JackJack’s Soul Food in Pittsfield
Searching for Elusive Barbecue
By: The Pit Bulls - Aug 04, 2011
JackJack’s Soul Food
228 Francis Avenue at the corner of Linden off North Street.
Pittsfield, Mass.
Open 10 to 10 Monday through Saturday
413 464 9098.
Authentic barbecue is more than just food. It is a way of life and the signature of a specific region, culture and family heritage. The techniques of smoking and grilling are passed along. There are secret recipes shared only with trusted members of the clan.
There is a vibrant sense of competition and arguments over cuts of meat. Baby backs, versus Memphis style which are untrimmed full racks. Or Texas style enormous beef ribs.
The sun never sets on the variations of dry rubs and sauces. The best barbecue joints offer several versions of sauces. Often the best dry rub preparation requires little or no sauce. It should be able to stand alone.
A standard requires slow cooking over low heat from charcoal or hard woods for a smoky flavor. When done properly the meat is tender and falls off the bone.
In poor inner city neighborhoods it is common to find gypsy barbecue where a chef sets up a smoker on an empty lot. There may be a trailer from which to serve and perhaps some benches. Often it is mostly for takeout. And generally is kept simple. Just one or two items such as ribs and chicken with a basic sauce. Perhaps one or two sides like mac and cheese, collard greens, bake beans, cole slaw.
When we learned of JackJack’s Soul Food off the beaten track in Pittsfield there was excitement and anticipation. Here was the prospect of a discovery. The one man operation of Terrell Ortiz in a former neighborhood deli fit the profile of a classic barbecue joint.
During our first visit, however, there were no ribs. We moved on to Mad Jack’s also in Pittsfield and wrote a report on that experience. It has since become a regular destination and a bench mark for the barbecue project.
On his own Pancho visited and again JackJack’s did not have ribs but he sampled the fried chicken and reported that it was excellent. As are the sides such as wonderful collard greens with smoked turkey as the meat. During our first visit we were given a taste of gumbo.
Calling ahead to confirm we showed up on a Wednesday to sample the chicken and ribs. Terrell had pushed his large grill outside. One side is fired by charcoal and the other by propane.
We both much enjoyed the texture of the ribs with a slight burnt caramelizing from the charcoal. But it was a major disappointment when we were served commercial sauce. We were told that he was rushed that day and didn’t have the time to make sauce.
On another Wednesday, around 6 pm when the joint should be jumping, Terrell again made excuses. There was a big pot of gumbo in process but it would take another half hour. There were some ribs but when asked again, no home made sauce, because of a lack of time.
“I’m cooking for tomorrow” he said. Noting the major Pittfield event Third Thursday. During which he does a brisk business. And rightly so.
Dropping in at different times Pancho had similar experiences. There are basic menu items which we hoped to sample but are available erratically. To build a reputation and business one must have consistency.
JackJack’s has great potential. Some of what we have tasted has been sensational. But when you seek out remote locations for dining it can’t be hit and miss. As Terrell expressed to us it is the down side of a one man operation.
Below are our field notes as well as a dialogue with the chef.
Pancho The mac and cheese and greens are signature taste. You go to different places to do barbecue and it’s a different sense. You may like one over the other or the fact that they are different. I want to use the word authenticity but the problem is that Terrell used someone else’s sauce. So we don’t have a full blast of what he can do. Mad Jack had five different sauces that he created. If you ask me JackJack’s chicken beats the pulled pork at Mad Jack.
Barbecue is a very distinct culinary approach. Usually you get a very strong almost visceral response. Rub (in North Adams on our list of restaurants to visit and review) does five or six or seven sauces. As does Mad Jack’s.
Terrell Ortiz is a talented cook wishing for a restaurant to show his cooking ... lots of enthusiasm but ... *%#@!!!
The dilemma:
Jack-Jack’s has the real jumbo charcoal smoker grill -- the system produces good results with both dry rub and/or wet rub.
