NYC: BBQ Central? You're joking, right?

So picture this. You're a clasically trained french chef. You work for one of the city's elite restauranteurs. Your food entertains a clientele of Manhattan power players. For most foodies, this is the life.

And then, oddly enough, your next career move takes you away from NYC and into the great American southwest. What now? High-class Manhattan dining is unlikely to find a hold on the frontier.

This is the path of Adam Perry Lang, formerly of Daniel Boulud's staff who returned to NYC a few years ago to open Daisy May's BBQ, arguably the finest BBQ establishment in the city. The southwestern influences mesh with Lang's classic training to create original renditions of BBQ classics.

I never eat at BBQ places in California, largely to save my palate (and my diet) until I get to savor the dry-rub ribs at Daisy Mays (washed down with a sweet tea). They also offer sticky ribs, chicken, and a slew of original side dishes. At night, however, private groups take over the joint as whole roasted pigs, pork shoulder, and rack of lamb are served to large parties at a premium price.

Can it contend with the traditional offerings from the South? Lang has won several competitions against BBQ royalty, as he has infused his knowledge of other cuisines to enhance his BBQ prowess.

So while it seems like a great change for someone from Lang's roots to go from French Haute to southwestern BBQ, the tangy, spicy, satisfying offerings that come out of the Daisy May's smoker are like no other you have tasted. Thus, I enthusiastically recommend hitting this joint on your next visit.

(Pictured: Dry rub ribs with mashed potatoes and cole slaw (before and after), Jumbo beef rib (before and after), Sweet tea.

How to cheat on your ribs

Okay, enough about desserts for now. Since Memorial Day is coming up, a BBQ post.

Sometimes, we’re so hungry that we eat so fast without a thought to how something was made. Granted, we all need to eat, and there just those days when you need something fast to fuel up.

Last summer, a review on espn.com rated the best stadium food in baseball. Omitted from the list was the Dodger Dog, much to the dismay of Dodger fans. The review explained its omission, stating that the dog was hastily prepared and had been cooked via boiling rather than grilling.

Within a couple of months, the word “Grilled” appeared next to every mention of the Dodger Dog inside Dodger stadium.

Back ribs can be prepared in a similar way as well. Purists and aficionados insist that the slow cooking, smoking, and indirect heat methods used to cook most ribs are sacred and not to be tampered with. The same people would not even dare use a gas grill. Many an amateur griller makes the mistake of cooking the ribs on the grill from the start, resulting in a burnt outside and an undercooked inside.

However, this recipe from Bon Apetit reveals another way to prepare back ribs that ensures the tender, falling-off-the-bone doneness of smoked ribs without the six-hour wait. This recipe can be duplicated with the more common pork back ribs. To the people I’ve served it to, they don’t know the difference.

Here’s hoping your guests don’t either.