Posted by Ken Ward on Wed, Feb 01, 2012 @ 12:07 PM
Five-time winner of Boston Magazine's Best of Boston award, Blue Ribbon BBQ, proudly donated and served food at the Ron Burton Training Village on July 21, 2011. In addition to the annual pig roast, Blue Ribbon served up Memphis-style dry-rubbed ribs, BBQ chicken, North Carolina pulled pork, baked beans, mashed potatoes, cole slaw and collard greens.
The mission of the Ron Burton Training Village is to build within youth from low income communities, racial harmony, leadership, self determination, respect and love for others through a program of spiritual, educational and physical fitness training in a wholesome, caring environment.
Over the past twenty-four years the Ron Burton Training Village (RBTV) has served more than 3000 young men and women in their spiritual, physical and educational growth. Twelve months a year, over a six-year period, campers are guided, supported and mentored in some of life's most essential areas including: education, social skills, morals, values, leadership and fitness. The most intense part of this mentorship occurs during the summer when the campers attend the five-week training camp in Hubbardston, Massachusetts.
For more information and to find out how you can help, please visit: http://www.ronburtontrainingvillage.com
Posted by Geoff Janowski on Mon, Jan 30, 2012 @ 09:05 AM
NEW ENGLAND CORNBREAD PUDDING
(About 10 servings)
Ingredients
3 one-day-old corn muffins or leftover cornbread9 eggs4 cups milk1½ cups sugar2 teaspoons vanilla2 teaspoons cinnamon1 teaspoon nutmeg1 tablespoon butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter oven-safe pan and add crumbled corn muffins or cornbread. Mix remaining ingredients to make custard and pour over the bread. Bake in water bath, uncovered, for an hour or until firm. Top with maple syrup and vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. Enjoy!
Posted by Geoff Janowski on Sat, Jan 28, 2012 @ 11:14 AM
BLUE RIBBON BARBECUE SMOKES THE COMPETITION
To hang with the best, you’ve got to be the best. Making it to the Super Bowl means you are the best. Blue Ribbon Barbecue has successfully produced its award-winning barbecue to ravenous fans for the past sixteen Super Bowls. Along with Brady, Belichick and the rest of the Patriots, Blue Ribbon’s championship team is gearing up for setting some all-time records on Sunday, February 5th.
Over the years, Blue Ribbon Barbecue has accumulated seven BBQ smokers, including New England’s largest BBQ smoker, inside of its state-of-the-art central kitchen dubbed “The Commissary.” These wood-fired smokers run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, shutting down only for cleaning. This year’s plans for Super Sunday will provide football fans 3000 lbs. of Memphis Dry-Rubbed pork spare ribs, 1200 lbs. of North Carolina pulled pork, 1500 lbs. of Texas beef brisket and over 1000 lbs. of BBQ chicken wings. Chowhounds will soak these succulent meats with over 500 gallons of Blue Ribbon’s BBQ sauces. Lines will be long. Service will be brisk.
Get in here and eat!
Inspired by the classic roadside BBQ joints that dot the American South, Blue Ribbon Barbecue offers you the best of authentic Southern regional barbecue. All of our barbecue is cooked at low temperatures for long periods of time over oak and hickory hardwoods, producing moist, flavorful meats and distinctive pink ring which is a sign of real barbecue. Blue Ribbon Barbecue was founded in 1995 and operates two restaurants and one catering location. Blue Ribbon Barbecue has been the recipient of numerous awards, including being awarded Boston Magazine’s “Best of Boston” five times. Call for your Super Bowl party today@617.244.7427 or click here Catering
Posted by Geoff Janowski on Mon, Jan 23, 2012 @ 09:05 AM
CREOLE CABBAGE
(About 8-10 servings)
Ingredients
1 small head cabbage, shredded1 white onion, chopped2 green peppers, chopped1 jalapeno pepper, chopped3 stalks celery, chopped2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped1 can diced tomatoes¼ lb. bacon¼ cup brown sugar3 tablespoons cider vinegar2 teaspoons paprikasalt & pepper to taste2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Brown bacon. In 6-quart pot, heat olive oil. Add celery, green peppers, onions, jalapeno and garlic. Cook until soft. Add cabbage, tomatoes, brown sugar and vinegar. Cook on low heat for 40-45 minutes or until tender. Season to taste with paprika, salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Posted by Geoff Janowski on Mon, Jan 16, 2012 @ 10:05 AM
KETTLE BEEF
(About 4 sandwiches)
Ingredients
2 lb. Thin-sliced Cooked Beef (preferably smoked)1 quart BBQ sauce2 cups ketchup1 cup cider vinegar½ cup mollasses¼ cup yellow mustard1 teaspoon black pepper½ teaspoon salt1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic¼ cup worcestershire sauce
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Place beef in oven-safe pan. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over beef. Cover and bake for 2 hours. Serve on buns with cole slaw. Enjoy!
Posted by Geoff Janowski on Mon, Jan 09, 2012 @ 09:05 AM
This week's recipe is a very simple Texas favorite that works equally as well on fried foods as it does salad!
SPICY BUTTERMILK DRESSING
(About 1 cup)
Ingredients
¼ cup mayonnaise½ cup buttermilk½ cup sour cream¼ cup chopped cilantro1 finely diced serrano or jalapeno pepper1 clove crushed garlic1 tablespoon fresh lime juice1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives⅛ teaspoon cayenne peppersalt and black pepper to taste 
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients and chill in refrigerator for an hour before serving. Enjoy!
