big mista's bbq @ watkins farmer's market

big mista's bbq @ watkins farmer's market
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (52/143)
i'm slowly making my way through the bbq offerings in the LA orange county area, in search of tasty cue. still haven't found anything as phenomenal as the best i've had in texas, which generally has more smokey flavor, but the bbq here is pretty good. thanks to a foodie friend for arranging this event, i was able to sample a large variety of their offerings, all of which were delicious.

my absolute favorite were the thick slabs of BRISKET. slightly fatty, tender, moist with a seasoned crust to accent the natural flavor of the meat, it was good with the vinegary bbq sauce, which was more a kansas style liquid sauce than the thick sauce i'm accustomed to, but had a slight kick and was good nonetheless. the RIBS were another favorite. they really know how to cook the meat so it stays moist. the rub gives it a peppery coating of spices.

they offer two varieties of SAUSAGE. the hot links didn't really blow me away, but it was good. the "fatty," a rich breakfast sausage had a lot of flavor. i don't think i could eat more than a couple pieces though, since it was so rich. the TRI-TIP looked like a good, lean piece of meat, although not as moist compared to some of the others, and better with the bbq sauce.

their CHICKEN, tender and sufficiently moist, is also slathered with similar combination of spices. in fact, most of their meats are well-seasoned with a nice crust, so you don't need a heavy bbq sauce, and the sauce becomes more of an accent to the natural flavors of the meat.

i loved their COLLARD GREENS. not oily at all, it tasted freshly made, with just the tiniest bit of vinegar. i'm not a huge coleslaw fan, but i liked theirs. it was crunchy, not too sweet, with a light tanginess. the potato salad has a kick, and the beans are sweet, a little too sweet for my taste, but they seemed fresh and nicely spiced.

for dessert, i enjoyed their red velvet. not phenomenal, but good. cobbler was a little inconsistent. some of the dough didn't seem fully cooked.

big mista's can be found at various farmer's markets, including the one we went to on saturday at watkins memorial park. i recommend checking them out. they're like one of those hidden food gems. the bbq here is much better than that at any of the chains like johnny rebs or lucille's. big mista's wife organized the food, and it was nice of her to give us some history on how they got started bbq-ing.