Boneheads BBQ - True Southern Flavour with Love

I love a taste experiences that represent a culture or culinary standpoint that differs from my every day experience.  I love italian food, crave indian cuisine and savor fresh clean sushi.  Restaurants of ethnic origin that feature an authentic and original menus often find success as they provide experiences that we are unable to produce in our own kitchens.  When you find a place that represents a unique culinary standpoint and does it using high quality ingredients and deep passion then you have found a treasure.  

Southern BBQ is a food style filled with tradition that is celebrated throughout the southern US.  It has been cultivated, different regions have their own approaches and styles and advocate for them passionately.  People custom design their smokers, would give away their children before their rub recipe and will spend summers going from competition to competition either sampling or competing.  It is a food style that represents a passion for food and the constant drive to improve has made it an outstanding taste experience for those lucky enough to partake.

If you have not had southern BBQ you have not eaten meat the way it was meant to be eaten.  Flavorful dry rubs and slow cooking in a smoker infusing the meat with flavour while keeping it tender and juicy.  Meats considered lesser cuts (pork shoulder and brisket) , when handled by a true pit master, become more inviting than a prime t-bone steak.  These rich meats are traditionally accompanied by vibrant sauces, some sweet and smokey others hot and spicy. My favourites are the sour vinegar and mustard based sauces that off set the richness of the meats.  To complete the BBQ meal there are usually an array of sides that complete the comfort food experience.  Southern BBQ when done well is a comfort food at its finest.

I have been very thankful to the owner and staff of Boneheads for bringing this style of food to Halifax.  They have been open for a little over a year now and they have used that time to master their style of Southern BBQ.  I have sampled their food a few times over the last year and they have continually built their skill with their smokers.   They started out producing very well cooked meats and sides and have kicked it up as they mastered their smoker (which is a tricky beast to get to cooperate) and tuned their flavorful sides and sauces.  It is now simply an amazing example of Southern BBQ.

Something you need to understand about BBQ before you go in is that the food takes time to prepare.  No I am not saying you will have a long wait, I am saying that the meat you are eating may well have taken 8 hours to cook.  This is not fast fry food, alot of time and care has gone into the preparation.  In a BBQ place if they are out of something they are out of it for the day.  The good news is that there is always something amazing on the menu and you have a reason to go back.  I was watching a review of a BBQ place on Food Network and the pit boss’s answer to complaints that they were out of something was, “well ya shoulda got ur butt movin you know its good and it aint gunna last forever.  Bet I see ya earlier tomorrow”.  The customer laughed and said "ya will fer sure".  That is just part of the charm of the style of the food.

When selecting a meal at Boneheads I start by deciding the meat or meats I desire.  They have pulled pork, beef brisket, shredded smoked chicken and smoked sausage links (Yes they have ribs but they get their own paragraph).  The pulled pork and brisket are so tender and moist, they are rich meats that I really enjoy with a nice spicy or sour sauce, both of which Boneheads has in abundance.  The chicken was delicious and the smoke added a great flavor that is not typical with chicken. I find it amazing with their smokehouse sweet sauce.  The sausage is great, surprisingly lean and meaty and the smoke really adds to the taste of the spices.  This meat all smoked to perfection and the rub flavor comes through.

Good ribs are a real treat.  To me a good rib is tender but does not fall right off the bone, it needs to have a meaty texture.  I like the meat to have its own flavor which is complimented by the sauce use to finish it.  Too many ribs are bland soft meat blanketed in sauce.  It is not easy to make good ribs, it takes a skilled hand with spicing, patience in cooking it low and slow and a delicate glazing with a tangy sauce.  Boneheads has hit that balance beautifully.  Their ribs are tender yet not to the point where you lose the meaty texture.  Their dry rub and use of smoke flavors the rich pork meat and the sauce which has been caramelized on the grill just before it is served to you sets it all off.  If you like ribs you will love these.

 If you are looking for a quick lunch you can get one of their amazing smoked meats on a fresh local kaiser roll for a sandwich.  Topped with a tangy sauce this is a great lunch.  You can also add a side and I would suggest one of their locally produced sodas craft sodas to round out the meal.  This is a great mid day BBQ treat to set you for a hard afternoon at the job.

Now to go with great meat you need great sides.  They have all the southern favorites, flavorful pit beans, tangy potato salad with nice firm potatoes, fresh coleslaw (not not heavy with mayo but bright and tangy to balance the rich meats).  They also have sweet potato chips that should be bagged and sold, crisp, delicious and the dip is out of this world.  Mac and cheese is always a southern favorite and I would suggest it as a main with the chorizo.  My favorite is the dirty rice, it is a nice side to have with rich meat and the balance of flavor is perfect.    When thinking sides think about the meat you are selecting, the more rich the meat is the lighter and brighter the side should be.  Along with the sides you get the absolute must have for any southern meal.  Corn Bread!! This light sweet treat done i a cast iron corn bread pan is perfect to eat with spicy food.  The sweet crispy cornbread cools the tongue and gets you ready for your next taste.  They do this very well.  When eating BBQ think about balance of flavor, it is easy to get overwhelmed by richness.  Boneheads provides the kind of selection required to build a perfect meal.

Now before I get to desserts (oh and I am so going to talk about those) I need to talk about an item I have never had before.  Smoked chicken wings.  Now anyone who follows the halifax wingman @halifaxwingman on twitter (and if you like wings you should) knows there are a variety of wing experiences to be had in Halifax.  Battered and deep fried and tossed is sauce, that is what I think of when I think of wings.  I have grilled wings for parties but I have never had smoked wings before.  Boneheads changed all that.  These wings are dusted with a dry rub and then slow smoked.  They are unique to say the least.  The rub give you that back heat and it really sets off the smoke and the wings are moist and juicy as a result of the slow smoking.  They do not come sauced and I love that because I got to taste the delicious smoked meat.  However you can sauce them any way you desire with one of Bonehead’s great sauces.  This is not your typical wing, you wont get a wing night and they are Southern BBQ so when they are gone they are gone.  They are a wing that needs to be tried.  

Now to finish off we need to talk about dessert.  So many places that this good a job with mains and sides phone it in with their desserts.  Not here, their desserts are made in house (which is the only desserts I will eat if I go out) and made with flair.  Their chocolate peanut butter pie is by far the best chocolate peanut butter desert I have ever had and that is saying something.  Their banana pudding is so good and homestyle, and though I have not tasted it their fruit cobbler looks amazing.

When I decided to blog Boneheads I asked if I could come in and do a photo shoot and they graciously accommodated me.  As good as the food is the people are even better.  They were so friendly and warm, we talked about food the whole time and not just their food.  They have a passion for local food, support local farms and are committed to providing their customers a great food experience.  My time there was like time spent in a family kitchen and the love and warmth there shows through in the food and atmosphere.  If you ask any southern cook they will tell you the main ingredient is love.