Texas barbecue authorities will be in town this month to anoint NYC's Brisket King, when the annual event comes to Brooklyn on April 19th. Set to coincide with "Brooklyn Brisket Day"—a new official holiday put on the calendar by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams—the competition pits 25 chefs against one another to win the throne—the rest of us just get to eat and drink. Not a bad deal.
Some of the city's best barbecue joints are participating—including Blue Smoke, Dinosaur BBQ and Mighty Quinn's, which will all likely be bringing their own proprietary smoked meats—but there are some non-barbecue folks throwing their briskets into the smoker. Italian restaurant Ornella Trattoria will be making Rollata di Punta di Petto (brisket) with mortadella, eggs, fontina cheese and spinach. It's a dish Chef Giuseppe Viterale makes regularly for his family at home.
Excellent Prospect Heights Mexican restaurant El Atoradero will also be competing, most likely with Tacos de Suadero, a beef-filled taco common in Mexico City. Look By Plant Love House plans to prepare Brisket Laab, a spicy Thai salad with roasted rice powder, shallot, mints and cilantro.
Founder Jimmy Carbone scored some pretty sweet judges for this year, including Daniel Vaughn, the Barbecue Editor of Texas Monthly, and Aaron Franklin, the owner of Franklin Barbecue—that place in Austin that everybody freaks out about.
Tickets for the event are on sale now and run between $75 and a super special $1,000 option if you want a private table. The event will take place at the Food Science Academy of LIU Brooklyn (1 University Plaza, enter at corner of Flatbush and DeKalb) from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
