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Smokin'!!!!
B'z BBQ hones grilling to a fine art: Nearly everyone pulls out the barbecue grill as soon as spring weather hits, but not everyone has time to smoke their favorite meat 19 or 14 or even seven hours at a time. That’s just one reason B’z BBQ at Paeonian Springs Grocery & Gourmet draws the crowds. Owner and operator Brian DeVaux delivers some of the most succulent barbecue in Loudoun County.“We sold easily over 200 pounds of meat this past Saturday,” DeVaux said after a warm spring weekend. “I had already had over 150 people come with the first good weather of the season.”
So come hungry and come early if you want a plate of this outdoor gourmet delight. With the smell of barbecue in the air, DeVaux might just sell out early. Just off Charles Town Pike, the gourmet grocery store is open all year. But the massive meat smoker only gets fired up in good weather.
“If it’s warm outside, I’m outside,” DeVaux said.
With 20 years in the barbecue business, DeVaux has attracted customers from all over the region to try his award-winning recipes. One fan came from as far away as London and left a note in DeVaux’s now-retired guest book raving about the barbecue.
DeVaux is dedicated to his work. He hand picks the cuts himself, and uses his own recipes for his signature barbecue sauces and two dry rubs.
Using only cherry wood and charcoal to deliver a slight sweetness and to preserve the flavor, DeVaux starts serving up his 14-hour smoked pulled pork on Tuesdays. The chicken and beef brisket come out on the weekends. Extra-large Black Angus hot dogs get thrown on the smoker as well, offering a beefy, juicy taste for hot dog fans.
DeVaux begins the barbecue process with a dry rub -- a spicy rub with cumin and cayenne pepper for the thicker meats and a sweeter rub for the chicken and ribs. After the meat is smothered in just enough dry rub and smoked, there’s no need to pull out the salt shaker. The lengthy smoking process adds a mouthwatering flavor and tenderness, and the sauces are appropriately light and don’t overwhelm the meat.
Fans of strong sauces won’t find one here. The sweet plum sauce is mild and friendly for all. The mustard sauce, prepared with fresh jalapenos and cumin, provides a harmonious balance of sweet and spicy. It's perfect for chicken and will delight North Carolina barbecue fans. For a bit of a kick, the peach habanero sauce gives a jolt at the end, but tapers off enough to keep the fans of mildly spicy sauce happy.
Among his grocery items, you’ll find Boylan Bottleworks' cane-sugar sodas (the company dates back to 1891), West Virginia-based Black Dog Coffee beans, and a “hop heaven” beer selection, with more than 190 varieties for carryout. The beers range from Belgian to Hawaiian. DeVaux personally picks out his wine. Most bottles are priced at less than $20.
Returning customers will find lower prices for barbecue platters: pulled pork, $5.99; beef brisket, $6.99; Black Angus hot dog, $3.99; and a rack of ribs, $20. A serving of barbecue and coleslaw can weigh up to a pound, so DeVaux will prepare a “bite of barbecue” (a half serving) for the not-so-hungry.
Rebekah Pizana is a devotee of cooking and food writing. Contact her at gourmetwriter@gmail.com.
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