GUEST BLOG: SENSES FAIL’S HEATH SARACENO LOVES FOOD

Hey. My name is Heath Saraceno. I play guitar in Senses Fail. I go on tour. I eat food. This is the food that I eat while on tour.

Email suggestions to heathlovesfood@gmail.com if you know of a sweet spot I should try.

MARCH 22, 2009
Memphis, TN
THE PIG ON BEALE - RACK OF RIBS WITH BEANS AND CORN

I haven’t had good ribs in quite some time. The last time was actually at home, and I made them in a Crockpot. Although they came out great, they were a totally different beast. Since Memphis is known for its ribs, we set out to find a rib joint.

Walking down Beale Street was like walking through a paradise of southern barbecue joints, blues clubs, and tourist shops. One place in particular stood out from the crowd, and that was The Pig. I liked the decor in this place: Old country records framed and mounted on the walls, chairs covered in silver sparkle plastic, tables that are identical to those from a backyard birthday party I was at in 1983, and plastic utensils wrapped in wax paper. Pretty basic stuff.

The food was not so basic. I ordered a full rack of dry ribs with beans and corn. There was no reason to order a full rack, but for some reason I was compelled to do it anyway. When the ribs came out, I immediately realized my mistake—these were longer than my forearm.

My favorite part about these ribs was the charred parts around the outside ribs. The honey glaze had caramelized just enough to be crunchy and took on a sweeter flavor than the ones in the middle. The benefit of the middle ribs, though, was that they contained more moisture and were more tender.

The Pig had recently changed their recipe to these ribs. Our server told me that someone from the Food Network (she was not inclined to name names) had recently come in and revamped their rib rub and added the honey glaze. I never had the old ribs, but judging from all the trophies and accolades, they were onto something before. Hopefully these are good enough to win them many more awards in the future. They certainly have my vote.

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