Bird and Beast BBQ - Pájaro y Bestia

So you may already know that we like to try new things and we change our menu weekly. Here is an example of an experiment that was sort of a menu staple, but we tweaked to make it better.

First the Tennessee Sweetheart. A pork loin that is butterflied open, then filled with Tennessee whiskey, house made whole grain mustard, azukar morena, and just a bit of house BBQ seasoning (Cancho Bestia). Then rolled up, wrapped in a bacon weave, and slow smoked. In this particular case, we gave it a bit of sear before we sent it out.
This week, we changed from store bought spicy mustard to house made whole grain mustard, and received positive response from people that had tried it before.

Surrounded by roasted kale - received good reviews on our first attempt. The texture was the most common positive comment.

And of course, cherry tomatoes. These have only really become available to us in the last several months, and we are using them more and more (regardless of price) because they are so damn good.

It just keeps getting better and better. Ask your neighbor if they have been here - and whether you should give it a try.

Two days a week - Friday and Saturday. Be here or be hungry...

I have someone I am close to back in Oklahoma City that is currently doing the Oklahoma Onion Burger Tour. A bucket list kind of thing for us old folks that are retirement age. Onion burger places from across the state have banded together, and they are promoting their businesses jointly. People go from one to the next. Then the customers go on social media and review them.

She posted today about her latest experience in OKC, at a tiny little diner at 12th and Penn in OKC. Nic´s Grill. She was very impressed. To look at the pictures, Nic is probably serving half pound burgers.

But what got me, was the picture of the menu that she sent. Two things to note: (1) this is the TOTAL menu, and (2) this is in Oklahoma City - not New York or LA.

Take a long gander at the menu and the prices, and remember that when you come in to see us for our version of the onion burger.

Musings on the Pajaro y Bestia Birthday Bash

We had our second birthday extravaganza last week. It was certainly a success. We sold far more food on Friday than we had ever sold in a single day before. In fact, we sold more on Friday than we had ever sold in an entire weekend.
We have 60 seats on three floors in the restaurant. For approximately 3 hours, we had a butt in every seat and people waiting to take the next empty seat. And honestly, some that left because they felt the wait time was too long.
Thank you Cuenca for your support.

El Jefe often loudly and proudly states that we have the best smoked spareribs in the city. Ditto for the smoked brisket. Plus a couple of other dishes that are probably top 3 in the city. The entire team here honestly believes this. We are not the best restaurant in the city, but we are the best at what we do.
But when you brag about being the best, you also have to accept responsibility for your shortcomings.

We had our regular crew of 7 people (working extra hours) and brought in 3 temps as additional help. We did our best, but we know that we let down some of our customers. Excessive wait times for food, lost orders, and a few other individualized customer service problems. We believe that we held up our end of the bargain with respect to food quality, but at the end of the day, this is a service business.

We could give you a list of reasons why these failures happened. But ultimately the responsibility lies fully on the shoulders of El Jefe. Incorrect decisions, failing to follow up on specific instructions given to employees (only expect what you inspect), or just a failure to foresee certain problems.

As a restaurant, you have to be right every time. If you screw up once, people tend to vote with their feet and go to a different place for their food. We appreciate that we may have permanently lost some customers. We pray that those of you that did not receive proper service will consider that this was a very extraordinary weekend for us, and give us a chance for redemption in the future.

El Jefe formally offers his written apology to all customers that did not receive the proper attention at the Birthday Bash.

El Jefe also apologizes to the crew. He is very proud of your efforts and he will strive to be a better leader in the future. Every week we will continue to prove that our ribs and brisket are the best in the city.

Sé la bestia!!!

Bird and Beast BBQ - Pájaro y Bestia
Gran Colombia 13-100

This bouncing baby boy is two years old.

Deportivo de Cuenca players were on hand to show their birthday support.

And we support the team. Watch for us at the games.

Couple of very quick comments

Meet the Cuenca players this afternoon. They have not committed to a firm time, but I expect them around 1:00 to 2:00.

