Burnt Ends with Gates Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce

I've never been to Kansas City, but I hope to make a visit soon. I can only dream and drool about it for now. But recently, my neighbor traveled to Kansas City for work and visited a few BBQ spots. He brought home a bottle of Gates Bar-B-Q sauce for me to try. I was thinking, sure I'll try some... but he wanted me to have the entire bottle. He's been a loyal fan of my blog, and he's tried a lot of my BBQ too. So it was nice of him to return the favor.

So what's Kansas City BBQ all about? I wrote about it a while back, but the main difference is that Kansas City sauce tends to be tomato-based, thick, sweet, and heavy on the molasses. Kansas City is also mostly known for their burnt ends. I had a huge hankering for some burnt ends, so I recently made some of my own just to try out with my bottle of Gates Bar-B-Q sauce.

I can probably eat burnt ends all day, every day. Once I cut them up into cubes, I either like to throw them back into the smoker for a few more hours to get more of the crusty bark on the edges and for the fat to render off some more so that it's nice and crispy. Then I like to toss them in a pan with some BBQ sauce--in this case, Gates Bar-B-Q sauce, and let the burnt ends caramelize with the tomato and sugar from the sauce. It sounds like a lot of work, but it sure is worth it.

Once the final product is on the plate, it doesn't stay there for long. The sweetness from the tomato and the "tang" from the vinegar perfectly compliments the salt and smoke from the beef. The absolute best part is the bark. The perfect burnt end has to have a contrast in texture--the crispy bark on the outside to go along with a moist, juicy, and fatty meat on the inside. It's the best thing you'll put in your mouth.

Review: The BeerPager Belcher Version

With the Super Bowl just a few days away, there's going to be a lot of hootin' and hollerin' in front of big screen TVs across the country. Naturally, it all depends on whether you're a Denver Broncos or Seattle Seahawks fan, or maybe you simply placed a few wagers. One thing's for sure, there's going to be a lot of food (BBQ, of course!) and alcohol consumption during the big game.

Recently, I had the chance to check out The BeerPager during some NFL playoff games the past several weeks. The BeerPager is basically a koozie on steroids -- it's a battery-powered, remote-controlled device attached to the bottom of a koozie. When you click on the mini remote, the BeerPager lights up and makes noises.

Hypothetically, if you're in a crowded party and you set your beer down somewhere with a bunch of other beer cans, you would have a tough time finding which one was yours. So that's where the BeerPager comes in. But you can also make the argument that some prankster would see your BeerPager and likely "do" something to your beer/beverage of choice.

With that being said, I'm not sure how often the BeerPager is used what it's originally intended for, but I think it's a cool gift for someone who loves their beer and/or beverage of choice. The different types of noises, or "beertones" is what sets these things apart. They've got a golfer version, biker version, even a Larry the Cable Guy version (or for kids, the Mater version from Disney Pixar's Cars).

My beverage of choice was some Buffalo Wing soda. Now, if this beverage doesn't stand out in a sea of drinks, I don't know what will. I'm sure you're curious about the Buffalo Wing soda. Let's just say it was insanely sweet sugar water with an overdose of hot sauce. So if you're a buffalo wing lover, give it a shot and knock yourself out... or give it to someone as a gag gift.

The only drawback with the BeerPager is that it requires 4 AAA batteries, which are not included. If you're remote trigger-happy and you constantly love hearing the belching/burping noises, the batteries can drain rather quickly. How about a AC-plug in rechargeable version of the BeerPager in the future? For those outdoor or sunny tailgating parties, perhaps a solar-powered BeerPager?

Dirty Smoke rating (3.5 out of 5 stars)
The BeerPager - Belcher Version
The BeerPager - Golfer Version
The BeerPager - Biker Version
The BeerPager - Larry the Cable Guy Version