Paulina Meat Market doesn't fool around when it comes to meat.
"Pit Beef" is Maryland's working-class answer to barbecue. Made from tough round instead of brisket, grilled instead of smoked, and served as rare as can be on a Kaiser roll, this mid-Atlantic phenomenon could be found all summer long in beef shacks, carnival midways and makeshift stands on city sidewalks—usually manned by young children also doling out flavored snowballs. Chalk it up to my Baltimore upbringing, but it was years before I discovered that food could actually be smoked. It was during a road trip in Northern Germany at the age of twenty, when I saw a charming dwelling by the side of the road boasting "Smoked Butterfish." My traveling companion immediately pulled off the road and ordered us up a fish to share. Flaky and tender, the fish tasted heavily of hickory and earth—it was an epiphany (and one of the finest things I've ever put in my mouth) for a measly five euros. Unlike us hillbillies from Baltimore, Chicago's got the smoking thing down to a science. Here are some of the city's best:
Smoked Pork Chop at Sheffield's
Few meats fare better under the smoke treatment than the pig, and Sheffield's doesn't fool around on the pork front: The Lakeview beer joint doles out an impossibly thick chop of bone-in pork, slow-smoked to perfection and then grilled. Served along with another smoked goodie—a sweet and savory smoked corn succotash—and mashed potatoes, the smoked pork chop platter ($13.95) holds its own against steep competition in the barbecue section of the menu.
Brisket from Smoque BBQ
My childhood barbecue might not measure up against most standards—but at least it wasn't drowning in liters of sauce. Many BBQ fans measure a good brisket by its accompanying sauce, but those in the know understand that the trick is all in the cooking—low and slow wins the race every time. Smoque's signature brisket is rubbed with spices before spending 15 hours over the smoker, a process that makes the meat astonishingly tender. A light gloss of sauce is all you need. (Platters from $7.45, sandwiches from $4.95).
Tea-smoked Duck Breast at Le Lan
Duck is a tricky fowl to get just right; the line between fall-off-the-bone tender and dry-as-a-bone is razor-thin, but getting a duck dish just right can be one of the most rewarding culinary experiences of all time (or at least, until the next duck). Le Lan's choice of tea-smoking a duck breast may seem out of left field, but this recipe is actually traditional in the Sichuan Province—where the Sichuan people excel at smoking food for preservation. Le Lan's version ($28) boasts the classic crackly skin, incredibly tender meat and heavy aromas of tea and smoke. Served with a savory bread pudding and star anise reduction, this is a splurge that should be saved for a special occasion (and maybe a cooler evening).
You can take it with you
Hagen's Fish Market
Want to re-create my German brush with euphoria? Stop by Hagen's Fish Market to taste the gems that emerge from its cinder block smokehouse. Trying one of everything is tempting, but start with these standouts from the Portage Park mainstay: Catfish starts at $6.95/pound; Chubs will run you $7.95-$9.95/pound; Nova Lox is pricy but worth it at $13.95/pound; and try the whitefish (the closest I've found to that German butterfish) for $5.95-$8.95/pound. Don't forget to grab some hush puppies; hey, you're there already, right?
Paulina Meat Market
To meat what Hagen's is to fish, this North Side market knows what to do with its pig. Whether you're looking for a special-occasion smoked ham (there are half a dozen varieties to choose from), pepper-smoked tenderloin ($10.50/pound), or smoked pork shanks for cooking, Paulina's got you covered. Try grabbing a slab of smoked bacon ($6.50/pound) to use in baked beans or clam chowder.
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