We prepped 5 full briskets for this weekend. We had never sold 3 complete briskets in a single weekend before, so we got 3 ready to serve on Friday and 2 for today (Saturday). Yesterday we went through those 3 briskets in less than 3 hours. (El Jefe was amazed). But that means that if you want brisket today, as much as I hate to say it, come early.

And yesterday, all by itself, eclipsed the former record for amount of ribs sold in an entire two day weekend. Thank you for your support.

Couple of very quick comments

Meet the Cuenca players this afternoon. They have not committed to a firm time, but I expect them around 1:00 to 2:00.

We prepped 5 full briskets for this weekend. We had never sold 3 complete briskets in a single weekend before, so we got 3 ready to serve on Friday and 2 for today (Saturday). Yesterday we went through those 3 briskets in less than 3 hours. (El Jefe was amazed). But that means that if you want brisket today, as much as I hate to say it, come early.

Introducing Swag at Bird and Beast BBQ - Pájaro y Bestia

Now you can strut your stuff in a P&B hat.
These are hats that us country boys used to call summer hats, and the city dwellers called mesh hats. Mesh construction keeps you cool while still shading your head.

$7.00. Available now.

MEET DEPORTIVO DE CUENCA PLAYERS ON SATURDAY

Come by Saturday afternoon and meet players from the Cuenca football team.

We support the team (and sell the best food in the stadium), and the team is showing its support for us and for our loyal customers.

Wear your red Cuenca jersey when you come in, and get one dollar off any sandwich (except burger, already 25% off).

Please come show your support for our local team. Exclusively for the Birthday Bash at a Bird and Beast BBQ - Pájaro y Bestia.

Be here. It will be epic.

TODAY and TOMORROW (July 19 & 20) are the days.
The Second Annual Birthday Bash at Bird and Beast BBQ - Pájaro y Bestia.

Too many specials to count.
$5.00 gift certificate with $25 purchase.
25% off beer and wine
25% off burgers and wings.
Free birthday cake for dine-in.

And a special event on Saturday
MEET THE CUENCA PLAYERS
Some of Deportiva de Cuenca will be on hand Saturday afternoon. Come by and meet them.
And wear a red Cuenca jersey, and we will give you $1.00 off on a sandwich (except burger, already 25% off).

Be here. It will be epic.

TOMORROW baby, it is happening tomorrow! July 19th and 20th.

Bird and Beast BBQ - Pájaro y Bestia 2nd Birthday Bash.
Woooo-hoooo!

Discounts out the w***o...
$5.00 gift certificate with each $25 spent
25% off of burgers and wings
25% off beer and wine

Be here. It will be epic!

Bird and Beast BBQ - Pájaro y Bestia
Gran Colombia 13-100 y Estevez de Toral
Friday and Saturday only

Pájaro y Bestia Birthday Bash Is July 19 and 20.

The second anniversary of Pájaro y Bestia is Friday and Saturday.

Let´s talk about what will be on the menu for our celebration. We are going to shy away from any of our experimental dishes this week, and focus on the basics that made us into the biggest name in BBQ in the city of Cuenca.

The Big-Ass Combo Plate this week. We are not weighing anything on the plate this week. For $25.00 you get:
 Four bones of our famous BBQ Spareribs
 A generous slice of smoked beef brisket
 3 to 4 smoked sausages
 2 side dishes of your choice (we suggest cowboy beans and potato salad if you want old school BBQ, or maybe some Mac & Cheese if you miss your mommie…)
 One Screaming Pig
 And with the $25.00 purchase you get a $5.00 gift certificate for your next visit

Available a la carte:
• Pork Spareribs – of course. This is what put us on the map. We plan to cook in stages throughout both days so that we can provide the freshest ribs all day without interruption. Let´s make no mistake here. We have the best spareribs in the city, and we make no apologies for saying it. This is your chance to experience the best at a serious discount. Real Deal BBQ.

• Brisket. This is something that alluded us for a long time. We finally found the right supplier, and we learned how to cook brisket at altitude. Again, let´s make no mistake here. We have the best smoked brisket in the city, and we make no apologies for saying so. Five full briskets to be cooked this weekend.

