Recipes By Jed Portman
16 recipes found
Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce
This isn’t exactly the barbecue sauce that Gates Bar-B-Q, a Kansas City institution, serves at its five locations in Missouri and Kansas and sells in supermarkets. But it’s as close a recipe as Ollie Gates, the 93-year-old owner, is willing to give up. “It’s close enough,” he said. Like the original, this version uses ketchup and apple cider vinegar as its foundation, and it’s warm with red pepper and perfumed with cumin and celery seed. It tastes like Kansas City tradition, from before the rise of sweeter “Kansas City-style” bottled sauces like KC Masterpiece. “Some people say it’s sweet,” Mr. Gates said. “It’s sweet when you first taste it. Then it blossoms in your mouth, and then the heat comes.”
Sweet Chili Baby Back Ribs
Ted Liberda grew up in the Kansas City suburbs, the son of a Thai restaurateur and a Midwestern backyard pitmaster. He opened Buck Tui BBQ in suburban Overland Park, Kan., with his wife, Pam, who immigrated from Lampang, Thailand, nearly 30 years ago and met Ted in one of his family’s restaurants. The menu reflects who they are with its blend of Thai and Midwestern influences. They season their baby back ribs, which are more tender and forgiving than the traditional Kansas City spare ribs, with a coriander-forward rub inspired by a jerky seasoning from Pam’s hometown. Then, they glaze them with a Thai-inspired sweet chili sauce while they cook in a cloud of Missouri hickory and oak smoke. The Liberdas have made ribs this way at home for years, and the layers of flavor in their recipe come together just as well in a Weber Kettle as they do in Buck Tui’s commercial-grade smokers.
Burnt Ends
When Calvin Trillin, a Kansas City, Mo., native, declared Arthur Bryant’s “the single best restaurant in the world” in Playboy in 1972, he introduced his hometown’s barbecue to a wider audience — burnt ends included. Back then, as Mr. Trillin wrote, employees at Bryant’s chopped up the burned edges of their briskets and handed them out for free, thinking no one would pay for them. But customers were already developing a taste for the crisp, smoky, snack-size bites, and Mr. Trillin’s endorsement helped make them a staple in Kansas City and beyond. Decades later, Anthony Bourdain singled out the burnt ends at Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que (then called Oklahoma Joe’s). Developed by Joe’s co-founder, Jeff Stehney, this recipe starts with a whole brisket point — the fattier and more flavorful part of the brisket, which delivers the right balance of caramelized bark to fork-tender meat. (It’s been a long time since most burnt ends were actually scraps.) Smoking burnt ends takes the better part of a day, but it’s mostly hands-off, and the final product delivers the best of Kansas City barbecue — spice, smoke and sauce — in every bite.
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Pot Roast Lovers, Meet Swiss Steak: The Fork-Tender, Gravy-Smothered American Classic
Swiss steak isn't Swiss at all—it's American ingenuity. Learn how to make this tender beef braise in rich tomato-and-onion gravy, just like at Ohio's Golden Lamb.
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Thin-Crust Fans, Meet St. Louis Pizza: Crunchy, Cheesy, and Totally Underrated
Make ultra-crisp St. Louis–style pizza at home with a flaky crust, sweet red sauce, and smooth, smoky Provel-style cheese.
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This Iconic Omaha Steak Is Every Whiskey Lover’s Dream Dinner
Omaha's legendary whiskey steak gets its punch from a simple soy sauce and whiskey marinade. Here's how to make a great grilled version at home.
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Peaches, Custard, and Crumble—This Midwestern Cake Has It All
A sliceable custard-filled fruit cake with yeasted dough, this Dakota kuchen is built for sharing, storing, and snacking.
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The Butter-Soaked Steak Only Iowa Could Dream Up
A Des Moines steakhouse classic made easy—this 20-minute garlic–herb butter steak delivers big flavor without any fuss.
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Ohio Sauerkraut Balls
These crunchy, little sauerkraut balls are a beloved appetizer in Akron, Ohio. Savory pork loin, salty ham, and zingy sauerkraut are blended together, shaped into spheres and deep fried until creamy inside and crunchy outside.
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Ohio Shredded Chicken Sandwich
Keep this easy shredded chicken sandwich recipe in your back pocket for potlucks, tailgates, and all other occasions that call for hearty sandwiches.
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Indiana Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
Defined by a slice of pork that’s pounded out until it’s as big as a dinner plate and fried until crispy, this oversized Midwestern breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is crunchy, tender, and incredibly satisfying.
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Iowa Ham Balls
Not your average meatballs, these Iowa ham balls are a regional favorite in which ham and ground pork are bound with buttery crackers and tangy buttermilk, then shaped and baked in a sticky sweet sauce.
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Wisconsin Butter Burgers: Why Your Burger Really Does Need Butter
While most Wisconsin butter burgers are simply topped with butter, here we double down and add it directly to the beef blend. Sirloin steak and a savory soy sauce–butter mix are ground together, portioned into patties, griddled, and topped with stewed onions and even more butter.
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Iowa Loose Meat Sandwich
This squishy, snackable Iowa loose meat sandwich brings well-seasoned beef crumbles, onion, pickles, and mustard together on a bun, for an undeniable combination of classic Midwestern flavors.
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Knoephla (North Dakota Cream-and-Dumpling Soup)
Most North Dakotan grandmas seem to agree that this beloved soup should be simple and comforting, with little more than good chicken broth and handmade (not frozen!) dumplings.
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Cincinnati Chili
Cincinnati Chili is comforting noodles, Mediterranean-spiced meat sauce, and a mound of cheese. What's not to love?