french quarter bistro's bbq throwdown

All photos by Laura Taylor of Phoenixville Dish

If you haven't gathered this already, the way to my gushy heart is through a perfectly prepared platter of something incredibly delicious and decadent. So, last Saturday, when asked to act as a judge in a local barbecue throwdown at French Quarter Bistro, how could I deny such a request!?

Local chefs, Mark Van Horn of FQB and Mike Tavenner of LePan Catering, battled out once, earlier this year, over the best crafted concoction of jambalaya. This time around, the meat smoking kings tested three courses of classic picnic staples, vying to be crowned the local king of the best barbecue.

To read the full report, speed over to Phoenixville Dish where I detail all six dishes that easily made this competition a success.

caffeination cue: coffee-rubbed all-beef burgers

There's something comforting 'bout sharing your food-obsessed life with food-obsessed people. Not that I don't value introducing my inexperienced comrades to a surprising platter of balut or tender heap of veal cheeks, but I do love how some people just get it.

My best friend called a few weeks back while paging through the July issue of Bon Appetit to tell me that we must make the coffee-rubbed burgers. Simple, yet hopping with my daily go-to staple, there was no doubt that this transformed barbecued patty would now be my idea of all-beef perfection.

Coffee-Rubbed Cheeseburgers
Makes 8

Ingredients:
8 slices applewood-smoked bacon
1 pound ground chuck
8 slices smoked provolone
8 potato-bread hamburger

Begin by frying your slaps of applewood bacon. Being health-conscious girls, after preparing the crispy bacon and allowing the grease to soak into paper towels, we removed a large majority of the fat pieces (sorry, we're terrible).

Prepare the coffee rub and sprinkle 1 teaspoon on each patty. (We sprinkled a teaspoon on each side for a more accented java flavor.)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon freshly ground coffee
2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Preheat stove top or preferably, a grill, at medium heat and begin barbecuing the bold beef. Each burger will take about four minutes, each side, to show the charring affect. Add two slices of bacon per round; coat each with one slice of smoked provolone. Remove once gooey and gorgeous, and place on a toasted potato bun. Pair with your favorite complementing condiments, including a dollop of a decent barbecue sauce. (BA suggests their Texas Barbecue Sauce.)

Now, in perfect company and caffeination, chowdown.