Finger lickin and lip smackin BBQ

Saturday February 2, 2019

I have recently had the pleasure of trying some delicious BBQ from Blue Smoke Barbecue! I was down in South Florida visiting friends and I was told about Tim Musa, the owner and Pitmaster of Blue Smoke BBQ. I was told his BBQ is the best in Palm Beach County. Of course I had to try for myself!

When we arrived to the location where

he was set up, the smell was intoxicating. That good smokey aroma floated through the air and completely engulfed me. The most impressive black and gleaming smoker sat behind a large tent. It sat on a trailer of its own and glorious “blue” smoke billowed from the stack. There was a line of people waiting at the front of the tent with tables covered with large catering style aluminum pans. These huge pans contained smokey bacon covered baked beans, his special “Kirk Family Slaw,” smoked cornbread, and potato salad.

I quickly joined the line listening to the chitter chatter or those around me. It seemed most of the people there were picking up orders that they had submitted on-line. After talking with a few of the patrons there, I determined, that customers can place orders on-line and pick them up at a certain location. Also, He caters events and has specials for the Holidays! While I was in line, I asked a customer just ahead of me if he had ever had Mr. Musa’s barbecue before. He enthusiastically answered that he buys “almost every time Tim smokes, that it is the best barbecue I have ever had.” We laughed a moment at his excitement. He continued to say, “you have to try his ribs, they are out of this world.” I replied thanking him for the tip and we walked as the line moved forward.

When I reached the table I was greeted by Tim himself. I told him I didn’t previously place an order, that this was an impromptu stop for some good grub. He happily obliged me and told me I could sample what ever I’d like. It so happened he had ribs, pulled pork, chicken, baked beans, and slaw still available. I greedily took in the smells and sights of the food. Everything looked so amazing, I wanted to sample it all!

I made a plate with ribs and pulled pork. I also tried the baked beans and slaw. Firstly, let us start with the one thing everyone wants to know…

The ribs! He uses a St Louis style rib that he cuts himself. He dry rubs them with his own blend of seasonings, then they are smoked “low and slow,” for 4-5 hours, on the behemoth smoker he named “Big Blue.” I quite happily picked up my first rib, there was a beautiful pink “smoke ring” through the meat and you could really see the spices from the rub. Not wanting to wait anymore I sunk my teeth into it. There was just enough bite to the meat that gave it a very tender but not soft or mushy mouth feel. The smoke flavor leapt in my mouth, there was a boldness of pepper, garlic, and paprika. Also, there was just a hint of sweetness to them too, which added a subtle caramelized flavor. Simply put, it was delicious! I pretty much devoured the ribs on my plate without hesitation.

Next, I tired the pulled pork. The pork was shredded nicely, good sized pieces, not into tiny mushy bits (that is a pet peeve of mine, no one likes mushy meat). Again, you could easily see the smoke ring throughout the meat and there were some good charred bits mixed in as well. I was offered from scratch BBQ sauce that Tim makes himself. I gladly accepted and put a little on half of the meat. Honestly, the pork can stand alone and in no way needs the sauce, however, the sauce has a sweet and tangy flavor with a hint of pepper, this added a little more depth to the pork. I thoroughly enjoyed it with and without the sauce.

Lastly, I tried the sides he had left. The slaw recipe, Tim said, came from a good family he knows very well and they graciously let him use it, as it is the best coleslaw he has ever had. Tim added, “this slaw makes people who don’t even like coleslaw, fall in love with slaw,” he just laughed. It is not mayonnaise based, it is crisp and crunchy with a good zing in the bite. It is a mixture of peppers, cabbage, onions, seasoning and vinegar. It was quite delightful. I enjoy a good coleslaw, as a matter of fact, I find myself to be a bit of a snob when it come to this subject. Coleslaw should be served cold, have a nice snap in the bite and not be overly coated in mayo. This hit every point! I was very pleased, this is a must try! Finally, I tried the baked beans. Tim explained the baked beans came from a bunch of different recipes that he took “this and that” from until he developed a flavor he liked. I will say the beans had a good consistency and were not runny. The flavors were nice, a little sweet and tangy, I could really taste the molasses and mustard in them and the bacon gave the beans a nice saltiness to balance the sweet.

Over all I would say Tim Musa is surely a Pitmaster who has mastered the art of smoked barbecue. Tim is looking forward to growing his business and has dreams of opening a store front one day. He would like to be able to accommodate more folks in this way. I sincerely hope he reaches that goal and I know I will certainly stop to see him if I am back in South Florida again to have me some more barbecue, I highly recommend you do too!

He can be found on FB and Instagram, I provided the links below by clicking on the pictures.

Click here for Blue Smokes Instagram Link

Click here for Blue Smokes FB Link