I was driving through New Westminster’s Sapperton again today and was almost ready to pass out from hunger so I thought it was as good as any time to stop into The Ranch Barbecue and try the Pulled Pork Sandwich.
When I saw them put the sandwich up on the counter I was very thankful that I was so hungry. This is not a sandwich for anyone with a small appetite.
Add to the monster of the sandwich the massive scoop of potato salad, well, let’s hope you are hungry.
The pulled pork was exceptional. I admit that I like my barbecue with a thicker, stronger flavoured “bark” than they currently have, but I do know that the chefs are experimenting with the smoker to get just the right smoke flavour into the barbecue.
Regardless of the smoke flavour of the pulled pork in the sandwich I had today, the sandwich was perfect. I was watching Jesse the chef make the sandwich and he was teaching one of his prep chefs how to make sure the pulled pork is all in shreds with no lumps in it. This is especially important when putting the pork into a sandwich. You do not want the customer biting into a large lump of meat that comes out of the sandwich forcing the customer to do the awkward massive mouthful. I for one appreciate this attention to detail.
The side of potato salad was delicious. There were big enough chunks of potato to make it feel home-made and just the right amount of seasoning in the creamy dressing pleased the palate without being too fatty. Not too salty but enough to make me happy.
Because I was not going to try any of the other dishes on the menu I asked the other customers in The Ranch Barbecue if I could photograph their food. Although they thought that was just weird they all said sure.
This is the Ranch Barbecue burger. I was not sure which one it was on the menu but it was one giant piece of grass fed hamburger (all their beef is strictly grass fed).
This is another customer’s Cow Boss Roast Beef dinner. Three slices of smoker cooked roast beef chef with a side of veggies and smashed potatoes.
The chef is working on creating a Yorkshire pudding that he can cook in the smoker. That is one I want to see happening.
While I was sitting and eating my pulled pork sandwich two other guys came in and ordered the same sandwich. I asked if they had tried the pulled pork sandwich. They both said that they loved the pulled pork sandwich and said that they would definitely recommend them to anyone.
After having one of the pulled pork sandwiches I can agree; they are worthy of my recommendation. However, I look forward to seeing how their learning goes with the smoker. I want to see them get a heavier smoke bark onto their barbecue fare but for now I will satisfy myself with the pulled pork sandwich. I’m going to give them a week or so to figure out how to get their smoker producing heavier smoke flavour, but strictly in the name of science, I will return in about a week to try the barbecue ribs and their brisket. By then I bet they will have their smoker smoking that meat to perfection.
The Ranch Barbecue is located at 101-450 East Columbia Street in New Westminster.
Disclosure; the views expressed here are based on my personal opinion. I did not receive any form of compensation from The Ranch Barbecue or anybody else for writing this blog post. As with all my blog entries, editorial control remains mine and mine alone. If you have any concerns or want to speak to me about this or any blog post, email me at Editor@TheLeftCoast.ca.