Austin Cross is the host for All Things Considered and Consider This for the LAist and KPCC newsroom.
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Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.In that vein, I want to put you wise to The Park's Finest in Echo Park, where chef and co-founder Johneric Concordia combines the best practices and flavors of Filipino and American barbecue culture into a finger-licking experience.I was lucky enough to try some of his heavenly creations recently when he joined me on LAist 89.3’sThe first thing you notice about this literal stick of meat is the lush layer of fat glistening on top like edible bling. Now, most barbecue you'll encounter in life has been drowned in sweet, sticky sauce. The Park's Finest proves that wet meat is not necessary when you know what you're doing. One of LA’s beloved burrito spots is closing its doors after 50 years in its original East LA location This hulking rib eschews marinades entirely, relying instead on a potent alliance of onion, garlic and various peppers that transform into roasted flavor crystals during the slow-cooking process. These tiny morsels of concentrated taste will settle into every corner of your mouth, establishing savory outposts that keep the party going long after you've meticulously stripped the last stubborn bits of meat from bone.Concordia crafts his cornbread with rice flour, cornmeal, coconut and cream, baked with butter on a banana leaf for 25 minutes, then sugared for another five. He described it to me as"a dry, crispy crème brûlée with a four-stack of pancakes underneath," which sounds like the fever dream of a pastry chef raised on soul food. I could say more, but this bread really sells itself.Concordia's affinity for texture doesn't stop at dishes typically relegated to the gummy mouths of America's youth. Boxed mac it is not. It's macaroni with creamy Gouda sauce, topped with cheddar, toasted parmesan and panko breadcrumbs — textural symphony that delivers stringy, sharp pulls with every forkful, punctuated by the satisfying crunch of perfectly toasted crumbs that know their place. Some, or all, of these delights can be enjoyed alongside three signature sauces: the"Sal Saan" , his father's navy sauce , and a horseradish crema he compared to"Arby's horsey sauce with wasabi." Each sauce tells its own story. Together, they form a condiment chorus that elevates rather than overwhelms. You'll meet many plates of barbecue in your life, but if you want to spoon bread and ravenously tear smoky meat that draws on the styles and influences of a diverse Los Angeles and Filipino culture — an edible diary of Johneric Concordia's colorful and textured life — then you already know what's for dinner tonight.At a time when trusted news and information are more important than ever, your donation ensures that LAist can continue to serve everyone in our community. Make a powerful statement that you value quality reporting from LAist and safeguard the future of public media today with your gift.They were repeatedly ticketed because of their homelessness. What did it change?Protesters say federal agents hit them with rubber bullets and tear gas. What happens to their complaints?Federal judge finds LA failed to create enough shelter for unhoused people as required in agreementAdvocates say popular gathering spots for Asian immigrants are seeing less foot traffic in the wake of ongoing immigration sweeps.Dodgers turn federal agents away from stadium, team says. Crowd briefly protests outside An LAist reporter saw people in tactical gear with their faces covered by masks on the road that leads to the Dodger Stadium downtown gate.Did a complicated 2024 homeless count lead to errors? Experts and some city officials think soThe businesses facing scrutiny in probes surrounding a disgraced OC supervisor
BBQ Filipino Echo Park Concordia
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