It started with me waking up in the middle of the night, wanting to smoke a brisket,” says Jacob Styburski who, with his wife, Catherine, opened Revenge BBQ in April. A former senior director of design at PayPal, Styburski became obsessed with barbecue and started experimenting with various styles and techniques before traveling to Texas to learn smoked-meat craft from legendary pitmaster Russell Roegels.
“It’s fairly straightforward,” explains Styburski. “We start with high-quality meats, don’t mess with them too much, and then let the fire and smoke do their thing.” In keeping with traditional Texas style, antibiotic-and hormone-free meats are dry-rubbed with plenty of coarsely ground Malabar pepper to create a flavorful bark with just enough bite.
On the menu: meltingly tender briskets (the Holy Grail of Texas barbecue), slow-smoked for 12 to 18 hours; pork ribs and the Triple Threat pulled-pork sandwich with slaw and potato chips; jalapeño-cheddar sausage from the famed Kreuz Market in Texas, and gargantuan beef ribs from Creekstone Farms. Traditional sides include brisket-laced beans, custard cornbread, and three-cheese mac ’n’ cheese, made fresh throughout the day. What’s for dessert? Says Styburski, “There have to be pudding cups.”
Revenge BBQ
48 Main St, Irvington
914.674.4848
