Just as promised I visited Rancho To Go BBQ in Orange this weekend after seeing that they just opened right around the corner from me. As I waited for my food I talked with two of the guys that seem to be running the show to find out a little about their smoked meats. We talked about the difficulty in finding good quality beef ribs in Southern California that match the quality and quantity of meat you get on ribs in Texas as well as the lack of full shoulder cuts of pork at grocery stores here. They primarily use pecan, hickory, and apple wood sourced from friends and others that they know in a couple of locations in the US. Chris told me that they are having a BBQ 101 class on Saturday, June 24th from 10-4 at the cost of $60 per person and if anyone is interested in finding out more about it they should contact them on their website. Food prices range from $8.15 for 1/2 of a smoked chicken to $22.95 for a full rack of St. Louis style ribs.
Since it was my first visit there I wanted to get my taste of two meats so I went with pulled pork and smoked sausage. The pulled pork was your typical pulled pork it had good flavor and the 1/2 pound I received had very little fat and not much bark. I tend to prefer a little more color when I’m smoking the pork, so next time I’ll make sure I ask to get my preference. Served along with the pork were two slices of white bread, just like it would be in Texas.
As for the smoked sausage, it is like nothing a Southern Californian will have ever seen unless you actually follow the smoked meat scene. Their “sausage” is only sausage in the sense that it is ground meat mixed with seasonings, but what they serve up as smoked sausage is called a fattie in the smoked meat world. It’s seasoned fresh ground meat, formed into a log, and then smoked low and slow. It’s something everyone has to try at least once, you get a lot of smoked flavor this way, so if you tend to be overwhelmed when there is too much “smoke” this might not be for you, but I really enjoyed the uniqueness compared to what we typically get around here.
I also got a small order of cole slaw that went well with my meal, a very average, safe cole slaw. Included in my bag were a couple rolls that I used to make little tiny meat sliders topped with their house made Carolina BBQ sauce, which is a vinegar based sauce that probably won’t be like anything you’ve had. It went well with all the food and I’m glad it is served on the side instead of already all over the meat because for me a little goes a long way when it comes to BBQ sauce.
I really enjoyed talking with the guys at Rancho To Go BBQ, they are true BBQ guys in all sense of the word. We even had an enjoyable conversation regarding mustard based BBQ sauce as well as my love of white sauce on pulled pork sandwiches (if you have never tried this it’s honestly the best thing ever, check out this link).
I’m looking forward to trying out more of their smoked meats, but this also makes me want to get my smoker out and start smoking for summer (I’ve been putting it off because I’m working on putting together an air regulation system for my smoker). With the 4th of July just around the corner I have a big smoke coming up!
[xrr rating=3.5/5]
Rancho To Go BBQ
665 N. Tustin St. Suite J
Orange, CA 92867
714-502-4053
Current hours are Friday and Saturday ONLY from 4-8.
