Without question, the preparation of barbecue is the prime mover behind some of the most fiercely passionate debates to have in the culinary world. Many a knock-down, drag-out argument has been started over a person declaring their loyalty for, say, pork over beef or Carolina instead of Texas. Heck, we cannot agree on how to spell the word. Is it barbecue, bar-b-q, or BBQ? Even the Spellcheck on my MS Word offers no respite from the latter dispute, as it is hip to all three spellings. While I can appreciate the fervor and vitriol that lies behind each camp of thought, I’ve never quite grasped the extreme loyalty to one style that causes some folks to outright shun all other techniques like a perceived false religion. For me, all BBQ can be succinctly traced back to two distinct varieties: good and bad. It doesn’t matter if I’m devouring Carolina whole hog or munching on St. Louis style spare ribs. If it’s good ‘q, then I’m in a good place. And a few days ago, I was in a tremendously great place, because my wife and I were fortunate enough to head on down to Steercrazy BBQ in Capistrano Beach.


Steercrazy is the product of a self-proclaimed Hillbilly Pirate named Phil Knoke, a classically trained, Cordon Bleu educated chef who decided to take his gastronomic knowhow and apply it to a beachside BBQ joint. And make no mistake; “joint” is the best way to describe this nautical, pirate-themed spot that is filled with an air of refreshing, casual camaraderie while being utterly devoid of all pretentiousness. Case in point: the first thing that we noticed when we walked into Steercrazy was that everybody there seems to be engaged in conversation. The sous chef was striking a rapport with the gentleman at the table facing the open kitchen, who in turn was talking to the couple near the entrance whenever that particular twosome wasn’t engaged in chatting with waitstaff or Phil himself. A lot of this laid-back feeling is derived from how small the place is – there’s only seven or eight tables here, so space and reclusion are at a premium – but a huge chunk of it clearly flowed straight from Phil, who seems to be on an unwavering mission to create a lively, fun atmosphere crackling with the kind of inimitable neighborhood charm that will have you yearning to hang out here as much as you can, which he succeeds in doing with great aplomb. And really, that’s exactly the kind of atmosphere that is called for, considering that the restaurant is serving up BBQ footsteps away from the Pacific Ocean.


As you can imagine, the creative streak that comes from Phil’s background manifested itself time and again on the menu, from the killer BBQ that was liberally inspired by the different parts of the globe (much to my delight) to the intriguing side dishes, including off-the-menu treats like pig’s eyes if you’re lucky (more on that later). We first got a taste of his ingenuity by imbibing in a Dirty Martini Steak appetizer, an edible “potable” that consisted of filet mignon, green olives, gin, blue cheese, and carmelized onions and served in a martini glass. The filet at its heart was tender, luscious, and works well with the other ingredients, although the elevated presentation of the dish made it a little difficult to load up your fork with different flavors. The trio of pulled pork Slider Tinis we also have were excellent, particularly the one with the legitimately spicy buffalo BBQ sauce, which is absorbed by the accompanying Hawaiian roll to create bites of sweetened tang that were blissful. Any residual heat left over from the buffalo was quenched by the refreshing coolness of their Hawaiian chips and salsa, a delicious take on the traditional Mexican treat in which the former ingredient is replaced by flatbread and the latter is supplanted by a delightful fruit and onion mixture that I had trouble stepping away from.


The entrée we enjoyed this night was a conglomeration of rib goodness dubbed “Ribs Around the World;” a massive pair of St. Louis style rib racks (6 pounds worth of meat, we’re told), doused in a varying arrangement of globally inspired sauces, including Jamaican jerk, Cajun, and spicy char Sui. Each set of ribs had their own distinctive, lip-smacking flavor to them, and the complexities of the delectable flavors at work here busied our taste buds. Most importantly, though, the meat on the ribs themselves was plentiful, and it was cooked to succulent, fall-off-the-bone perfection. Be forewarned, however; the menu states that this meal serves two, but believe me, an average quartet of folks can order it and expect to need to-go boxes afterward, especially since the meal comes with your choice of four sides and a special, fun dessert. The most intriguing accompaniments we ordered were the Thai coconut rice and the avocado potato salad, two items that proudly show off Phil’s innovative chops. The rice was perfectly sweet without being too overbearing, while the potato salad, in which avocado replaces mayonnaise as the glue, actually allowed the potato’s taste to shine better than the regular version, and the presence of the avocado gave each bite an exciting depth.


As for the aforementioned special, fun dessert, we dove into a Hawaiian S’mores Plate, which comes standard with each Ribs Around the World order. It was exactly what it sounds like; chocolate, marshmallows, graham crackers, and big pineapple slices served separately alongside this miniature burner. It was a neat touch that encapsulates the spirit of Steercrazy quite nicely. We also sampled the Green Apple Pie Cream; a fantastic mélange of vanilla ice cream, green apple slices, sour apple syrup, crumbled peanut butter cookies, and caramel. As a guy who counts apple slices covered in peanut butter as a go-to snack, I have to say that this was one of the best desserts I have ever had. The sweetness of the ice cream, the tartness of the apple flavors, and the rich nuttiness of the cookies worked in perfect synergy. Unless you are allergic to nuts, it is impossible to not enjoy this dish immensely.


As great as the food and the BBQ at Steercrazy are – and believe me, it is phenomenal – it is somehow made even greater by the mere presence of Phil. He exudes a palpable energy and passion for his craft and a big heart for his customers. This is most evident in the fact that he literally takes requests. If you are coming, you can call him and ask him to reserve something special for you, like the gator or kangaroo meat that he may have on hand. My wife and I were fortunate enough to sample a bit of the Australian delicacy, and found it to be a wonderfully lean, tender meat that was not at all gamy. Also, you should know that on every Saturday night, Phil and his merry band of culinary artistes barbecue a whole hog. We’re talking the whole thing, including the head and its accoutrements. Armed with this knowledge, as we were leaving, I humbly requested a swine’s eye for our next visit. (Again, keep in mind that Phil takes requests in advance). He replied by informing me that there was still an eye left over from Saturday’s feast, and it was mine for the taking if I so desired. Without hesitating, I snapped at the chance to get my Andrew Zimmern on. And sure enough, it ended up being so good I’d gladly consume another one again.

And there will absolutely be a next time. The entire experience made us lament that we live a good 30 to 40 minutes away from Steercrazy BBQ, because there is no doubt that we would be fixtures here if we were closer. Nevertheless, we are anxious to come back, and we are as eager to hang out with Phil and his crew as we are to devour the results of his culinary wizardry.

SteerCrazyBBQ

Steercrazy BBQ: Seriously Good
By Rich Manning



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