| rev:text
| - Great BBQ is more about the quality of the meat, the rub, and the amount of smoke time, than it is about the sauce. To that end, I find that good BBQ is rather hit and miss in the Madison area. That's why I was so surprised to find such excellent BBQ coming out of a food cart about the size of your average pop-up travel trailer.
It's called the Pickle Jar, a rather unlikely name for an eatery that specializes in BBQ. But, hey, it's a name I'll remember, especially after tasting their delicious smoked meats. And what's this? Homemade pie for dessert? Wow, two of my most favorite things in the world ... BBQ and pie.
I paid them a visit on a Wednesday afternoon when they were set up at the Capitol View Farmers' Market, off Cottage Grove Road on the city's far East Side. The food cart moves around, so it's always best to check their website (http://www.picklejarbbq.com) to find where they will be on any given day.
I ordered two sandwiches (pulled pork and beef brisket) and a slice of cherry pie (pie flavors vary daily). The group I was with also ordered a platter of pork ribs to share.
I'll start with the ribs: Excellent meat, full size pork ribs (not baby-backs) with just the right ratio of fat to lean. Intense smoke flavor, which I really like. A very excellent rub, bringing out the flavor of the meat without overpowering it. Sauce, served on the side, was sweet and tangy. Of all the meats I sampled, the ribs were my favorite. And, unfortunately, the owners tell me they are the slowest sellers because ribs are not particularly conducive to eating on the run, which of course is the type of diners that food carts tend to attract.
Next up is the pulled pork sandwich. They are a little larger than "slider" size, served on a good bakery hamburger bun (not Wonder Bread buns, thank heaven). The meat is moist and tender, and again has that great smoky flavor that I find missing from many so-called BBQ places. Topped with two bread-and-butter pickle slices (made from scratch) and a little of their BBQ sauce, this was a great sandwich.
The beef brisket sandwich, while certainly not bad, was the least favorite of the three meats I sampled. I thought the beef was a bit dry and crumbly. This is likely my own prejudice showing here. To me, BBQ is all about the pork. I have heard from other people who really like the brisket here, so perhaps I am not the best judge.
Last, but not least, the pie. In a word, delicious. Tart cherries with just the right amount of sugar and spices. And a hint of orange zest for a very pleasant finish to the palate. The mealy crust was the perfect choice for this type of pie because cherries are so juicy and turn a flaky crust soggy. So kudos for the awesome crust on this pie.
Their website states that all of their meats are locally sourced, and all of their sauces, pickles, cakes and pies are made in-house, from scratch. The quality shows.
Food carts have really come a long way from the days of hot dogs and soft pretzels. They are more and more becoming a way for aspiring chefs to showcase their talents without having to sink their life's savings into a brick-and-mortar establishment. The folks at the Pickle Jar are doing it right. They are a welcome addition to the Madison BBQ scene, and I hope they will be around for a long time to come. I will definitely be back.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)