State of the City -- Meat Lovers' Edition

If you happened to miss it this week, you should take a good look at Peter Meehan's exploration of New York barbecue. Aside from giving us enough 'cue porn to make meat lovers swoon and vegetarians squirm, Meehan provides a thorough overview of the barbecue landscape, including spots in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, and Wingdale, just a short ways upstate (sorry, Staten Island).

He gives a special nod to Daisy May's BBQ, calling it the "most consistent and distinctive of all New York barbecue spots." He highlights the Big Pig Gig, a custom-cooked feast of a whole or half pig, and awards the rack of lamb, "rubbed with a simple chili-inflected and mustard-based paste, cooked to a perfect tenderness, gently flavored with smoke," a virtual blue ribbon, dubbing it "the single best barbecue in the greater metropolitan area." He is quick to add that "it sits atop a heap of great ’cue."

Meehan's recommendations for where to go depend on what you're seeking. For St. Louis style pork ribs, Mo Gridder’s; for beef ribs, Ranger Texas Barbecue or The Smoke Joint; for chicken, Big W’s; for super-smoky meats, R.U.B., and for pulled pork, Pies ’n’ Thighs. But is the city becoming too over-saturated with barbecue? Only time will tell, but for now, we'll ponder the question while gnawing on a pork rib.

Photo from Jen Chung's photostream on flickr.