It was a beautiful wedding. The music, the flowers, the pretty bride and the handsome groom, the happy families.
The ribs. The brisket. The smoky baked beans.
We all know that a good marriage starts with a proper feed. And this one was off to a stellar start, because the barbecue entrees and delicious sides were provided by Baker’s Ribs.
“We cater quite a few weddings,” says Al Killion, proprietor and pitmaster of the Eden Prairie outpost of Dallas-based Baker’s. “Other events, too – this past summer, we handled a customer appreciation event for a local company, with 275 guests.”
Local fans of authentic Texas-style barbecue know that you don’t have to be a wedding guest, or a company’s appreciated customer, to get your fill of the real thing. They sidle up to the counter at Baker’s Glen Lane location, open five days a week, and order St. Louis pork ribs, beef brisket, pork butt, chicken and turkey, all smoked to perfection on the premises. Barbecue-friendly sides – baked beans, rotini pasta salad, baked potatoes, dilled potato salad, coleslaw, dirty rice, and salads, plus Texas toast, are all made right out back. And the soda collection, bottles nestled in an ice-filled bathtub, is the most eclectic around.
Just after last Thanksgiving, though, those fans had a nasty scare. Fire destroyed the pit where Baker’s meats are smoked, forcing a four-month closure – a ribless, brisketless stretch BBQ-
vores would rather not remember.
“Fortunately, the fire was contained in the pit, no one was hurt, and the kitchen and dining room were spared,” says Al. “But I had to begin the search for a new pit.” (The term “pit” sounds like it describes a hole in the ground, but it’s simply a nod to barbecue’s origins. A modern pit looks like a giant fridge.)
That search brought Al back to his native Texas, and a company based in a town with the smoky name of Mesquite (Baker’s, by the way, uses oak). “I went down there to their test kitchen, did some smoking, talked to the folks, and hit it off right away with the CEO.” The result? Al’s fire-damaged 34-year-old pit was replaced with not one, but three new “Little Red” model pits.
“The new pits are so much more versatile,” says Al. “They have electronically controlled fans inside that keep smoke and heat circulating through all ten shelves, so there’s no difference in product from the top to the bottom. There’s a bit of a time difference – ribs may cook a half-hour quicker, with no effect on flavor. I think we have a better product now, brisket and pork shoulder, ribs too. It was good before, but extremely good now.”
The pits may be new, but the method remains the same: overnight smoking over slow-burning oak logs (ribs take between three and four hours), using green wood with dry split wood added if a little more heat is required. The goal is that true Texas flavor, a simple blend of meat and smoke.
Baker’s fans stayed true throughout those four long months. Word that Baker’s would reopen spread through social media, and the local paper. “People kept calling, asking when we would be back in business,” Al recalls. “That first month after we reopened, we were overwhelmed. It brought a whole new bunch of people who had never heard of us before.”
Long-time patrons were relieved to find that none of the old Baker’s ambience had been changed by the fire and shutdown. They were welcomed by Al’s famous collection of pig paraphernalia, and a new addition that honors the poultry side of the business. “One of our regular customers is a turkey hunter,” Al explains. “He’s shot turkeys in seventeen states, and each time he bags a bird from a new state, he has the tail feathers mounted above a plaque in the shape of the state. He gave us the Texas tail, and it’s proudly displayed in our dining room.”
Talking turkey brings to mind the approach of the holidays, and Al’s reminder not to wait too long to place orders for Thanksgiving and Christmas. For November’s feast, he recommends getting orders in early in the month. For the Yuletide table, give Baker’s a call during the first week of December.
And when giving thanks, don’t forget the happy revival of Baker’s Ribs. bakersribsmn.com