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Tagged: austin, barbecue, bbq, beef, brisket, franklin bbq, pork, ribs, sausage, Stanley's, taylor, texas, Texas BBQ, Texas Monthly BBQ, Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, Wayne Mueller

The luminaries of Texas barbecue are justly revered—from Lockhart’s century old Kreuz Market, to Taylor’s estimable Louie Mueller Barbecue to the ever-popular Cooper’s Old Time Pit BBQ in Llano. For the BBQ dabbler these names are familiar, but their pitmasters may as well be Hollywood celebrities to the smoked meat enthusiast. There is little more that can be added to their exaltation, but what about those hard working pitmasters whose toils aren’t lit by the same spotlight? Demand is so high for the offerings of the Texas all-stars that most of these towns have a few other joints to serve the hungry locals. These places may put out good, even drive-worthy barbecue, but they are destined to remain in the shadows, always obscured by the thousand-pound gorilla down the block. They are as Scottie Pippen was to Michael Jordan and Andre Agassi to Pete Sampras. But remember, Pippen and Agassi had game.

Some of these joints have been recognized for their well-smoked meats, and most are known to the serious BBQ hound (as defined by his or her willingness to eat more than two lunches in a single day), but for average tourist these restaurants will rarely win out over their more famous counterpart in the same town. That’s too bad. My advice is, when BBQ-ing, to always consider multiple (small) meals in quick succession, and to make these particular joints your second or third stop while in any of these hallowed barbecue towns.

Chisholm Trail, Lockhart

“Starting a barbecue place here was like putting a ballpark across from Yankee Stadium.” These are the words of owner Floyd Wilhelm on his decision to open Chisholm Trail Bar-B-Que in Lockhart, home to three legendary joints, Kreuz Market, Smitty’s Market, and Black’s. Wilhelm worked at Black’s before opening the doors here, and over thirty years later his son Daniel does most of the cooking. They do many of the same things their more popular competitors do down the street like making their own succulent beef and pork sausage and smoking their meats in an all wood-fired smoker. They also change things up a bit by offering a wider menu of main courses and a large salad bar. This helps Chisholm Trail stay popular with the locals as evidenced by them winning the title of Best Barbecue in Caldwell County in a reader’s poll conducted by the local paper. (more…)

Tagged: barbecue, Chisolm Trail, Daniel Vaughn, Davis Grocery, Laird's Bar-B-Q, Llano, Lockhart, Luling, Luling Bar-B-Q, taylor, Taylor Cafe

Editor’s Note: The Texas Monthly BBQ Festival is almost here! Each day until then, we’ll be talking to one of the featured pitmasters, with questions from TM staffers, esteemed BBQ experts, Twitter followers and you, the readers of this blog.

Today we bring you Scott Morales, 45 and Vencil Mares, 87, of Taylor Café in Taylor. For more info, visit their page on TMBBQ.com.

As far as your heat source, I assume you guys use all wood there?

Scott: Yes.

And what kind of wood?

Scott: Post Oak

Who did you learn your craft from? Did you previously work at another barbeque joint?

Scott: I learned the majority from Vencil and then a little bit on my own, just barbecuing on weekends.

How about you, Vencil?

Vencil: From Southside Market in Elgin, Texas.

And at your place do you have a meat that you consider a signature meat?

Scott: Probably our turkey sausage. The turkey sausage and pretty much everything’s to die for.

The turkey sausage, you guys make that in-house. Do you have another sausage?

Scott: Yes. We also make our own beef sausage also.

Is that like an Elgin “hot guts” style?

Scott: No it’s pretty much a signature of Vencil’s. It’s always been. (more…)

Tagged: 23 pitmasters, bbq, Scott Morales, smoked meats, taylor, Taylor Cafe, Texas BBQ, Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, Vencil Mares

Editor’s Note: The Texas Monthly BBQ Festival is almost here! Each day until then, we’ll be talking to one of the featured pitmasters, with questions from TM staffers, esteemed BBQ experts, Twitter followers and you, the readers of this blog.

Today we bring you Wayne Mueller, 46, of Louie Mueller BBQ in Taylor. For more info, visit their page on TMBBQ.com.

What is your heat source and what type of wood do you use?

We use oak wood for all of our heat sources. It’s an abundant hard wood source here in our region. It provides a smoke that isn’t overpowering—it’s subtle but distinct. It works well for us and it’s readily available. There is plenty of it, so we don’t have to constantly change what type of wood we use, which would ultimately change how our product tastes.

Who did you learn your craft from?

Well, I started working in the family restaurant when my father took over from his father in 1972, when I was 8 years old. I worked in the restaurant until I left town to go to college, so about 10 or 11 years. I came back in 2007, when my father was ready to retire and we wanted to insure the restaurant stayed in the family. So I divested myself from an agency in Houston and moved back to Taylor.

What’s your signature meat?

Brisket is our number one entrée. I don’t want to say we have a cult following because that has a negative connotation, but we also have strong following of our beef ribs and sausages.

Sauce or no sauce?

No, we use a dry rub. We do offer a sauce, but it’s more of a complimentary hydration fluid. It doesn’t cover the meat. It’s not a thick, viscous sauce you would find in the south or anywhere else – like a ketchup kind of covering. Instead, it’s primarily made of the rubs. So it acts like a compliment to the meat instead of covering it up in sauce. (more…)

Tagged: 23 pitmasters, barbecue, bbq, brisket, hill country, Louie Mueller, oak wood, sausage, taylor, Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, Wayne Mueller

It’s been a long time in the making (a VERY long time in the making): John Mueller, sometimes called the black sheep of the Taylor smoked meat family, is almost back in business here in Austin. Mueller, who used to have a legendary place on Manor Rd. (and famously sold his smoker to Aaron Franklin), has a new trailer at 1501 South 1st St., and the fire has been lit. Visit his web site or follow @jmuellerbbq on Twitter for upcoming details (and while you’re at it, follow us).

The Smoker

"Burning Out" Ribs to Prepare Smoker

(more…)

Tagged: bbq, brisket, Franklin, JMueller BBQ, john mueller, Louie Mueller, sausage, taylor, texas, Texas Monthly BBQ

Bobby Mueller, the owner of Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, is dead at the age of 69. His son Wayne Mueller, vows to carry on his dad’s tradition. Bobby–who was the son of Louie, who founded the sprawling barbecue restaurant in 1949–died in his sleep on Saturday morning. The death was unexpected, as Bobby had been in excellent health. In the obituary in the Austin American-Statesman, Wayne reported, his dad had been an avid runner until a few years ago. Although the barbecue joint was located in Central Texas, its fame is statewide, and ‘cue fanatics would drive miles to eat there. This magazine, in fact, had named it one of the state’s top five (or even top two) joints since the early 1970′s. No competitor even came close for beef ribs, notoriously hard to do right, and Louie Mueller’s brisket could be transcendent, as well. Thank you, Bobby, for the happiness you brought to ‘cue lovers around the state. Our sympathy to the Mueller family.

Tagged: bobby mueller, louie mueller barbecue, taylor, texas