Page 34 - NOV2021 Digial Issue

article courtesy of
KC’s Harp
Sean Ludwig -
sean@nycbbq.com
Ryan Cooper -
ryan@bbqtourist.com
Acclaimed Kansas City pit- master Tyler Harp of Harp Barbecue has had a busy year and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. In 2021, Harp traveled to Chicago to join Con- necticut’s Hoodoo Brown BBQ for the Windy City Smokeout BBQ and Music Festival, then turned around and threw his own Harp Barbecue Festival with friends from across the na- tion before heading to Cali- fornia to cook during the celebration of the one year anniversary of Heritage Bar- becue.
Whole Hog
When Harp Barbecue was named Kansas City’s best BBQ restaurant for the second year in a row by Kansas City Mag- azine, Harp wanted to find a unique way to celebrate. So he decided to recruit his friends Scotty Barvir of Scotty’s Whole Hog Barbecue in Minnesota and Blake Stoker of Blake’s BBQ in Tennessee to come to Kansas City to cook for a special whole hog BBQ event.
I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to spend
boudin, and perhaps best of all, sweet potato burnt ends. Harp’s version of the “Bubba Cole” sandwich made famous by Blake Stoker’s restaurant in Martin, Tennessee, was also on the menu. The sandwich consists of smoked brisket and poultry served on a bun with pimento cheese.
Stoker and Barvir took a break from cooking to join me in sharing what might be one of the best trays of barbecue I have ever had. Harp continues to improve his craft and is producing better food with each subsequent visit.
Barbecue Goes
Tyler Harp continues to build on his success in Kansas City with fantastic food. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)
The trays of food from Harp Barbecue keep getting more delicious and picture perfect as time goes on. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)
the weekend in Kansas City with Harp, Barvir, and Stoker, sampling delicious food, drinking craft beer from Crane Brewing Com- pany, and talking about all things barbecue. On Friday night, Harp served BBQ tacos, while Barvir and Stoker began setting up and preparing for the whole hog cook.
The regular Saturday lunch service included a dazzling array of delicious dishes, in- cluding melt-in-your- mouth brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, pork belly,
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NOVEMBER 2021
Tyler Harp was joined by Blake Stoker of Blake’s BBQ and Scott Barvir of Scotty’s Whole Hog Barbecue for a special event in Kansas City. (Photo by Tarik Sykes)
After lunch service had ended, the Harp crew switched gears to focus on not one but two special events that evening. Tony Kemp and Jacob Boman departed to serve Harp Barbecue at a special charity event, while Harp and his father and the rest of the team got ready to serve whole hog.
For years, writers have