Barbecue truck offers some new takes on traditional barbecue fare

MOUNT CARMEL, Ill. – The Beer Bones BBQ Catering and Food Trailer is based in Mount Carmel, Illinois, but has made strong inroads into Vanderburgh County in the last year or so.

Brandan Patterson and his wife Jessica are the owners, and work the truck with help from their daughter, Brylee.

Brandan’s interest in competition barbecue began when Jessica was in nursing school in 2016; he was bored and wanted to enter the Ribberfest barbecue contest in Mount Carmel, Illinois.

“She said go for it, just stay away from me while I study,” Brandon said.

He didn’t win anything that time, but took the next year to refine techniques and compete in other contests, and came back to win across the board in 2017. That’s when people wanted to start buying barbecue from him.

That led to some catering, which led to a pop-up tent for events and eventually the Beer Bones food truck, which has become a full-time job for Brandan. They’ve been serving in Indiana for a couple years and have been hitting Vanderburgh County regularly.

On the menu at Beer Bones BBQ

Jessica is the side-dish mastermind, while Brandan does the smoking and most of the serving.

The Pattersons consider Beer Bones "craft barbecue," so while the slaw and pulled pork are “Memphis-style” and the brisket is “Texas-style,” the recipes are their own and they don’t feel constrained to do all things one certain way. Many recipes are old family favorites, and some even come from Jessica’s grandmother.

The truck doesn’t have a fixed menu, so other than basic items such as pulled pork and brisket, mac & cheese, slaw and pit beans, you never know what might be offered. Thick smoked chops are often available, as are ribs, tacos, pork steak, chicken, pork loin, hash brown casserole, chicken and noodles, various desserts from coconut pie to German chocolate cake, and homemade sweet tea and raspberry infused lemonade.

Specialties at Beer Bones BBQ

Sauces

Beer Bones has eight homemade sauces, many of which Brandan came up with during his competition days.

Sweet and Smoky – This was the first sauce Patterson made. “If anyone wants to ruin their brisket with sauce that’s the one I use,” he said. “It’s for the pork sandwich.”

Sweet Candy Glaze - For competitions, he developed the Sweet Candy Glaze, which gives the ribs or chicken a shiny sweet glaze.

Alabama White Sauce – Based on Duke’s mayonnaise, the brand of the south, seasoned with Beer Bones’ house rub and other spices and ingredients.

Carolina Red Vinegar Pepper Sauce – This is the mop for pork butts, but many people eat it as a sauce on the pulled pork as well. It’s made with cider vinegar, apple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, and spices simmered with quartered onions and lemons added for flavor.

Lemon Pepper Honey Sauce – This sauce was inspired by a trip to a hot chicken restaurant in Nashville, where they offered honey with the chicken. Patterson suggests it with the smoked wings.

Hala Kahiki Sauce – That means Sweet Chili Pineapple in Hawaiian, and that’s just what this sauce has in it, along with house spices.

Hot Honey – This is made with honey simmered with red pepper flakes, house rub, salt, and a little vinegar.

Traditional Buffalo Sauce

Alabama Buffalo Sauce- This one's a mixture of the Alabama white sauce and traditional buffalo sauce.

Brisket Bacon

The brisket bacon is a fresh side of pork, smoked and cooked just like brisket. Patterson first made it last Thanksgiving and has been tweaking the recipe ever since. It’s rich and savory, and he came up with a house hot honey to drizzle on it.

Smoked sausage

Patterson sources fresh “Langdon Locker” rope sausage from Country Home Processing in Albion, Ill. It’s seasoned simply with garlic and Patterson smokes it on the truck. He usually slices it to serve with a drizzle of sauce, but sometimes serves it on a bun with wife Jessica’s homemade chow chow relish.

Piggy Mac

Piggy Mac is the mac and cheese topped with pulled pork and a drizzle of the sweet candy glaze.

Memphis Slaw

Beer Bones’ slaw isn’t sweet, which is a refreshingly different style from most slaws served in the area, which usually contain quite a bit of sugar whether they’re creamy or vinegar-based. It’s made with Miracle Whip, mustard, spices and cider vinegar for both creaminess and zip. It's also good for lower-carb diners who are looking for something to accompany a pile of smoked meat.

Spudniks

To make Spudniks, the house garlic and herb roasted mini potatoes are topped with meat, cheese, sauce and a crisp sprinkle of herbed panko crumbs. It’s the answer to a barbecue-loaded baked potato.

For more information and days, times and location of service, check out the Beer Bones Facebook page.