Jeremy Wallace/The Aspen Times
You can smell the tantalizing aroma of roasted meat before you even pull into the parking lot of Home Team BBQ. And, although the restaurant doesn’t celebrate the 2-year anniversary of their Aspen location—they are based out of South Carolina—until October, its mouth-watering food and welcoming vibe have made them a local mainstay. Everything, from the brisket, pulled pork and ribs to the chicken, sausage and turkey is smoked on site with white oak. According to chef Kyle Wilkins, South Carolina barbecue is cooked over a higher heat, and served with vinegar-based sauces. To keep the finished product juicy, Wilkins starts meats over a hot fire to develop the smoke ring and distinctive bark, before transferring them to a slow-cooking grill to finish cooking. The results are enough to coax a vegetarian to the dark side, even though there are vegetarian options on the menu, including black bean tacos, deliciously innovative salads and even smoked salmon for pescatarian diners.
One thing not to miss is Fiery Ron’s Smoked Chicken Wings. These are not your standard chicken wings. Dry rubbed, smoked, flash fried and served with Alabama White Sauce and the optional Death Relish, they are just the thing to wet your whistle for a beer or a frozen Game Changer (a slushy with a double rum punch).
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“These wings put us on the map,” says Wilkins.
Duke’s Real Mayonnaise, a Southern-staple, is the key ingredient in Alabama White Sauce, and helps give these wings their smoky sweetness. Homemade sauces, salsas and relishes are key compliments to the rich, smoky flavors of Wilkins’ BBQ.
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“Our nachos feature three salsas–tomato, poblano and corn, and carrot–and are finished with chimichurri sauce for a bright finish,” according to Wilkins.
Likewise, the sweet heat and acidity of the jalapeño and carrot Death Relish are a tasty compliment to smoked meats. If you want to add a saucy touch to your dry-rubbed meats, you have six varieties of barbecue sauce to choose from, including mustard sauce, and vinegar sauce, plus the more familiar sweet and hot versions.
For a family-style cookout, grab one of the outside tables and order “The Board” for a complete dinner for four to six people, including wings, ribs, pulled pork, sausage and turkey, with three sides, bread and pickles. And if you can’t make it for lunch or dinner, they serve a full breakfast, seven days a week, even during the off-season.