Brisket Pace

by Elisa Ludwig

I have a friend who is deeply disturbed by the commingling of meats on a plate -- seafood-stuffed chicken breast is a terrible mistake; the turducken concept is too horrific to bear. So you can imagine how she felt when I ordered the three-meat platter at Abner's Authentic Barbecue, offering any combination of North Carolina-style pulled pork and pulled chicken, Texas brisket and smoked sausage, plus two sides.

Abner's, recently opened in the Jenkintown Square Shopping Center, specializes in the kind of slow-cooked, pit-smoked barbecue that is virtually unknown in this part of the country. In true Southern style, the meat is smoked with oak, hickory and sugar maple wood, and served dry. All told, Abner's makes six regional sauces available at a central bar -- enough, with the vast meat portions and super-size sides, to potentially put you into a state of pit-smoke vertigo. Fortunately, we narrowed it down to two favorites, the House (slightly sweet) and Jack (a little more bite), both of which are versatile enough to accompany any of the selections on the combination platter.

In my lust for multiple meats, I ordered incorrectly. The pulled pork was fine but unremarkable. Ditto for the chicken, which, let's face it, really only approximates pulled pork with fewer calories. The brisket, on the other hand, was wonderful on its own, buttery in texture with the pinkish cast that denotes long exposure to smoke.

Overall, the on-the-bone selections were more satisfying. The ribs, which come in three different portions, had a rich, wood-infused flavor and their meat was both substantial and tender. My friend's barbecue chicken was remarkably juicy, conveniently backing up her one-meat theory.

Another reason to visit: Abner and his kitchen keep the sweetening in check. So many barbecue joints mistake sugar for depth of flavor. Here, the coleslaw and baked beans have a moderate sweetness that is tempered with savory spices. Neither are the collard greens oppressively flavored with salt or pork; they are mild and lovingly soft on the palate.

The 75-cent square of home-baked cornbread that came in a plastic bag, warm, and could have been dessert, but Abner's has pecan, key lime and sweet potato pies. The latter, not overly sweet,was deliciously redolent with butter and nutmeg.

With its license-plate decor and logo merchandise, this restaurant looks like a chain in the making. We can only hope Abner's will bestow its barbecue gifts to shopping centers all over the region, with all the pork, chicken and beef that may entail.

Abner's Authentic Barbecue

505 Old York Rd., Jenkintown, 215-885-8600 Daily, 11 a.m.9 p.m. Appetizers, $2.95-$4.95; entrees, $5.95-$19.95 Wheelchair accessible. Smoking is not permitted. Reservations not required. All major credit cards except Discover.