Posted by Geoff Janowski on Mon, Jan 02, 2012 @ 09:05 AM
This is the first in what will become a weekly recipe blog posting. To celebrate the new year, we're sharing an easy recipe for Hoppin' John. Although this traditional southern side dish is always eaten on New Year’s Day to bring good luck in the year ahead, don’t believe the legend that “if you dare to eat it at any other time of the year, it will bring bad luck.” It’s all good!
Be sure to check out the video below the recipe to see Blue Ribbon BBQ's own Eric Haggerty make a large batch of this fan-favorite, always offered as a special side dish in our restaurants at the beginning of each year.
HOPPIN' JOHN
(About 10 servings)
Ingredients
1 large ham hock or ½ lb Diced Smoky Bacon1 tablespoon olive oil1 cup chopped onion½ cup chopped celery½ cup chopped green pepper1 tablespoon chopped garlic1 pound black-eyed peas (soak overnight and rinse)1 quart chicken stock1 bay leaf1 teaspoon dry thyme leavessalt, black pepper and cayenne to taste3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion3 cups steamed rice
Directions
In a large soup pot, heat the oil. Add the ham hock or diced bacon and sear on all sides for four minutes. Add onion, celery, green pepper and garlic. Cook for four minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, chicken stock, bay leaf, thyme and seasonings. bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for forty minutes, or until the peas are creamy and tender. Stir occasionally, adding more water or stock if the liquid evaporates. Add salt, black pepper and cayenne as needed and garnish with green onions. Serve over the steamed rice. For added punch, sprinkle with hot red pepper sauce.
Posted by Geoff Janowski on Wed, Dec 28, 2011 @ 05:17 PM
On Thursday the 22nd of December Blue Ribbon Barbecue was proud to provide a holiday meal for the families of Reach Beyond Domestic Violence. Blue Ribbon president Geoff Janowski said, “Blue Ribbon happily provided dinner, with the help of its vendors, to over 300 families”. “As in years past we are honored to do so”. The REACH organization provides an invaluable service in their community to those families affected by domestic violence. “We’re happy to help.”
For most of the families, this dinner marks the beginning of their holiday season. Most are unable to provide gifts for their children or decorations for their homes on their own, and many struggle just to put a healthy meal on the table each night. The children come dressed in their fanciest outfits, visit with Santa, make a fun craft and decorate cookies. For all of the guests, this night is an opportunity to just relax with old friends, enjoy a festive and bountiful meal, and to ease the stress of the holidays. The tables were festively decorated in red and white to match the candy theme of the centerpieces. The food Blue Ribbon provided was delicious. The turkey, pork, potatoes, salmon, hot dogs and rolls were enjoyed by all. The guests were thrilled to be able to take leftovers home to enjoy all over again. The desserts were festive, sweet, and widely varied. The children loved the beautifully-decorated cupcakes, frosted gingerbread and Rice Krispie treats. The adults loved the breads and the assortment of beautiful bars, and everyone loved the cookies and fruit.
Joan Heilbronner one of the REACH dinner volunteers said “As always, it was a fantastic evening, and families were so appreciative of the obvious effort by all the REACH volunteers that had gone into the preparation for the meal. I am so thankful to all of you for taking time during this very busy season to support this event. It is such a special part of the holidays for me, and I simply couldn't put it together without all of our volunteers and Blue Ribbon Barbecue. Thank you for your help”.
Posted by Ken Ward on Sun, Dec 11, 2011 @ 07:30 PM
Blue Ribbon BBQ served up the food at the Grand Beer Tasting, hosted by Upper Falls Liquors on Saturday, December 10th.
In addition to the numerous beers available for sampling, Blue Ribbon served house made smoked kielbasa links, angry apple kraut and angry cider vinegar.
Pitmaster Eric Haggerty smoked this feast in the parking lot using his portable smoker, which is always a great sight at Blue Ribbon's pig roasts.
Also available was Blue Ribbon's new molasses-brined smoked pork loin, one of the three meat options available in the Blue Ridge Holiday Meal.
Be sure to watch the video below to see Geoff and Eric make the mouth-watering kielbasa that was a huge hit during the event. Due to the overwhelming demand, these will make an appearance as a special in a Blue Ribbon BBQ restaurant near you!
Posted by Ken Ward on Mon, Nov 14, 2011 @ 09:00 AM
Thanksgiving is a day for spending time with your family, so why spend all day in the kitchen? Blue Ribbon BBQ is once again offering our popular precooked, heat-and-serve Thanksgiving meal packages. These are complete meals which include slow-cooked smoked meats, delectable side dishes, all of the fixings and Blue Ribbon's award-winning homemade pies.
On Saturday, November 12th, Blue Ribbon invited those on our mailing list to attend a tasting party of wine and Thanksgiving fare. This was hosted at Upper Falls Discount Liquors on Needham Street in Newton from 3-6 PM. For those of you who couldn't make it, we've captured it on film:
There's still time to order! Our catering department is accepting orders until 5 PM on Monday, November 21st. You can pick up your order the day before Thanksgiving in our Arlington or West Newton restaurants, or we can conveniently deliver it to your home (standard delivery fees apply). Please note that all of our locations are closed on Thanksgiving day, including catering operations. Download a PDF menu or visit our Thanksgiving page for complete details.
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