Cleo: Chapter 2
Jack’s BBQ: Located right in the heart of Nashville this BBQ establishment has a wealth of followers, proof of which adorns the walls throughout. The line up is cafeteria style, brisket, pulled pork, ribs, whatever your pleasure. It is here in downtown Nashville where I have tasted the most succulent beef brisket of our entire trip. The barbeque here is served dry, and even without the sauce this brisket reveals itself a star. Screw the sides this brisket is it! It has just the right amount of smokiness; the flesh has a tinge of pink. The meat is juicy, hearty and flavorful. Any of the six sauces nicely accompany this Nashville treat.
Like all great food genres BBQ is an evolution in progress, and we are here on the front lines bringing you the latest and greatest developments. One of those developments being the “white sauce”. We saw the first glimpse of this sauce at Ed Boudreaux’s Bayou BBQ and again here at Jack’s. The sauce is mayo based with BBQ spices and flavors. After some discussion we speculated this sauce is a natural offspring of the ranch dressing phenomenon that has plagued the culinary scene for some years now. While not my personal favorite we will keep you posted on the different applications we encounter.
Heavenly Pig: A referral from the owners of a very charming wine shop located in a newly emerging part of Nashville, this roadside stand is conveniently located to the diviest bar in Nashville …Springwater and across from a full size replica of the Parthenon. We chose to sample Heavenly Pig’s delicacies within viewing distance of the Parthenon and along side the resident shaved ice vendor. Why is there a full scale replica of the Parthenon you ask? Well it was originally built in the late 1800’s for the centennial celebration and the people of Nashville petitioned it to stay.
Today’s samples included pulled pork sandwich, rib sandwich, pulled turkey sandwich topped with “white sauce” and blackberry cobbler. I hate to report this but the pulled pork was again dry, as was the pulled turkey in a not so special white sauce, but the ribs were ok. This barbeque was again in the dry style and the sauces were nothing special. In retrospect we would have fared better to have feasted on our tidbits in the smoky dive bar of Springwater where colorful characters abound and the smoking ban in Tennessee seems to have escaped these premises.
Carl’s Perfect Pig: WoooHoooo Eurika we have found it ! Carl’s Perfect Pig is hands down the best BBQ. The pulled pork is succulent and tasty, the ribs are moist and delicious and the sauce has just the right amount of spice. The meat is the perfect combination of smoke and tenderness. Some of their sauce is already combined into the pulled pork which aids in retaining that fatty moisture that I love so. I have discovered that it is the pig fat that keeps the meat moist but for some reason there seems to be lack of fat on the portions of the pig we have consumed thus far, which accounts for the dry product we have found running rampant on our trip. Another potential culprit, not letting the pork rest long enough, pulling the pork off too early lets all the juices run out of the meat.
Another BBQ front line development, the corn cake. The corn cake has taken the place of corn bread which is probably an improvement since we have had some of the lamest cornbread ever. The corn cake looks like a pancake but tastes like cornbread. It’s kinda nice actually since it is simply a tasty corn treat that is less filling. Like anything can be ‘less’ filling in the south.
Slick Pig: What I enjoyed the most about the Slick Pig is how we ate this meal more than what we ate. In the spirit of the delightful setting we found ourselves in, the graveled space in front of the former AA Al-Anon gathering center, simply the perfect spot for our alfresco BBQ sampling. So up goes the table and camping chairs, a bottle of rose is opened and many styrofoam containers are brought out. Let the feasting begin. Local entertainment was provided by the two local mechanics repairing our RV, various auto part delivery men, and my personal favorite, an Al-Anon or AA member that forgot where the new gathering center had moved to and had to stop by repeatedly to evaluate the map posted on the front door. Only in America could this type of crazy circumstance occur, our unyielding dedication to this barbeque tour a shining beacon that cannot be broken.
