On Top of Old Smokey
CORKY'S rules the barbecue pit
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CORKY'S WAITER ERIC DEJEAN DELIVERS THE BARBECUE GOODS: PORK, CHICKEN AND
BEEF
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WHAT: Corky's Ribs & BBQ
CUISINE: Barbecue
WHEN: Lunch and dinner daily
WHERE: 4243 Veterans Memorial Blvd., 887-5000
CARDS: Major
On cold winter afternoons after Christmas, when only a few leaves cling to the
trees and the smell of woodsy smoke fills the air, families gather near their
hearths while reflecting on the holidays. 'Tis the season for ball games, Old
Smokeys, devoted backyard professionals and barbecue fans who love to chew on
saucy ribs while watching the Sugar Bowl, Super Bowl or just about any other
game on the tube. For those unfortunate souls who do not have their own family
pitmaster tending the grill with a beer and a spear, Corky's Ribs & BBQ
hits the spot for ballgame fixings.
No doubt about it, if you are having a New Year's Day party or any other
game-oriented gathering, and you don't want to stay on top of Old Smokey all
day, Corky's is the easiest and surest bet. The pitmasters there make some of
the best barbecue in the New Orleans area. Their legendary Memphis-style
barbecue can be ordered for a crowd and picked up at the drive-thru window. Of
course, you can opt to dine there as well. One of the perks of doing so is to
see all the campy Elvis and '50s memorabilia adorning the place.
Corky's is the paradigm for drive-thrus: you can get everything from
Memphis-style barbecue (which is hearty, rib-sticking stuff) and all the
trimmings to Caesar salad; red beans and rice with a choice of pork, chicken or
beef; buffalo drummies with hot-wing sauce; hot tamales and chili; veggie-baked
potatoes; turkey dinners; beef brisket with spaghetti; deep-fried catfish with
fries and tartar sauce on the side; and such indulgent endings as chocolate
fudge cake, apple cobbler laced with cinnamon, and bread pudding pie.
This is the way it goes: all you have to do for an extra large order is call
the items in, then when you go inside or to the drive-thru window, simply give
your name and voila! They'll produce your party goods. This way, you'll have
more time to play around with that seven-layer dip and all those fancy party
hors d'oeuvres inspired by the new holiday cookbook from Aunt Tootsie and Uncle
Wootsie. Better yet, if you don't feel like driving out to Metairie but still
want Corky's barbecue for a party, call and ask them to make a delivery
straight to your door, and be sure to request the "all-you-can-eat" rates for
parties while you're at it. It's not caviar, but it's cheap.
Mind you, this isn't Kansas City or Texas barbecue. This is the Memphis real
thing, a solution to the great American barbecue controversy and a master
stroke of pulled pork shoulder and sweet slaw on a bun. For a real Memphis
education, order the pulled pork sandwich, an inspired creation designed with
luscious, tender meat redolent of that sweet Memphis perfume, "eau de pit."
It's a great backyard barbecue initiation for the pit-deprived. Corky's
specializes in pulled pork shoulder, wet and dry ribs, succulent barbecue
chicken (the kind that's so tender, it falls easily from the bone), and even
barbecue salads and barbecue stuffed potatoes. Corky's wet ribs are rubbed with
a special blend of spices (which you can buy), then continuously basted with a
tangy barbecue sauce while slow cooked in a huge pit. Dry ribs also are cooked
in the pit, but are simply sprinkled with dry spices and slow cooked until done
(no sauce). The juicy ribs are an unmitigated triumph of the Memphis
pitmaster's art.
So what's so special about Memphis-style barbecue? The city is heralded as the
"barbecue center of the world," attracting barbecue fanatics from as far away
as Europe during the annual Memphis in May cooking competition. Memphis has a
substantial history of great barbecue that dates back to the 1930s, when Bing
Crosby and other stars used to have their ribs flown from Memphis out to
Hollywood. Whenever pork and people come together in Memphis, it is a safe
assumption that something great is going to happen. In certain sections of the
city, barbecue pits are more common than lawn furniture. The original Corky's
has replaced Leonard's as the most famous barbecue spot in Memphis, and the New
Orleans restaurant on Veterans was its first franchise.
One of the best things to order at Corky's when dining in is "The Killer,"
which includes a combination of wet or dry ribs and your choice of barbecue
chicken, pulled pork or brisket, priced $13. Trimmings include homemade bread,
sweet and tangy barbecue beans, and cole slaw. And folks, this is a lot of
food. A must-try starter is the full-loaf onion ring, a towering pyramid of
deep-fried onions that will impress any neophyte raised on white gravy and
tater tots.
If you want to add a little pizzazz to your party, you can get Corky's to
produce a chef who will come to your house and serve up the hot vittles with
style. The final tab includes all paper supplies and service. For barbecue
enthusiasts deprived of the time it takes to make it right, Corky's is the best
way to go.
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