Cool Material: An ode to Oklahoma style barbecue (feat. Au Jus)
You’ll find people who insist that there are four epicenters of barbecue in America that constitute the undisputed quadrumvirate of masterfully smoked meat: Texas, Memphis, Kansas City, and North Carolina. Ignore such blowhards: just about every corner of America boasts a time-honored, cherished barbecue tradition. Whether it’s Santa Maria tri-tip in California, pit beef in Baltimore, Kentucky smoked lamb, or Hawaiian kalua pork, pitmasters from Alaska to Florida and back devote entire careers to honing the subtle art of slow cooking flavor into flesh. Sure, the Big Four deserve their acclaim, but delectable ‘cue is an American birthright from sea to shining sea.
Au Jus
On Manhattan’s Upper West Side, half a continent away from Tulsa’s iconic Golden Driller Statue, Au Jus serves the kind of smokey delicacies you might find at a Tulsa roadhouse, but with a New York chef’s flair for the gourmet. Owner and pitmaster Patrick Griffin left the waving wheat fields of his native Tulsa for the Big Apple at 16 to pursue his medical degree, and he’s remained in the city ever since. In the ensuing years, Patrick has assumed a role akin to the Oklahoman royal ambassador to New York, receiving the likes of Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, Cornell West, and other Sooner luminaries in his buzzy restaurant. Next to the high-top tables, you’ll find an Oklahoma Wall of Fame graced with portraits of Jim Thorpe, Ralph Ellison, and even Daniel Moynihan — the latter a Tusla transplant and whose namesake adorns New York’s busiest train station.
In addition to an admirable selection of Oklahoma and Texas craft beer, Patrick serves cowboy soul food like hickory-smoked bologna (affectionately dubbed Oklahoma Prime Rib) hot link sandos, and succulent rib tips. Smash burgers are all the rage right now in New York City, but Patrick’s take, inspired by the sliders of the diners of his childhood, is among the city’s finest: thin, charred patties coated with cheddar; tiny fried onions cooked into the patty; dollops of special sauce; and crunchy, tangy pickles. In a delicious fusion of Oklahoma and New York, Patrick sources his bread from A&M Bakery, one of the oldest Italian bakeries in the Bronx. Save room for sweet finales like banana pudding — studded with Nilla wafers and infused with bourbon — and creme brulee. An epicurean at heart, Patrick curates a selection of French wines to pair with his barbecue and also hosts live jazz on Monday nights.
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