• Macaroni and Cheese. We are famous for this dish. There are a number of other restaurants in town that started serving mac & cheese after seeing our success. All we will say here is that you need to go try theirs, and then come discover the Real Deal here. You won´t go back after trying our mac.

• Mustard Potato Salad. The old school potato salad that was present at every potluck in the southern USA. A lot of people here have tried to duplicate our recipe, but to little success.

• Cowboy Beans. Our most popular bean recipe. Seasoned with ground beef, sausage, coffee and whiskey. The depth of flavor is incredible. We dare you to find this anywhere else.

• Birthday Cake. It is our birthday, and we are giving you birthday cake. We are making Funeral Cake (chocolate sheet cake) and giving a small piece to all eat-in diners.

• The Screaming Pig. Our latest creation. We take a cream cheese donut, then add strawberry/jalapeno jam, fried bacon, and candied jalapenos.

• And more….

Respectfully, we know that there is a small group of very vocal vitriolic people out there that object to us calling ourselves the best. Are we the best restaurant in the city – an emphatic no. There are far more talented chefs running outstanding operations in their own food niches. And we salute the local talented chefs that are producing quality every week.
But are we the best at what we do? An emphatic yes. El Jefe comes from a competitive background in BBQ cooking. If anyone, and we mean anyone, thinks they can produce a better version of any of the dishes listed above, then we ask you to take the Pepsi Challenge – let the public judge our dishes in a blind tasting. Anytime. Anywhere.

And we will prove it this weekend. This weekend will be by far the largest cook we have undertaken. And we are determined prove ourselves in both quantity and quality at the same time. You just need to show up – and party on dude!!

Be here. It will be epic.

El sueño de un carnívoro.

Presentamos The Screaming Pig: una dona con frosting de queso crema, mermelada de jalapeños, jalapeños acaramelados y tocino crujiente.

Ven y experimenta esta salvaje combinación de sabores en Bird and Beast BBQ - Pájaro y Bestia. ¡No te arrepentirás!

📍 Gran Colombia 13-100, Cuenca

Is a Burger in your future? We look to the past...

You cannot truly understand what a hamburger is without understanding its beginnings. So bear with me while I climb the family tree of the hamburger.

The name is said to originate from Hamburgh, Germany. There, a dish of ground beef, a hamburger steak, became very popular. There were mentions of “Hamburgh sausages” on toasted bread in a cookbook in 1758. It is not clear this was a sandwich, and was probably more of a patty melt. But the popular dish was imported into New York by German immigrants, and street vendors sold “Hamburg Beefsteaks.”

The most reliable claims to the beginnings of a hamburger as a sandwich come from Charlie Nagreen and from Frank & Charles Neches. Both were food merchants in county fairs, selling food between two slices of bread to allow walkability. They ran out of sausages and meatballs that were their normal fair, and the substituted ground beef patties. The sandwiches were served on sliced bread. Both of these inventions were in 1885.

But on July 4, 1891, the first hamburger on a yeast bun (as opposed to slices of bread) was served in Tulsa, Oklahoma by Oscar Weber Bilby. This is the true birth of the modern hamburger. And Tulsa was confirmed to be the official birthplace of the hamburger by official decree of the Oklahoma governor in 1995.

The hamburger gained national attention at the St. Louis World´s Fair in 1904. A writer for the New York Tribune wrote about this wonderful sandwich, and it was off to the races for the modern hamburger.

In 1921, White Castle in Wichita, Kansas became the first to offer a hamburger as “fast food.” McDonalds and Burger King would be almost 50 years behind White Castle. White Castle claims that their founder invented the hamburger, but he was clearly more than 20 years behind the curve.

The Great Depression of the 1930s brought about the next major innovation in the modern hamburger. Meat, even ground beef, was out of the financial reach of many people. In the small town of El Reno, Oklahoma, local vendors started stretching the ground beef by adding very thinly sliced onions and smashing the mixture together to cook. The fried onion burger was born. After the Depression ended, the fried onion burger lost some popularity, but never disappeared. Along came World War II and meat rationing, and the fried onion burger came roaring back with a vengeance. It has persisted as a popular dish ever since. Recently, the fried onion burger has become the darling of New York City diners and popup vendors.

