Nothing screams summer like smoky, saucy BBQ. But no worries — you don't need a fancy pit, secret recipe, or even a dedicated pitmaster to ride this train into summer success!
Readymade BBQ options are the perfect choice to tap into the market without overhauling your kitchen or business. You can save tons of time, cost, and effort — yet still come out smokin'.
Be Bold with Brisket
A great BBQ always begins with quality whole-muscle meat. Ridgecrest® Fully Cooked Brisket is a USDA choice cut — including the flat and the point — that's hand-rubbed with a special blend of brown sugar, coffee, and spices. Then, expert pitmasters slow-smoke the meat for 12 hours over charcoal, hickory, and oak (no artificial smoke flavors here!) until the tell-tale pink smoke ring appears, and that distinct BBQ bark has been perfected.
To really wow guests, serve up the Ridgecrest Whole Brisket at any type of summer celebration or brunch with a carving station at the end of a buffet, or plate and serve family-style to groups with a table full of sides.
Ridgecrest Fully Cooked Brisket is also available sliced, perfect for a quick-serve sandwich ribboned high atop Heritage Ovens® Texas Toast and stacked with Delancey Street Deli® Pickled Onions. Or order the brisket chopped — great for BBQ pizzas, wraps, and salads. Any way you serve it, this brisket will have authentic BBQ lovers drooling over your menu, wondering where you stash your pit.
Pull Up with Pork
Pulled pork is not only a crowd-pleaser, but it has an array of applications and is a great canvas for any sauce you could dream up. Ridgecrest kicks it off with a USDA choice pork shoulder, hand-rubbed and smoked for a minimum of six hours. Ready to heat-and-serve straight out of the package, this pork is melt-in-your-mouth tender and already pulled, all you need to do is sauce it up!
Handheld items are a great way to utilize pulled pork, especially on patios, at sandwich counters, or as convenient, easy takeout for those on the run. Elevate this option and make it more your own with easy-to-prep add-ons like fresh cilantro pineapple salsa or spicy pickled habaneros.
Get Saucy
Even fans of dry rub can admit — sometimes it's all about the sauce. Take diners on a tour of our nation's prominent BBQ regions by serving up a flight of homemade sauces they can dabble in. Whip up a classic Carolina vinegar-based mustard sauce, the sticky sweet molasses and tomato sauce of Kansas City, and the smokier version that Memphis enjoys.
Go ahead and add your own to the mix to hyper-localize it too. What's a prominent food in your neck of the woods? Get creative and figure out a way to tie that into a delectable sauce that can only be found at YOUR establishment. Are cherries or blueberries your region's thing? Do you live in the apple capital of your state? Or perhaps your county has a lot of peanut farmers. Whatever it is… use it to make your BBQ stand out proud!
Slay with Slaw
This might be arguable, but as good as your meat is, a BBQ just ain't a BBQ without the sides! When it comes to slaw, save on prep by ordering pre-shredded veggies, but then whip up your own light dressing to be added just before service. Your guests need a crunch and a vinegary bite to cut through that rich, sweet meat, so serve appropriately.
A great BBQ doesn't have to be a laborious 24-hour-long multi-step process. With items like Ridgecrest’s top-notch line of ready-to-serve meats, all you need to worry about are the final touches — and plenty of napkins.
