INdulge: Why do dads love to grill? This BBQ dish was best thing I ate in Indy this week
A month after florists and brunch restaurants encouraged us to treat our mothers like the angels they are, the great big capitalist machine offers a different approach to celebrate dad: why not give some meat to the old fart?
The bond between grilled meat and the platonic ideal of an American dad is as strong as his stereotypical monstrous calves and as enduring as the combover he refuses to let die. Ahead of Father's Day, for this week's INdulge I explored that relationship with a hefty portion of:
Drive past the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and 25th Streets with your window down, and you'll likely catch a whiff of the all-consuming aroma radiating from the stout white brick building that houses Bar-B-Q Heaven, pitmaster Ronald Jones' 73-year-old Indianapolis institution. One source of that smoky siren call is Bar-B-Q Heaven's turkey ribs, which I shamelessly scarfed down on a recent visit.
Beat the heat with a cold one: 12 Indianapolis breweries to visit this summer
Notably, turkey 'ribs' aren't ribs — the mighty feathered terror that is the turkey doesn't yield chest bones with much meat on them — but rather the bird's shoulder blade. Three such slabs comprise Bar-B-Q Heaven's turkey ribs ($16.49 with two sides), which come doused in a reflective orange-red coating of barbecue sauce.
The faux rib is as tender as white meat gets, practically ejecting itself from the bone. The sauce, which I ordered hot (you can also choose sweet or mild), livens up the turkey with faintly fruity sweetness and a brief yet punishing flash of heat. Whether from the sauce, mid-June humidity or sheer meat consumption, you're unlikely to conclude a meal on Bar-B-Q Heaven's patio with a dry forehead.
We've discussed previously in INdulge how American barbecue is inextricable from Black culture — Bar-B-Q Heaven is one of Indy's oldest Black-owned eateries — dating back to enslaved Africans who adapted the native Jamaican Taíno technique of cooking meat on racks of sticks called barabicu. For today's column, though, I wanted to examine barbecue specifically as it relates to dads.
Previously in INdulge: These jerk chicken wings are best thing I ate in Indy this week
In the 1950s, the commercial availability of outdoor gas and Weber charcoal grills offered anyone with a backyard the power of the fire pit. Though many early advertisements for grills marketed the product toward America's homemakers, aka mothers and women, the target audience eventually swung to men.
Researchers have offered several explanations for why that might be, many of which center around the naturalistic fallacy that men were simply made for meat and fire. Brands were quick to lean into that somewhat dubious (today's scholars suspect prehistoric gender roles were much less defined than originally thought) yet widely embraced belief.
Summer is (almost) here: 20+ Indy-area patios for dining and drinking outside
Nowadays, you don't have to search too hard online to find some pseudoscientific dreck about how eating meat connects a man to his primal forefathers. The same corner of social media that instructs men to triple their testosterone by guzzling raw milk often bemoans how far we have fallen from our elite hunter ancestors, as if the fellas were out in the tundra throwing haymakers at woolly mammoths all day.
It may well be that grill makers and meat producers pounced on that vague association, profiting enormously. American psychologist and marketing expert Ernest Dichter, for one, in 1955 encouraged companies to brand foods as tied to gender identity, such as selling men the idea that meat was inherently manly.
Frankly, as someone who grew up in the digital age, I find the line between genuine human experience and manufactured marketing content can blur. There are plenty of so-called masculine activities I do thoroughly enjoy — grilling, drinking beer, reading Hemingway — in a way that feels totally natural, even though I'm pretty sure cavemen never shotgunned a Miller Lite nor read 'A Sun Also Rises.'
Moreover, the exact science behind the phenomena doesn't change the fact that many men, dads certainly included, simply love barbecue. The next chance you get, consider celebrating Pops with a heavy-duty clamshell box of turkey ribs, even if that's a minuscule repayment for someone who helped raise you — which, to me, seems like a terrifying and impossibly difficult task.
Then again, if it nets you free barbecue once a year, perhaps I do see the appeal of this whole fatherhood thing.