Jack-Jack’s has not produced a brisket to date ... the cooker can handle it, therefore money must be the issue.
Jack-Jack's kitchen is adequate and barely covers the execution of a typical BBQ joint menu ... the sides are way above average ... other main meats like fried chicken (very tasty), and pulled-pork (average) are not always available.
Still looking for the elusive gumbo ... and home made BBQ sauces.
We keep going and trying, in truth, we know that it's not happening!!!
Jack-Jack’s does not merit a write up ... but we like Terrell ... go figure!
A conversation with Terrell Ortiz
Cisco Give us a rundown on the days of the week.
Terrell Oriz The only things changes is the meat. Every day I have collard greens, cabbage, baked macaroni and cheese, potato salad, macaroni salad, candied yams, string beans, black eyed peas.
So Monday, I have to bust it down, I have fried chicken, tilapia smoked fish.
Tuesday I have barbecued chicken and ribs. There’s so much I can’t even bust the whole week down.
Wednesday curried chicken, shrimp gumbo.
Pancho We’ll try that the next time. Wednesday is an important day.
C But Today is Wednesday. (lunch).
TO I try to cook everything before lunch.
C But today you are late.
TO Yeah, I’m just late on everything today because I had to go shopping.
On Thursday and Friday I have the whole shebang. Thursday, Friday and Saturday is when most people don’t want to cook. I have barbecued chicken, fried chicken, baked chicken, smoked fish, baked fish, gumbo, curry, potato salad, macaroni salad.
C You do all this yourself?
TO I come here early.
C What’s early?
TO Oh 7 AM and I won’t get done till 1 PM. If people come in for lunch I have to recook. You guys bought all the ribs out so now I gottah get some more ribs. I got to put on some more chicken and make another tray of macaroni and cheese. One person may come in for the family and say give me all of it. They get the family deal though. The only thing that’s going to be expensive is the ribs. Because they’re so expensive. The family deal I’ll do for fifty bucks. You get a whole tray of mac and cheese and a whole tray of meat. Another side. It’s not bad. Fifty bucks.
C How many does that feed?
TO Us grown people like four or five. With kids you’re going to have a lot of left overs.
C How much waste do you have?
TO I throw away like maybe thirty or forty dollars a week. But I really don’t throw it away. People who come and help me like kids I give them something to eat.
C So you sell what you cook every day.
TO Yeah. I cook every day. If I sell something I might cook a little more but I don’t pile it on. So I don’t waste no food. I watch a lot of TV and cooking shows. I’ve been teaching myself.
C Who do you like?
TO Gordon Ramsey. He kicks ass but he has to. He’s not going to let his food come out any old type of way.
C We watch Hell’s Kitchen, Master Chef, Kitchen Nightmares.
TO Hell yeah I love that guy. I want to try to sign up so I can go on that show.
C You would have to cook French style.
TO They’re into fine dining so I would have to learn it. People come on there that don’t have those culinary skills. But I got the enthusiasm I could stay there.
C Terrell how many boxes of ribs do you go through in a week?
TO They’re so expensive but I go through five or six in a week.
C How many in a box?
TO 15 racks.
C I like the burnt crispy finish on the ribs. How many hours were these cooked?
TO Three and a half or four hours.
C What’s your signature dish?
TO I’d say my gumbo.
C It isn’t a New Orleans gumbo.
TO No I took it out of a book and put a little twist myself. If they tell me to put pepper in there I put basil. If they tell me to put Tabasco I put sweet sauce.
C So you have your own style. What would you call it?
TO You just can’t get that around here.
P Where are you from?
TO Trenton, New Jersey
P That’s it. The Trenton style. I like that. You’ve heard of Texas barbecue. Now try Trenton Style.
C We’re disappointed you didn’t make your own sauce. Tell us what we missed.
TO I make it once a week. It’s got tomato, vinegar and mustard just to give it that kick. I put in a little chili powder. But that’s all I’m going to tell y’all. Because a lot of ingredients is mostly that stuff. Because you put in lots of ingredients.