It should be noted here that the definition of a hamburger in the Oxford Dictionary is: * a round patty of ground beef, fried or grilled and typically served on a bun or roll and garnished with various condiments. * The official definition of “hamburger” by the USDA is as follows: * If labeled as a "Hamburger," it can contain all beef or beef and beef fat. Other permitted ingredients include dry seasonings like spices and flavorings. Water (and other liquids) and fillers (like breadcrumbs and flours) are not permitted. * I appreciate that we are not in the USA, but the official definition does not allow adulteration of the product into all kinds of other things.

Now fast forward to the 1980s, and McDonalds and KFC invaded China. Free from the USA regulations, they capitalized on the popularity of the hamburger and started naming every sandwich that they served on a bun as some sort of a burger. Sacrilege!!! But the misnomer stuck, and crept its way back to the states. Now everybody and their rat is serving up some sort of sandwich and falsely claiming it is a burger. Pork burgers, shrimp burgers, veggie burgers… Bah Humbug!! Merely putting meat on a bun does not a burger make… But the modern trend to call everything a burger is undeniable.

We choose to stay true to tradition. We are cooking fried onion hamburgers in much the same method as 100 years ago when invented. We have people ask us for our recipe all the time. Here today, we are going to divulge our secret recipe for fried onion hamburgers so that everyone can see our commitment to tradition.
Hold your breath - here it comes…

* Meat * Onions * Bun * Salt * Pepper
- Optional – cheese and bacon

Too simple, you say? No – it is that simple if you just do it right. Technique is the difference that sets everyone apart. And we do it right every week. We won’t complicate ourselves with crazy toppings; we choose to make a great hamburger and highlight the protein.
We will put our hamburger up for side-by-side comparison against any other so-called burger in town. Including the ones that cost two, three, or even four times as much. You may like the competition´s $15.00 burger better. But when you consider value for the money, it becomes a no brainer.

Our current price for a hamburger is $3.60 cents ($4.00 with cheese). Although after surveying the prices across the city, the price is likely to increase in the near future.

Come in this weekend and try one (before the price goes up). When you are finished, if you do not believe that our hamburger is a value that far exceeds its price, then just ask for El Jefe. He will comp your hamburger.

Here we are, two weeks away from the Pájaro y Bestia birthday bash. I want to let you in on our plans so that you can make your plans to be here.

There will be massive discounts throughout the menu.
• For every $25.00 you spend on Friday or Saturday, we will give you a $5.00 gift certificate for a future visit. That´s about a 20% discount in case it has not sunk in.
• 25% off cerveza all weekend long
• 25% off wine all weekend long
• 25% off hamburgers all weekend long
• 25% off chicken wings all weekend long
• On Saturday, wear a red Deportiva de Cuena shirt and get a $1.00 off of any sandwich (except hamburgers, that already have a discount)
• And all of those individual item discounts still count toward your $25.00 ticket – so your discounts multiply.
• We will put together a combo plate with a price of $25.00 so that you can order a single plate and qualify for the discount. Enjoy a meal, and maybe even take some home.
Sound complicated? It is not. It is simple, come buy the lowest price BBQ that you will see all year. And the quality? Apparently a few people are offended when we say it is the best – so let´s just say it is way, way above average.

We just installed new equipment that will help us keep up with demand. To go orders and delivery will also be available.

Be here. July 19 and 20.

Pájaro y Bestia
Gran Colombia 13-100

Well, just because I do not think GringoPost will publish this without massive redactions, I thought I might post it here first.

To quote the late, great, Jerry Jeff Walker:
"Okay Buckaroos, scamp walker time again..."
Viva Terlingua! 1973

So we have been trying to do the least and while still providing you with the best. (Oops, there are a few of you that get offended when we refer to ourselves as providing the best, so let´s just say we are way above average).
We have purchased a new steam table for holding our food that is double the size of our existing equipment, plus we are moving the old table upstairs to use there. So in one fell swoop, we tripled our capacity for holding food.

