Extended Weekend Getaways By Sheeree Oney
Things to Do Editor
When it comes to deciding how to prepare apple pie or barbeque ribs, the sky seems to be the limit. It depends on the chef you are visiting with as to what ingredients are noted to be the best. For apple pie, it’s all about the type of apple used. There are only 7500 varieties grown in the world with 2500 of them grown in the U.S., according to the University of Illinois Extension. So that reveals just how many different “best” recipes for apple pie there are.
The secret for the best barbeque seems to be designated by the ingredients used in the sauce. (Some like it sweet while others prefer tart or tangy.) Another important factor is the process and time allotted for smoking and the wood of choice. It also depends on the area as to which is most popular.
For Indiana, the vote goes hands-down to Big Hoffa’s BBQ in Westfield, just north of Indianapolis. Big Hoffa’s packs a big taste into each signature menu item. This pirate decorated restaurant (many items donated by his customers) is noted for the more unusual items on the menu. For this, the restaurant was named in the number three spot in the nation for its BBQ by Yahoo. They have also been honored as the
top BBQ restaurant in Indiana among other prestigious awards. Over the past years, this restaurant has consistantly ranked in the top five of as many as 38 Barbecue restaurants in Indiana. Adam Hoffman, owner and founder of Big Hoffa’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, is originally from California and later decided to move his love for barbeque to Indiana. His pulled pork and smoked BBQ ribs are some of the favorites on the menu. He has adopted a California style of cooking where all ingredients are made in house and
are fresh and a southern flare with his sweet and tangy bbq sauce.
With the barbeque, his pulled pork sandwiches are worth traveling the extra mile for when you are remotely close by and his smoked pork ribs fall right off the bone, after being smoked for over 26 hours. Adam has been serving the great people of Indiana for more than ten years now, starting his business in 2003. Hopefully he will be serving them for many more years to come. The Hoffanator, shown at right, is a truly sinful combo of french fries topped with mac and cheese, baked beans, pulled pork, ranch dressing, and bbq sauce.
If you think that’s a lot of ingredients, Adam has surprising news.
“Many people don’t realize that some of our sauces alone (like the barbeque sauce and ranch dressing that top the Hoffanator) are made of an upwards to 20 different ingredients,” he said.
The pulled pork slow cooked in a smoker always fueled with wood is the big reason these fries are one of Big Hoffa’s most popular items.
The type of BBQ at Big Hoffa’s is known as “Hybrid” which is the type of grill used for cooking the meats.
Best Dish to try in my opinion is the Meat sampler (1/2 rack baby back ribs, 1/2 lb Tri Tip and 1/2 lb pulled pork). This way, you will get a sample taste of more than one type of meat – they are all so very good!
Big Hoffa has created some of the most interesting menu items out there from The Hoffanator, The Marley, The Buccaneer, The Saigon Special and many more Indy favorites! When passing through Indiana, be sure to stop by and give them a try. I am confident you will love the food. Not only is the meat tender and flavorful, but their sauce is the best I’ve tasted – (the spicy one)
Adam shared that he’s proud of what he does and he wants his customers to leave full and happy.
Big Hoffa’s is accustomed to accolades for its cue. In 2015 the foodie website TABElog named Big Hoffa’s among the 12 best barbecue restaurants in America. That same year Yahoo put Big Hoffa’s on its list of the best barbecue in every state. So be sure to check out the menu online at http://www.bighoffas.com/