Sides, Sandwiches, and Snacks
Sides
Gowanus Greens, aka Pig Beach Collards
Utica Greens
Legendary Baked Beans
Grandma Ruth’s Smoky Eggplant Puree
Smoked Jalapeño and Pineapple Slaw
Cheddar Cheese Drop Biscuits
Slightly Sweet Buttery Cornbread
Pig Beach Quick Pickles
Shane’s Grandma’s Bread & Butter Pickles
Pickled Red Onions
Sandwiches
Double-Brined Fried Chicken Sandwich
Chef Jeff Brisket Sandwich
Barbecue Lamb Gyro
Tasso-Spiced Bacon BLT with Gochujang Ranch Dressing
Bangkok Banger Banh Mi
BBQBANO
The Mobster
Snacks
Pig Beach Ham Salad Deviled Eggs
Pulled Pork Arancini
Secret Spice Pecan Candied Bacon
Pig Beach Barbecue Kettle Corn
Pigs ’n’ Donuts with Jeff’s Pepps and World Champion Mustard Sauce
Smoked Cheddar Gougères
Barbecue-Flavored Granola
Gowanus Greens, aka Pig Beach Collards
The Gowanus Canal runs right in front of Pig Beach in Brooklyn, so we often attach its name to dishes we do. These collards are deeply flavorful with a bit more add-ins than the traditional Southern dish. They are even better if you throw in bits and pieces of leftover brisket!
SERVES 6 TO 8
3 slices bacon, diced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1½ cups diced white onion
2 pounds collard greens, well washed, dried, and cut into shreds
5½ cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup Frank’s RedHot hot sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken base (see here)
Place a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and oil and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and its fat has rendered.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes or until the garlic is golden brown and very aromatic. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the collards, about 4½ cups of the stock, the vinegar, hot sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire, and chicken base and stir to blend well. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for about 3 hours or until the collards are very soft and tender. You may need to add the additional 1 cup stock to maintain a nice, cornbread-sopping broth.
Remove from the heat and serve.
Utica Greens
Utica greens are a staple found in almost every mom-and-pop restaurant in upstate New York where Matt grew up. It is a classic Italian American dish typically prepared with salami and other salumi, but we love the flavor of smoke, so bacon is a substitute for the traditional meats. It gives you all that great flavor of a salted and cured meat, but with the addition of the deep aroma of smoke and fire. Although we do have the traditional collards on the menu, we always have these greens, too.
SERVES 4 TO 6
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 large head escarole
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup diced bacon
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 small white onion, diced
3 to 6 hot cherry peppers, seeded and chopped
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Crusty Italian bread, for serving
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly coat an 8 × 8-inch square baking pan with olive oil.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. (The water should be salted enough to taste like the ocean.)
Using a sharp knife, cut the escarole into 1-inch-wide strips.
Fill the clean kitchen sink with very cold water, add the escarole, and aggressively wash it to remove all the dirt and sand. Drain and repeat this process until the water is completely clean. Remove the escarole from the water and shake off as much water as you can.
Add the escarole to the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes or until just barely wilted with a bit of texture remaining. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and water.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the blanched escarole to the ice water to cool it immediately. When cool, using your hands, lift the greens from the ice water and squeeze out as much water as you can. Set aside.
Place the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and olive oil in a medium bowl and toss to blend completely. Set aside.
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in an extra-large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and its fat has rendered.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes or until the garlic is golden brown and very aromatic. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the blanched escarole, breaking it up as you add it. Add the cherry peppers and cook for about 5 minutes, tossing and turning to coat the escarole and allow the flavors to blend.
Add about half of the bread crumb mixture to the escarole, season with the salt and black pepper, and stir to combine. Transfer the escarole mixture to the prepared baking pan and top with the remaining bread crumb mixture and transfer to the oven.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve—with crusty Italian bread, of course!
