Kurzweils’ Country Meats, a combination meat market and restaurant, is unlike any other barbecue emporium I’ve come across.
The restaurant offers beef brisket and pulled pork, for sure, but also things you won’t find anywhere else, such as a smoked pork chop platter, a smoked short rib grilled cheese sandwich with horseradish sauce, a charcuterie board appetizer and an array of non-BBQ burgers and sandwiches.
The dining room is in the back. Out front, the retail store offers smokehouse products such as sliced brisket, bacon, smoked pork chops and multiple flavors of snack sticks and summer sausage. There’s a freezer case loaded with an array of brats and other smoked sausages—more than 30 varieties ranging from classics like andouille and boudin to originals such as Philly cheesesteak and caramelized pear with gorgonzola. Charcuterie meat offerings include 11 different flavors of dried fermented salamis, including red wine Genoa, Calabrese, hot honey and tiger cry. Cured and dried meats include sweet or spicy coppa (capicola) and four flavors of loma (cured boneless pork loin): red wine, paprika, cayenne and fennel orange. A wider array of retail choices are available on Kurzweils’ website, including steaks and assorted gift boxes.
Smoked pork chops ($15), served as a pair of bone-in chops, are a delight—maple cured, smoked then griddled, tender and richly flavored with a hint of sweetness. A classic brisket sandwich on a roll ($11 small, $13 large) served without sauce offers moist, lean slices piled high. The short rib grilled cheese sandwich ($14) is full-flavored and offers a great combination of textures—crisp toast, creamy gouda, tender meat and just-crisp sauteed onion straws. The sandwich includes a creamy horseradish sauce, an excellent alternative to classic tomato-based barbecue sauce.
Two house sauces are on each table: a sweet original and a spicy version with a mild kick. Sides include crispy fries, meaty pit beans, a nicely crisp slaw made from shredded cabbage and carrots, and a potato salad spiked with pickle relish.
In another departure from the BBQ norm, ribs and burnt ends are each available only one day a week (ribs on Mondays, burnt ends on Fridays).
Kurzweils’ was founded by three Kurzweil brothers—James M., Tom and Dennis. The brothers grew up in a farming family. In 1991, the three brothers and their wives added a hog operation to the farm. Trying to find a better market for their hogs, the idea of the meat market emerged. It opened in 1995 as a retail meat market. The restaurant was added in 1998. Today, demand is so high that the family farm can’t produce enough meat, so they supplement their supply with purchased large cuts.
Harrisonville is on the fringe of the metro, but it’s less than a half-hour drive south from I-435. Kitchen hours are 11 am to 3 pm, but the meat market is open 9 am to 5:30 pm. One way to make the trip worth the drive is to do what I do: Pack a cooler, enjoy lunch, then grab some sausages and other meats to bring home.