What: Turkey ribs, $16.49
Where: Bar-B-Q Heaven, 2515 Dr. MLK Jr. St., (317) 926-1667 and 877 E. 30th St. (closed Sunday and Monday), (317) 283-0035, barbqueheaven1952.com
In case that's not your thing: If it fits in a roasting tray, there's a decent chance you'll find it at Bar-B-Q Heaven. The eatery's ribs ($16.49 with two side) and pulled pork (listed as BBQ on bun, $13) are the headliners, but you can also find uber-tender pig feet ($10.49) and a treasure trove of sides and desserts including thick macaroni and cheese ($3.59 to $8) and chess pie ($4.29 per slice). Though a bit lacking in options for those with dietary restrictions, Bar-B-Q heaven is never short on nap-inducing comfort food.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
We spent 8 hours at Ebony Beach Club's 'Juneteenth on the Pier'
The Ebony Beach Club's priority is to create a space for Black beachside communities in Los Angeles. So, every year on Juneteenth, they transform a local beach into a full-blown festival, consisting of nonstop DJs, a vivacious dance floor and neighborly vendors. This year, the beach club partnered with Black Lives Matter and took over the Santa Monica Pier. Here's everything that went down. 12:39 p.m. I arrive early. Ebony Beach Club founder, Brick, runs from vendor to vendor, ensuring everyone is ready for the day ahead. He boasts that there's 'not a cloud in sight' — and that everything is aligning for today's 'historic moment.' 1:58 p.m. I never thought I would be able to say I've found a sense of inner peace in the middle of the Santa Monica Pier. The typically chaotic environment is transformed by rhythmic breathing exercises and sound bath frequencies. For a moment, it does feel like I am cooking under the hot summer sun, but still, I couldn't be more at ease. 3:09 p.m. So far, the music selection transcends generations. Anything from Aaliyah to YG and Frankie Beverly fills the beachy air. But after hearing more than one early 2000s Ne-Yo classic, I can't help but wonder what he's up to. Why the lack of 2025 Ne-Yo bangers? 3:40 p.m. The crowd is slowly growing. Most partygoers sport a mix of brightly colored swimwear with denim shorts or matching mini skirts. Others wear graphic tees that commemorate the holiday and show L.A. pride. The most standout looks so far have included bejeweled thongs, color-coordinated snapbacks and sneakers and pleated, baggy jorts. 3:58 p.m. In the flash of a moment, a familiar face glides through the crowded pier. Her grill catches the light and a pair of Labubus hangs from a designer bag. It's none other than R&B royalty Kehlani. A growing swarm of fans start to catch on. I get my chance to say something as she passes. I compliment her latest single and let her continue on her mission to the bar. Cool, casual and of course, no mention of the fact that I was listening to the Kehlani Spotify radio on the whole drive over. 4:45 p.m. Brick halts the music and offers a quick history lesson from the DJ decks. He speaks of the first Ebony Beach Club, started by a man named Silas White in 1957. That year, 2,000 Black people, including Brick's own grandfather, signed up to be members. But the City of Santa Monica had barred it from ever opening. Today's Ebony Beach Club celebration roughly creates space for around 2,000 people to be at the exact same beach and enjoy the party. 'This is the most Black people the Santa Monica pier has seen in a while,' said Brick, who was met with an echoing applause. 'Today, we are Black people who are occupying this space for the first time in a long time.' 5:30 p.m. The emcee says, 'If you're outside the barricade, I'm sorry. If you couldn't get a ticket, I'm sorry.' He addresses the consistent crowd of onlookers who have lingered by the barricades. Some appear to be tourists, but most spectators seem like they were too late to grab a ticket. Nonetheless, they are able to indulge in the sights and sounds, even if it's for only a few minutes. 6:17 p.m. What's an L.A. party without Los Tucanes de Tijuana's 'La Chona?' The norteño anthem gets mixed into T.I. 's 'What You Know.' Unexpected, but somehow serendipitous. 7:25 p.m. I'm starting to seriously question the weight limit on the truck. Though its height is that of a monster truck, it has the feel of a clown car. The truck bed, filled with DJ equipment, is overflowing with people singing along and jumping to the beat. People are perched atop the car, as well as those hanging off its side, in an impressive, partially aerial twerk. I can't even imagine the kind of core strength that it takes. 7:51 p.m. As the party wraps up, Sexyy Red's distinctive vocals overtake the crowd. It feels like one final hurrah. If there's been one consistent feeling that's marked the entire party, it's been an infectious sense of joy. 8:05 p.m. On the way back to the car, people yell 'Happy Juneteenth' out their car windows. My feet are a bit achy and the tops of my shoulders a little sore to the touch, but spirits are still high. Now for the biggest test of patience — braving the traffic of leaving a Santa Monica parking structure. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
4 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
We spent 8 hours at Ebony Beach Club's ‘Juneteenth on the Pier'
