Where there's smoke...

July 5, 2024 9:53 AM

Remember your first bite of Texas brisket? Kareem El-Ghayesh certainly does. In fact, that first bite was so inspiring that he moved from Egypt halfway across the globe to pursue his newfound passion for Texas-style barbecue in its home state.
posted by jim in austin (23 comments total)

He's certainly got the mustache for it!
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:00 AM on July 5 [4 favorites]

Great story, no doubt Texas BBQ can be both - and at once - orgasmic and transformational. And for Kareem, it was - is - a literally life-changing discovery. I do dearly wish the interviewer had let him go on, even directed him to expand upon his fusion of Egyptian influences with his take on BBQ.
posted by thecincinnatikid at 10:08 AM on July 5 [4 favorites]

Here's his website for KG BBQ. Some interesting fusions going on there...
posted by jim in austin at 10:12 AM on July 5

I'm having a hard time ordering, y'all. Brisket would be the default in any other situation, but I'm gonna try the lamb bacon ribs and a baladi salad. I'll come back for the sumac and cinnamon rubbed lamb shoulder, and a lamb chop or two... then maybe we'll get back to bovines.
posted by credulous at 10:23 AM on July 5 [7 favorites]

I never thought of smoking lamb, I'll have to give that a try sometime.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:32 AM on July 5 [2 favorites]

Smoked lamb is very good, even with more "traditional American" flavors. My recent favorite is this recipe and sauce, though I pulled it rather than slicing.

Re: Texas BBQ, I'm in the Bay Area: land of good tri-tip and middling versions of the rest of the nation's BBQ. I've been developing a pastiche of different styles for my own BBQ (totally gonna steal what I can from KG BBQ), and Texas BBQ has been really accessible because of all of the content creators. It makes we wonder if it's like the Thai government funding restaurants to increase overseas mindshare, i.e. "Yeah, Texas has issues, but look at our succulent meats!"
posted by Anonymous Function at 10:54 AM on July 5 [5 favorites]

Pomegranate-molasses-infused barbecue sauce, you guys. Roll that around in your head, and it's better than you're imagining. I was at the truck this Sunday to buy another bottle. (Also his ribs are amazing, don't sleep on the smoky oum ali bread pudding.)
posted by ormondsacker at 10:59 AM on July 5 [12 favorites]

Quote from a list I read somewhere of Surprising American Things Which Pleased Foreign Tourists (from a Canadian IIRC):

BBQ: Fuck me up with that brisket you've been smoking all week Uncle Sam oh yes.

posted by Rash at 11:03 AM on July 5 [7 favorites]

Huh, Jim, we're probably almost neighbors. I'm down by the middle school.

I've had some of Kareem's BBQ and it is legitimate. In a town with a great beef BBQ tradition, he's somehow managed to ace all the meats and provide his own unique take.
posted by SpecialK at 11:16 AM on July 5 [4 favorites]

Beautiful story. Always inspiring when people follow their passions and dreams.

The heart wants what it wants. And sometimes what it wants is BBQ.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:19 AM on July 5 [2 favorites]

ace all the meats

This is my true heart's desire.

perhaps I should change my username to Meat_Ace....
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:27 AM on July 5 [1 favorite]

I love American BBQ Showdown, and I mainlined the entire season last night after work. I will avoid spoilers because spoilers bad, but American BBQ Showdown good and if you have Netflix, you should watch it.

Kareem was the kind of reality show contestant I love -- a distinct perspective and personality but not a PERSONALITY. So many things he made looked insanely delicious.

I find it fascinating that in falling in love with Texas BBQ, he decided to bring Egyptian sensibilities to Texas and start an Egyptian-tinged BBQ business there instead of bringing BBQ sensibilities to Egypt and starting a BBQ-tinged business there. Both seem like they could be viable, but also very different life choices.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:27 AM on July 5 [3 favorites]

Going on the list for our next Austin visit. Yum!
posted by gentlyepigrams at 12:21 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]

I wouldn't mind tasting some of his brisket!
posted by Czjewel at 12:29 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]

I had the lamb ribs on a visit to ATX last fall and they are indeed fabulous
posted by brujita at 12:42 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]

We plan on visiting friends in Fort Worth in the fall, when the heat abates. Brisket and Tex-Mex are our two food goals.
posted by Ber at 1:02 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]

Huh. So right down the street from Bird Bird Biscuit.

Which, you know, chipotle mayo. On breakfast items? Normally that would get you tried at the Hague for crimes against food. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. But without it they are the best chicken biscuits west of the Mississippi river.

And also better than the overwhelming majority east of the Mississippi river. Really, the Mississippi river-- which normally provides some bulwark against comparison-- does nothing. You will be compared against this no matter where you are. And will likely be found wanting. The river does not shield you or your inadequate biscuits, my friend. Your shortcomings are known.

So I gotta try this BBQ. Because I ascribe amazing things to that general location.
posted by howbigisthistextfield at 3:02 PM on July 5 [2 favorites]

One of my stops after trying to figure out what I was doing after my restaurant failed was a stint running the smoker at one of the first places in Japan to do "real" American barbecue. Brisket, ribs, pork, chicken, and sausage. The original pit master was an American from Louisiana, the second guy was Japanese, and was trained by the first guy (and was sent by the company on a research tour of Texas, and came back noticeably heavier), and the third guy was, uh, me, when the second guy was made the manager of the restaurant. He'd sample my brisket every day, and give me tips on what to do to make it better, and later on, bits of earnest praise that made my whole day. I learned an absolute ton there, especially in the sense of planning and logistics that go into prepping and serving ridiculous amounts of smoked meats.

The guy is a goddamn barbecue savant, but has been kind of a mess in a lot of other ways, bouncing from place to place over the years. He's helped other places get started, but never really managed to stick. I'd kind of lost track of him over the years, until he mailed me recently. He's starting up his own place in Yokohama this month, with a custom built smoker that he had shipped from Texas. He asked me, not really jokingly, to come work with him again, and goddamn, while I know it's not remotely possible for me to do that kind of work anymore, I really, really wanted to say yes.

If you're ever in the area, and you want to go, let me know. The guy makes the best brisket I've ever had, and I hope to go as often as I'm able.
posted by Ghidorah at 4:11 PM on July 5 [9 favorites]

Ghidorah, I yearn to hear of your brisket-smoking tips!
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:41 PM on July 5 [3 favorites]

I have rashly done a thing: here is an IRL post for meeting at KG BBQ, if anyone is in the Austin area and interested in further research.

I was reading the menu and it looks amazing, and then I realized I only ever do barbecue as a group thing. I'm not a big meat person, but pomegranate barbecue sauce?
posted by mersen at 6:43 PM on July 5 [2 favorites]

Texas Monthly article on the competition.
posted by TedW at 7:27 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]

One of the few things I miss, having moved to the EU; the German concept of BBQ has zero connection to this, aside from grilling meat and I have to explain this to my students regularly, and France isn't really famous for it either.

ALMOST makes me homesick...:)
posted by aldus_manutius at 3:25 AM on July 6 [1 favorite]

Oh fantastic! I first read about him, and more immigrant-owned barbecue joints, in this Texas Monthly article. Glad he's doing so well! Thanks so much for posting.
posted by goo at 4:41 AM on July 6 [2 favorites]