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Slow-cooked meats star at this barbecue joint where southern and South American cuisines collide

Bluestone American BBQ draws on the Uruguayan grilling methods co-owner Al Malel’s grew up with.

Quincy Malesovas

Bluestone serves its barbecue with arepas (maize flatbread)
1 / 6Bluestone serves its barbecue with arepas (maize flatbread)Supplied
Deep-fried mac and cheese bites with truffle mayo and parmesan.
2 / 6Deep-fried mac and cheese bites with truffle mayo and parmesan.Supplied
Beef short ribs at Bluestone BBQ.
3 / 6Beef short ribs at Bluestone BBQ.Supplied
Beef taquitos with manchego.
4 / 6Beef taquitos with manchego. Supplied
Crispy pork belly with dry pimento crackle and root beer sauce.
5 / 6Crispy pork belly with dry pimento crackle and root beer sauce.Supplied
Stone-ground grits with nut spice and pepper jack cheese.
6 / 6Stone-ground grits with nut spice and pepper jack cheese.Supplied

American$

Southern and South American barbecue share a common foundation: slow-cooked meats cooked over regional wood varieties and eaten communally. At Bluestone, co-owner Al Malel draws from both, blending the Uruguayan grilling methods he grew up with and the American smoking techniques he later mastered.

Malel uses applewood to add depth to paprika-rubbed, barbecue-glazed chicken thighs. Chimichurri, the herb-forward Latin American condiment, is offered as an alternative to barbecue sauce. Cuban-style pulled pork with Venezuelan arepas (corn cakes) sits alongside classic Texan brisket. Even the Southern staple of grits gets a twist, slow-cooked for six hours and laced with Californian-style pepper jack cheese.

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Original URL: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/goodfood/melbourne-eating-out/slow-cooked-meats-star-at-this-barbecue-joint-where-southern-and-south-american-cuisines-collide-20250624-p5m9ww.html