 for the special sauce + £1 for upgrading fries to sweet potatoes)
Beef Ribs £16 (£15 + £1 for the sweet potato fries, as above, but standard sauce))
Slaw £3
Onion Rings £3
Bottle of Malbec £26

About £75 or £80 in total. £40-ish without the drinks.

Steve W