Comestiblog

Red Hooked on Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies

Were the name Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies not already sufficiently long, the term Old-Fashioned could be wedged in.  Steve Tarpin grew up around Key limes and knows what it takes to make a good, traditional pie therefrom.  Because of his unending disappointment with commercial varieties, the Florida woodworker-carpenter decided to bake his own Key lime pies at home for family and friends.  That was over 30 years ago.  Roughly a decade later, Tarpin came to New York from his native Miami to work with a friend.  After an injury in 1995 left him unemployed, a fortuitous meeting led Tarpin to hammer out a new career.  It was at a barbecue of the Red Meat Club that Steve's pies drew the favorable attention of a Manhattan restaurateur.  From an initial order of three pies, Steve's Authentic was born.

As business increased, so did the need for a capacious delivery vehicle.  Tarpin's purchase of a '53 Ford F-100 Flathead V8 embodied utility and marketing savvy.  The unmistakable pale yellow truck turned heads everywhere it went.  Needless to say, the Key Lime Express accelerated press coverage and helped to drive up sales.  Though mainly out of the limelight now, the truck still greets visitors to Steve's at Pier 41 in Red Hook.

One might say the quirky 50-something adheres to his own version of the KISS principle: Keep It Simple, Steve.  (Even his surname is a simplification of the Armenian Tarpinian.)  Five ingredients—pasteurized egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, butter, graham crackers, and Key limes—comprise his sole product.  Though the recipe may sound simple, the key to its authenticity is in the limes and in the preparation.

Steve's pies are made with freshly squeezed juice from true Key limes that his supplier ships to him every few weeks.  (Key limes are smaller and more acidic than the Persian variety typically found in grocery stores.)  No bottled juice or concentrate is ever used.  Furthermore, the pies are not baked.  Rather, they are "filled and chilled" to preserve the integrity of the lime juice as well as the consistency of the filling.  And because no coloring is added, the filling's pale yellowish hue remains faithful to the fruit.  Though a little sweeter than I'd prefer, the resulting confection is creamy and quite tasty.

Steve's wares are available in three sizes: 10-inch and 8-inch pies ($25 and $15, respectively), and a 4-inch tart ($4).  Several years ago, the Swingle ($5), a variation of an ice cream bar, was added to the offerings.  This unique warm-weather treat was named in honor of Dr. Walter Tennyson Swingle (1871–1952), the American agricultural botanist who categorized the Key lime (Citrus aurantifolia).  It's a 4-inch tart on a stick, dipped into melted chocolate, and frozen.  Tarpin uses Belcolade, a dark chocolate from Belgium.  As with other Belgian varieties, this one is overly sweet and thus overpowers the crisp, key lime flavors it envelops.  While the cacao adds an interesting twist, a thinner coating or a less sweet variant (from fellow Brooklynite Jacques Torres, perhaps?) would yield a better balance of flavors.  I wish a naked Swingle, sans chocolate, were available.

Although recent changes, including the openings of Fairway and IKEA, have drawn an influx of new residents and visitors to Red Hook, Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies remains off the beaten path.  The entire operation is run from a Civil War-era warehouse on the waterfront.  The bakery, small retail shop, and outdoor patio provide a laid-back setting far more reminiscent of South Florida than of South Brooklyn.  Nestled among tropical plants and a mechanical waterfall, the outdoor seating area affords a relaxing spot in which to enjoy a Swingle or a tart while sipping a Key Limonade ($2).  Spectacular vistas of the harbor and the Statue of Liberty are to be had just around the corner.  Though a considerable distance from the nearest subway line, it's worth a trip to Steve's for an authentic, old-fashioned, taste of the Sunshine State.

Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies

204 Van Dyke Street (at Barnell St), Pier 41,
Red Hook, Brooklyn  (map)

(718) 858-5333
(888) 450-LIME (5463)

http://www.stevesauthentic.com/
http://www.keylime.com/

By bus:  B61, B77

Please click on the image above for a larger view of the menu.

 

Curtis' Bar·B·Q: Smoke and (Bus) Mirrors in Putney, Vermont

Were it not for the billowing smoke and hunger-inducing aromas wafting though the air, it would be easy to miss the two blue school buses that house "The 9^th Wonder of the World."  Curtis' Bar·B·Q, just up the hill from exit 4 on Interstate 91 in Vermont, is in its 41^st season of serving southern-style barbecue in the quaint village of Putney.  Over the years, this seasonal, unassuming stand has garnered a loyal following not just locally, but well beyond these verdant hills as well.

What brings people back season after season?  The answer begins with the man behind the grill.  Curtis Tuff, a native of Macomb, Georgia, was a migrant farm worker who followed harvests from Florida to New England.  In 1961, Curtis' itinerancy came to an end, however, when he found steady work picking apples for the Darrow family at Green Mountain Orchards in Putney.  To augment his income, Tuff used his know-how to prepare pig roasts for special events at area schools.  Using temporary cooking pits he fashioned from cement blocks, as well as a sauce based on his grandfather's recipe, Curtis gradually introduced Vermonters to real southern barbecue.  It wasn't long before word-of-mouth generated consistent demand for his cooking.

The aforementioned cement blocks proved unwieldy and short-lived, however.  That's where the school buses entered the scene.  Employing a little Yankee ingenuity, the Southerner outfitted the vehicles with a fire pit crafted from a 275-gallon oil drum, halved lengthwise, and vented through the roof with stove pipes and a fan.

By 1968, Curtis' Bar·B·Q was a going concern.  With his newfound grilling mobility, Tuff took his barbecue act on the road to nearby locales including a number of school campuses.  His popularity among lucubratory students earned him the unofficial title of "The 9th Wonder of the World," a slogan he uses to this day.

The limited menu of pork ribs and chicken hasn't changed much over the years.  Nevertheless, it was enough to draw the attention of The New York Times, whose favorable, 1988 article helped Tuff find permanent parking spots for his blue school buses.  The newer bus serves as the main stand, with a small counter and two of its windows flipped up to accommodate customer orders and pickups.  To the right, under a corrugated metal roof, the affable, 72-year-old Curtis Tuff can be seen grilling meats amid clouds of smoke.  He still uses his halved oil drums, now mounted atop an old hay wagon.

Service seems to be instantaneous.  I scarcely had time to put away my change when my order was ready.  Seating is available at picnic tables that flank the unpaved parking lot.  A new open-sided picnic shed seems somehow out of place.  Though it is the only structure on the premises that does not appear ramshackle (or perhaps because of that), the older seating area with umbrellas—nearer the road—tends to be more popular.

Cooking time is roughly 80 minutes for a slab of ribs; 90 minutes for a three-pound chicken.  Curtis refuses to use charcoal, opting, instead, for hardwoods—which include, of course, maple.  The meat is done to perfection, its succulence imbued with a rich, sweet, smoky flavor.  Though the barbecue sauce delivers the right amount of heat, its tang verges on being overly vinegary.  The flavor reminds me somewhat of Tabasco®.  There's a practical reason for the acidity, however.  Because the recipe predates the advent of refrigeration, vinegar was added as a preservative.

Small portion (2) of Ribs

Although barbecue may not be the first thing that comes to mind when visiting the Green Mountain State, Curtis' quality and convenience make this a perfect stop for a quick bite while leaf-peeping.  The experience is quite satisfying.  While wiping his mouth and preparing to leave, a person at the next table declared, "Another great meal!"

Curtis' Bar·B·Q

7 Putney Landing Road (I-91, exit 4)
Putney, VT   05346  (map)

(802) 387-5474

Open April through October, 10:00 A.M till dusk.  Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

http://www.curtisbbqvt.com/