We’re certainly behind the curve on this news — the great Dixie Barbeque of Johnson City, Tennessee is closed permanently, and has been closed since the first of the year. Alan Howell simply decided to retire. It was no surprise – folks knew that December would be their final shot at his famous pulled pork and filled the place in record numbers all month. Today, there’s a “for sale” sign on the shuttered building. Mark Rutledge, writing for North Carolina’s Daily Reflector, mourns Dixie’s absence from his life: “Barbecue is not my religion, but if it were, Alan Howell . . . would be my preacher.”
Month: May 2016 (Page 3 of 3)
Legends of Texas Barbecue
Published in 2002, Robb Walsh’s Legends of Texas Barbecue, Recipes and Recollections from the Pit Bosses is nominally a cook book but in reality a tour through the varied world of Texas barbecue. For those who view the story of Texas Q as the story of smoked brisket and beef sausage, the book is an eye-opener, revealing the Lone Star State’s wide-ranging smoked meat traditions. Mr. Walsh has just released a revised edition of his book (with a slightly revised title: Pit Bosses has been changed to the slightly more egalitarian Pitmasters). Continue reading
Burt Katz, one of the key players of the Chicago pizza scene for decades, passed away Saturday at the age of 78. He specialized in Chicago’s famed deep-dish pizza, which he preferred to call pan pizza. His pies were not quite as deep as a standard Chicago pizza, and they also featured a personal trademark that has become a local favorite: his caramelized crust, in which the outer rim of the pie is crusted over with almost-blackened chewy and crisp cheese. Continue reading
