Ribs To Die For From Art's Bar-Be-Que

My husband grew up in Memphis, Dallas and Ft. Smith, Arkansas. I saw this connection as a way to finally get my teeth wrapped around some real southern barbeque. Not the grilled stuff. The smoked stuff. I've yet to experience more of Dallas than the airport, but I've chewed my way through a lot of barbeque in Tennessee, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The absolute best stuff I've found anywhere turns out, oddly enough, to be right in Randy's family! Who Knew?

Since Randy and I met, his widowed mom has married a retired surgeon who has 3 sons and a daughter -- 4 instant step-siblings-in-law. The daughter's Significant Other happens to be a chef. A brilliant chef. He makes barbeque, that is, he smokes meat. He has 3 barbeque restaurants in Ft. Smith and the area. ART'S BAR-BE-QUE. If you're ever there, don't miss it.

This brilliant chef isn't named Art, though. He's Eddie. Eddie York. Eddie puts out ribs that are so wonderful they need no bar-be-que sauce. I usually eat 'em straight up. Randy prefers Eddie's pulled pork. Eddie's side dishess -- ALL of them -- are also the best anywhere. He makes the best fried okra, the best potato salad, the best beans and the best onion rings. Especially the best beans and onion rings. As in, the best on the planet. I should know.

When we were in Ft. Smith for the Christmas holiday, you can be sure I ate a lot of Eddie's food. Just about every day we went to ART'S BAR-BE-QUE or ate something Eddie had catered, like the Christmas smoked turkey. As a special treat, we brought home 2 frozen racks of ribs, dry rub, and sauce. I heated up the first half rack tonight for our dinner, served with bread and honey, and dilled potato salad. My gosh! The ribs are still to die for, even after a month in the freezer. And, the ribs also provided after dinner entertainment. Randy put a few of the bones down on the floor and let our 7 cats have a go at them. Although only a few knew what to do with them, those that did had a grand time gnawing and chewing. It was a special treat for everyone in the household, each of us in our own way. Thank you Eddie!!!!