BBQRoadtripSeries-02

Gas in the car? Playlist all queued up? Are you hungry? Let’s hope so, because we’re heading out on a five-state road trip to find the best barbecue traditions in America. No matter what tradition we’re exploring, T. Marzetti Foodservice has Bold Blends™ to make the BBQ memorable.

Any type of animal protein is fair game for barbecuing in Kansas City, a midwestern city with a reputation for a sauce-rich BBQ tradition. In a city that straddles two states (Kansas and Missouri), it’s no surprise that Kansas City serves up a single sauce that manages to be both sweet and spicy at the same time. To recreate a highly authentic Kansas-City style BBQ on your menu, start with T. Marzetti Bold Blends™ Sweet & Bold Barbecue Sauce, then add your own KC-ian touches like molasses, liquid smoke and a few grinds of black paper or red pepper flakes.

Whatever you do, don’t forget to serve burnt ends, which are the crusty charred bits of meat cut from the point of a smoked beef brisket. They’re a Kansas City delicacy that’s not to be missed. This is a town that loves its BBQ sides, so you might want to include baked beans with slivers of meat, skin-on French fries and coleslaw, too.

The Kansas City metropolitan area, which has more than 100 barbecue restaurants, calls itself the “Barbecue Capital of the World.” Perhaps none of those restaurants is more famous than Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, which features meat that’s slow-smoked with a combination of hickory and oak woods. The restaurant gained nationwide fame when author Calvin Trillin declared, “the single best restaurant in the world is Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue at 18th & Brooklyn in Kansas City.” Another popular BBQ spot is Joe’s Kansas City Barb-Be-Que, started by BBQ competition winners Jeff and Joy Stehney and operated out of a former neighborhood gas station.

T. Marzetti Tip

Looking for ways to spice up the BBQ on your menu? T. Marzetti Foodservice has Bold Blends™ for every taste. Choose from Western Barbecue Sauce, Mild Barbecue Sauce and Korean Barbecue Sauce, or try new Sweet & Bold Barbecue Sauce, made with tomato, vinegar, pineapple juice, onion and garlic for sweet, smoky and tangy flavor. Get any flavor in 4/1 gallons perfect for back-of-house, or increase ease with Sweet & Bold sauce in 72/2 oz. cups! Try a sample of our Bold Blends™ sauce.

Everything you need to know about barbecue in Kansas City