Now what that means to you is that we can fundamentally change the way we manage our kitchen. We will be able to cook a larger diversity of food to put on the menu. We also hope to cook much of the food in smaller batches, and then restock/recook as the need arises. You will get fresher product. And our business is growing in the evening hours, so you will be able to come in at say 5:30 and get food that is just as fresh as the crowd at 1:00. We can also cook things on the roof that we were unable to cook before because it was two floors away from holding equipment. (Now you will be able to have the rooftop view, and watch the magic happen in real time.) It is going to take us a minute or two to develop procedures and hire additional kitchen staff, but just know that we put our foot on the bottom step of the escalator.

Last week we announced the addition of Donut King donuts. Only $1.90 for one of the best donuts in the city. (Hey, we are talking about someone else being the best here).
But we are going to do our own carnivore spin on the Donut King donut.
The Squealing Pig.
We take a donut with cream cheese icing, then work our magic. First, add a layer of strawberry/jalapeno jam.
Then a layer of chopped bacon,
Topped with some candied jalapenos.
The future price of this beautiful beast will be $2.90, but we are still tweaking details. So for now, fifty cents off at $2.40. Sooey pig, sooey, sooey.....

And Friday, we will have an experiment for the 1:00 PM crowd. We have never smoked turkey here. (Fried a few, but never smoked). We bought one turkey breast. But if you are not aware, turkey is Very Expensive here. About triple the price in USA. And cooking at altitude presents its own challenges in keeping meat moist in a smoker. So we will have a half pound smoked turkey plate with a side of cornbread dressing for $11.00. There will only be 10 to 12 plates. And if all goes well, it will actually be done at noon (but no guarantees on a first cook).
Sorry, we will not take reservations on this, and we cannot hold this into the evening. Poultry does not hold well. If this is successful, we will look at announced times for you turkey junkies - or group dinners.

With apologies to the Pointer Sisters:
I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it
I'm about to lose control and I think I like it
I'm so excited and I just can't hide it
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know I want good BBQ, I want Good Q

Bird and Beast BBQ - Pájaro y Bestia
Gran Colombia 13-100 y Estévez de Toral
Serving REAL DEAL BBQ two days a week
WhatsApp 098 321 8273

Repeat announcement of a special offer for today.

Yesterday we ran out of cornbread in almost a matter of minutes.
People wanted full pans, and we did not even have single pieces.

So today (June 29) and today only - order a full 13x9 pan of cornbread for $8.00, and I will pay the delivery up to $3.00.

Party on... Se la bestia....

Sold out of cornbread in a flash today. For those of you that want a full pan on Saturday, I will pay delivery up to $3.00 to make up for Friday.

To the friends of Bird and Beast BBQ - Pájaro y Bestia, we want to inform you of some small to medium changes in our business direction. Most businesses do not announce their internal business plans online or in social media, but hey, let´s just put it out there.

First of all, for those of you that have not heard our origination story, this whole business endeavor was originally only supposed to be a hobby. It is now a hobby that is completely out of control. Ask El Jefe for the story. He loves to tell it... over and over... and over again...

So a few months ago, we announced that we would be doing desayuno. We were here in the mornings getting the BBQ ready, but we never really took desayuno that seriously. It was more of, hey we are here anyway, so let us make you some simple breakfast while El Jefe visits with you. But even with our lack of focus, you came anyway. Thank you. We appreciate that you understand our commitment to quality food, even when we phone it in.

The thing is, you started coming earlier and earlier to get our fresh BBQ, which is targeted to be ready at 1:00 PM. So we had to start figuring out how to feed you when you came in at 11:30, clearly 1 hour or more before the BBQ was done. (Sorry, but El Jefe is not getting his retired ass out of bed at 4:30 AM just so you can have ribs before noon).

