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Story taken from The Indiana Weekly, Wednesday, March 11, 1998. Story written by Cynthia Schultz. Photo by Stan Denny, special to the Courier-Journal Tony Staser knows meat. He should. "I've been a meat cutter and butcher all of my life, 27 years," said Staser, 42, of Georgetown, who began his career at age 14 at the now defunct Wolf's Supermarket in New Albany. Besides cutting, cubing, and slicing meat, Staser was also shaping a reputation as he found himself invited to plenty of barbecue shindigs. "I've always enjoyed cooking and people would call me to roast hogs on the weekend," Staser said. Mix all the knowledge together with a little dream Staser's been nursing about owning his own barbecue place and ... TADA! You've got Rib Tip Tony's Barbecue, a carryout business in Georgetown at 8251 Ind. 64. The business which also offers a full-line deli and catering, opened Oct 18 and Staser is thrilled with the patronage. One recent Friday, for example., 167 folks stopped to place an order. "It's busy. It's unreal for as long as we've been open." said Staser, whose only advertisment is "word of mouth." Some people are so excited they ask: 'Are you gonna stay?' he said.
Staser's barbecue even stops the Norfolk/Southern Railroad whose tracks run 75 feet from his place, as railroaders stop for an order or he takes it out to them. "We sell babyback ribs, spareribs and country style ribs, pulled pork and pulled chicken." said Staser, who gets help evenings and weekends from his wife, Sheryl, when she isn't working her job at Apex Trailer in Jeffersonville. "She's my partner and backbone," Staser said of his wife. "We hand-pull the meat: some people call it shredded," Staser said. Staser believes his location is a bonus with its proximity to the Georgetown Drive-in across the street, a baseball diamond and the flow of Patoka Lake tourists traffic. Expansion is on the horizon for Staser's business, when he hauls out picnic tables this summer. The business will eventually envolve into a restaurant, he said. "We'll probably out-grow this place," he added His barbecue has already reached beyond this area. Last spring, Staser entered his expertise in the Classic Cookoff at the International Barbecue Festival in Owensboro, Ky, "We cooked three different meats: pork, chicken, and ribs." Staser said. "We won second place in the pork division." he said, noting that, of the nine judges, two of them were members of country music's Oak Ridge Boys, Staser said the annual festival drew 70, 000 people in two days last May. This May, he'll enter the competition once again. But he'll be hauling along something different: a 1951 Chevrolet he rescued from a junk yard; its trunk will serve as his grill. He is receiving restoration help on the car from his dad Marvin Staser of Floyd Knobs, his brother-in-law, Danny Kays of New Salisbury, and a friend, Sammy Oskin of Georgetown. "They judge grills," said Staser of the Kentucky competition. Staser belives the car, which will be painted "black with red with flames" will not only serve as a good publicity tool for the future but can also be used in catering jobs. "I'd like to have a pig for mascot, too, added Staser. Any barbecuing tips? "When you start out, have more smoke and no fire," explains Staser. "You cook over hickory wood. Never let the rib burn: turn it frequently. You need to baste ribs with a good baste like Worcestershire, vinager and onion. Rub the ribs before you baste them. You can use paprika, cayenne (pepper) and salt. When the ribs are ready (about 2 1/2 to 3 hours) you can remove the bone from the jacket." Surprisingly Staser said he has limits with his business. "I get sick of ribs. I'd rather eat pizza." |