The Ebony Beach Club's priority is to create a space for Black beachside communities in Los Angeles. So, every year on Juneteenth, they transform a local beach into a full-blown festival, consisting of nonstop DJs, a vivacious dance floor and neighborly vendors. This year, the beach club partnered with Black Lives Matter and took over the Santa Monica Pier. Here's everything that went down. 12:39 p.m. I arrive early. Ebony Beach Club founder, Brick, runs from vendor to vendor, ensuring everyone is ready for the day ahead. He boasts that there's 'not a cloud in sight' — and that everything is aligning for today's 'historic moment.' 1:58 p.m. I never thought I would be able to say I've found a sense of inner peace in the middle of the Santa Monica Pier. The typically chaotic environment is transformed by rhythmic breathing exercises and sound bath frequencies. For a moment, it does feel like I am cooking under the hot summer sun, but still, I couldn't be more at ease. 3:09 p.m. So far, the music selection transcends generations. Anything from Aaliyah to YG and Frankie Beverly fills the beachy air. But after hearing more than one early 2000s Ne-Yo classic, I can't help but wonder what he's up to. Why the lack of 2025 Ne-Yo bangers? 3:40 p.m. The crowd is slowly growing. Most partygoers sport a mix of brightly colored swimwear with denim shorts or matching mini skirts. Others wear graphic tees that commemorate the holiday and show L.A. pride. The most standout looks so far have included bejeweled thongs, color-coordinated snapbacks and sneakers and pleated, baggy jorts. 3:58 p.m. In the flash of a moment, a familiar face glides through the crowded pier. Her grill catches the light and a pair of Labubus hangs from a designer bag. It's none other than R&B royalty Kehlani. A growing swarm of fans start to catch on. I get my chance to say something as she passes. I compliment her latest single and let her continue on her mission to the bar. Cool, casual and of course, no mention of the fact that I was listening to the Kehlani Spotify radio on the whole drive over. 4:45 p.m. Brick halts the music and offers a quick history lesson from the DJ decks. He speaks of the first Ebony Beach Club, started by a man named Silas White in 1957. That year, 2,000 Black people, including Brick's own grandfather, signed up to be members. But the City of Santa Monica had barred it from ever opening. Today's Ebony Beach Club celebration roughly creates space for around 2,000 people to be at the exact same beach and enjoy the party. 'This is the most Black people the Santa Monica pier has seen in a while,' said Brick, who was met with an echoing applause. 'Today, we are Black people who are occupying this space for the first time in a long time.' 5:30 p.m. The emcee says, 'If you're outside the barricade, I'm sorry. If you couldn't get a ticket, I'm sorry.' He addresses the consistent crowd of onlookers who have lingered by the barricades. Some appear to be tourists, but most spectators seem like they were too late to grab a ticket. Nonetheless, they are able to indulge in the sights and sounds, even if it's for only a few minutes. 6:17 p.m. What's an L.A. party without Los Tucanes de Tijuana's 'La Chona?' The norteño anthem gets mixed into T.I. 's 'What You Know.' Unexpected, but somehow serendipitous. 7:25 p.m. I'm starting to seriously question the weight limit on the truck. Though its height is that of a monster truck, it has the feel of a clown car. The truck bed, filled with DJ equipment, is overflowing with people singing along and jumping to the beat. People are perched atop the car, as well as those hanging off its side, in an impressive, partially aerial twerk. I can't even imagine the kind of core strength that it takes. 7:51 p.m. As the party wraps up, Sexyy Red's distinctive vocals overtake the crowd. It feels like one final hurrah. If there's been one consistent feeling that's marked the entire party, it's been an infectious sense of joy. 8:05 p.m. On the way back to the car, people yell 'Happy Juneteenth' out their car windows. My feet are a bit achy and the tops of my shoulders a little sore to the touch, but spirits are still high. Now for the biggest test of patience — braving the traffic of leaving a Santa Monica parking structure.
4 hours ago
R. Kelly claims prison officials plotted to kill him. Judge denies his release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- A judge has denied singer R. Kelly 's request to be freed from prison, saying she lacks jurisdiction to consider the convicted sex offender's allegations that federal prison officials plotted to murder him. U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold canceled Friday's scheduled arguments in Chicago, and instead issued a five-page ruling denying his emergency request to serve his time on home detention during a temporary furlough. Born Robert Sylvester Kelly, the 58-year-old Grammy-winning R&B singer is serving sentences at a prison in Butner, North Carolina, for child sex crimes and racketeering. Pacold noted that federal courts have only limited power in such cases, and one by one she examined and rejected various ways Kelly's request could be considered. 'Jurisdictional limitations must be respected even where, as here, a litigant claims that the circumstances are extraordinary,' Pacold wrote. "Kelly has not identified (nor is the court aware of) any statute or rule that authorizes the court to exercise jurisdiction. Thus, the court cannot award relief in this case.' Kelly claimed in a series of filings this month that prison officials solicited white supremacist leaders to kill him, to halt the disclosure of information damaging to prison officials. Kelly's attorney says he was then moved to solitary confinement and purposely given an overdose of medication, which required hospitalization and surgery for blood clots. Pacold noted that Kelly offers no evidence to back up his claims. Government lawyers suggested Kelly had spun a 'fanciful conspiracy.' Known for such hits as 'I Believe I Can Fly,' Kelly was found guilty in Chicago in 2022 of three charges of producing child sexual abuse images and three charges of enticement of minors for sex. In New York in 2021, he was found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. He is serving most of his 20-year Chicago sentence and 30-year New York sentence simultaneously. His appeals have been unsuccessful, including to the U.S. Supreme Court. Kelly has also sought President Donald Trump's help.