So three weeks ago, we decided that we should take this whole morning thing far more seriously, and we instituted an almuerzo. $4.00 for a nice little lunch. We make a soup and something, or a really good soup and a little something, because in our current business plan, the menu constantly changes. And trust us, we are not making some soup you suck through a straw - we make things far closer to a stew.

For morning pastries, we did not try to compete. One business was outstanding, and only a half a block away from us. But they recently closed that location moved to Los Americas. So it left this huge gap in the barrio for someone with a sweet tooth. We have decided to try and fill that gap with pastries that we know are high quality.

Lots of words to get to my point, I know.

Beginning this Friday, we will be offering donuts made by the Donut King here in Cuenca. If you have never had their product, then you are missing out. Come see us to get one of the very best donuts in town. And remember, our coffee is made in a french press and the coffee is bottomless.
And soon, we will have our own spin on the Donut King donuts. We plan to make our own unique version of a carnivore donut. Stay tuned...

This week:
* Shrimp and Corn soup (almuerzo)
* Free full-sized cornbread for all the soup people

See you soon!!

We were honored today to be joined by the Cuenca Donut King and his family, Jorge Espinosa Jarrim and his wife Ligia Moncayo Cabrera, along with children.
In case you do not know, they have several Donut King locations in Cuenca. And Donut King products are excellent quality.

Jorge and Leroy became friends while vending food side by side at the Club Deportivo Cuenca games. Pajaro y Bestia sells a pork sandwich, and the Donut King sells a glass of tea and a tasty sweet treat for dessert.

Thank you for coming to see us today. We hope you enjoyed our food as much as we enjoy yours.

The Countdown Begins:

31 days (one month) and counting.
Pájaro y Bestia will be celebrating its second anniversary (or birthday) on July 19 and 20.

We are planning for a huge weekend. Big discounts on everything. Even bigger discounts on burgers and beer. And a special event with special guests in the restaurant.

Just a good time party that all can enjoy. Kind of like an old folks version of the keggers that I used to organize back in the high school days. (And a couple of those were epic). You do not need to overindulge in food or drink, you just need to come par-rrr-ttt-yyy.

So get out your red Sharpie and your calendar, and mark July 19 and 20 so that you will be here. No excuses.

Oh, and I truly mean no disrespect to any of our competitors when I say this. We can all coexist yet still compete. Just do not put BBQ specials on for the weekend of July 19 and 20. You may have to figure out what to do with the leftover BBQ that you do not sell.

SE LA BESTIA!!!!

Bird and Beast BBQ - Pájaro y Bestia
Gran Colombia 13-100 - only two blocks from San Sebastian
Reservations: 098 321 8273 WhatsApp

Birthday or Anniversary?

If a business is celebrating its second year being open, is it an anniversary or a birthday?

Hmmmm...

SSSShhhh...
Big fiesta coming next month for the 2nd anniversary/birthday of Cuenca´s favorite BBQ restaurant.

Sorry to you... I told you that I would talk about "fall off the bone" ribs. Well the time has come. And to tell the story, let me introduce you to Uncle George.

The saga of Uncle George:

Practically everyone that lived in the southern USA has an Uncle George in their family. Uncle George would throw one or more BBQ events per year at his house. Like all southerners, he considers himself a BBQ expert.

So today we are going to throw Uncle George under the bus and explain why his “fall off the bone” ribs are a complete fallacy and a myth that should be avoided at all costs.

Uncle George´s parties were legendary. There was always plenty of food, and plenty of adult beverages. There was always family, always camaraderie, occasionally a little drama, but generally a good time by all. He would usually try to do something just a little beyond his BBQ skills for food, well, because BBQ is for a crowd and it was not often that Uncle George had a crowd to practice on.

BBQ spareribs made regular appearances at Uncle George´s parties because spareribs can be damn delicious. But Uncle George did not cook BBQ for crowds all the time, so his fire management skills were not entirely honed. Uncle George was far more interested in socializing and adult beverages than he was in turning out perfect food. And let´s face it, when you are surrounded by friends and family, they will tell you that the BBQ is great even when it is crappy.

