by Michael Swisher (@michaelswisher)9/1/2020 3:33:26 PM
posted in: Skordle Sampler | 1,922 views
By John Hardaway - PURVEYOR OF GREAT BBQ
Well, here we are at Week 1 of the 2020 Oklahoma high school football season.
A lot of things have changed since the last food blog as we all know very well, so trying to get back some of the normalcy of the fast-approaching football season is quite welcoming.
We’re going to do this a little different than last season.
I’m going to break each blog into three (3) parts: (1) Someplace I really like to eat; (2) Someplace to eat if you’re going to the Game of the Week; and (3) Something to try at home.
My hope is that I get to write a blog every week this season!
Someplace I really like to eat - PHAT TABBS BBQ – Idabel
We took a little trip to Broken Bow/Hochatown for a couple of days at the end of July.
If you have never been to this part of Oklahoma, you really owe it to yourself to check it out. Absolutely gorgeous and plenty to do for everyone.
Anyway, earlier in the summer I started seeing social media posts about this relatively new place in Idabel called Phat Tabbs.
What really caught my eye was the pictures of the brisket because it wasn’t what you normally see from most Oklahoma establishments.
The look of this brisket was much more along the lines of the well-established Texas joints. A quick follow of their Facebook page and seeing the quality of items Tabb Singleton’s place was putting out every day was absolutely mouth-watering.
If you are a fan of the Food Network show “Chopped,” you may recognize him as he took home grand prize in 2012. He also served as sous chef in New Orleans for Chef Emeril Lagasse of TV food show fame.
We had to wait until Wednesday to go because they are closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (common for many great bbq places). We arrived early around 10:45 a.m. because this place has been generating quite a bit of buzz all summer and the word was the inside gets busy fast before lunch and the drive-through pick-up line gets long.
The tough decision was going to be what else to get besides the brisket that I have been scouting for weeks. I went with ribs and the andouille sausage so I could sample each along with the potato salad and beans.
The brisket was everything I thought it would be and more! Great flavorful bark on the outside, rich and incredibly tender beef on the inside with plenty of rendered fat around every bite.
I can say this without reservation: It’s the best brisket that I have had in Oklahoma.
It’s close to the Texas level of quality for anyone that’s be to, say, Pecan Lodge in Dallas or Black’s in Lockhart.
Like my good friend Layne Jones says all the time: “The ultimate judge/grade of any high-quality bbq joint is how well they do sliced brisket” and Phatt Tabbs knocks it out the park.
I was also a really impressed with the sausage and it’s here that Singleton’s experience in New Orleans shines. The sausage was a crisp clean bite, not soft and greasy like many places, which demonstrates that it was homemade and fresh.
The ribs were solid and very edible, but nothing spectacular. This normally is my opinion of ribs at most places.
As for the sides, the potato salad was fantastic! So good, in fact, we ended up buying more midway through the meal!
The beans were ok, just a little spicy for my liking and I didn’t care for the big chunks of fatty throwaway meat in it, which was probably added for favor.
If I ever make it back down to this part of the state and I can get to Phat Tabbs for lunch, I will definitely be going back because it was that good.
I also highly suggest giving their Facebook page a follow, but I warn you: The pictures are killer to see everyday and will make you hungry in a hurry.
If you’re anywhere close to Idabel around lunch, you owe it to yourself to check it out!
Someplace to eat if you’re going to the Game of the Week at Pawhuska: The Pioneer Woman Mercantile
I mean if you’re going to Pawhuska and haven’t been yet, don’t you have to go?
I haven’t been to Pawhuska in years and back then I normally stopped at the original Bad Brad’s (anyone notice a bbq theme for me?).
I’ll be honest, I have never been to The Mercantile, but I have had leftovers from my wife’s trips several times and it’s always pretty good after being warmed up in my microwave.
The lasagna and chicken fried steak is the most popular take-home and I always look forward to the dessert surprise.
It’s a pretty good deal for me honestly.
No long drive or long wait to be seated to eat and it’s still pretty good.
I had a lemon bar from there this summer and it was excellent…if your into lemon bars.
Something to cook at your house this weekend: Smoked Queso Dip
Smoked queso has been all the rave this summer for those who follow grilling and smoking.
Just type “smoked queso” into any search bar and you will be bombarded with hundreds of pictures and recipes and every single one of the them looks great.
I gave it a shot over the 4th of July and it sure didn’t disappoint!
It’s super easy – foil pan, Velveeta, gouda, rotel, sausage or beef, and really about whatever else you want to add.
It’s not really any different than its crock pot queso cousin, but the smokiness definitely adds some flavor.
You can do it on a smoker, charcoal grill, gas grill, just anything with enough indirect heat to melt it.
Give it a shot and you will be a quick fan!