So on some occasions, Uncle George´s fire management would result in a fire that was too hot for the perfect rib. As the cooking progressed, the ribs would start to get just a little crusty on the outside. So before they could completely turn into crispy critters on the outside, he would pull them off the cooker. The ribs were denied the time and proper temperature to fully develop tenderness and a full meat flavor. On those occasions, the ribs were tough and did not have a pleasant flavor. Break out the BBQ sauce to cover this up. But you cannot sauce away toughness.

On other occasions, Uncle George´s fire management resulted in a fire that was either on point, or too low. His time management was off and at the end of the cook he would ramp up the fire to get the ribs done on time. Or Uncle George got a little too involved in the adult beverages, and sort of forgot about the ribs. Either way, he ended up with ribs that were overcooked. Again, break out the BBQ sauce to cover this up because the meat was falling apart and losing its flavor.

Let´s take a moment here to discuss proper rib doneness. The Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) teaches their competition judges to apply certain standards to tenderness of a rib. They are really good objective standards. When you take a bite of a rib, with a slight tug it should pull away cleanly from the bone. The adjacent meat should not fall off of the bone. You should leave a discernable bite mark, with meat remaining on the bone on either side of the bite. There is a small sweet spot where the x axis and the y axis intersect and you have a completely tender rib with the maximum meat flavor. Ribs that are tough and do not pull cleanly away from the bone are underdone. Ribs that fall off the bone are overdone.

Underdone ribs are tough and do not fully develop the flavor. Overdone ribs are becoming mushy and the natural flavor is starting to break down. But that spot in between – well butter my butt and call me a biscuit. I don´t need no sauce on this mouth candy…

Uncle George always knew that sweet spot was there. He had hit it accidentally several times. But most of Uncle George´s ribs were on one side or the other of the sweet spot. The thing is that a fall-apart overdone rib is better than a tough underdone rib.

So all of Uncle George´s friends and relatives started associating overdone ribs as being the best, because they only had one point of reference; comparing underdone to overdone. They rarely (if ever) were served ribs in the sweet spot of doneness. And “fall off the bone” has become a mythical standard that says – well, yes, I will accept an inferior second best. When in fact, people should be saying – can you not do better than overcooking my food? Would you accept a medium well steak when you ordered medium rare? Overdone ribs are generally heavily sauced to compensate for the reduced flavor. (Remember baby-back, baby-back, baby-back ribs?)

At Pájaro y Bestia, we pay close attention to these cooking standards. And the entire team is committed to providing you with the best we can do.
When El Jefe is out in the crowd jokingly saying he is only the entertainment of the day, he is actually watching people eat. Is a rib falling apart when a bite is taken? Is food being left on the plate? How many people are eating the food without requiring a sauce enhancement?
When your used rib bones come back to the kitchen, we are looking for how clean the bones are, the color of the bones, and whether there is any food left on the plate.
All meat is different, and because we deal with an active wood fire, the cooking process is different every day. We use all of these observations to make your food better and better.

We do not claim to turn out a perfect piece of meat every time. That is insane. El Jefe once cooked two slabs of ribs from the same pig in the same smoker at the same time, and there was a difference in the two racks. But there is a sweet spot where even with the differences, both can be delicious. And sometimes we will miss. We are cooking imperfect meat on a huge variable of an open fire. We can do no more than continually observe and adjust to try to find that sweet spot more often than not. And if we have a swing and a miss, tell us. It happens. We will make it right.
One thing we can say without question – 90+ percent of the plates we send out have no edible food left on them when they come back to the kitchen.

So do you really want oven baked or parboiled ribs that are touted as “fall off the bone”?

Or you can have Real Deal BBQ that is cooked in a wood fired smoker from beginning to end and treated with love.

The choice is yours. Hope to see you soon!!

Thank you to mythical Uncle George. Lessons were learned. RIP.

Bird and Beast BBQ - Pájaro y Bestia
Serving REAL DEAL BBQ two days a week.
Gran Colombia 13-100 y Estevez de Toral
Only 6 blocks from Parque Calderon and two blocks from San Sebastian.