Turkey Day is upon us, and an abundance of families will be cooking fall-centric dishes at home tomorrow. In case you’re looking to scrounge up some last-minute Thanksgiving recipes, here are a few offerings from a handful of talented Texas chefs.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Absinthe Crème Fraîche from Jason Dodge of Péché 

For the soup:
½ medium-sized sugar pie pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
2 shallots, peeled and quartered
3 cups chicken stock
¼ cup maple syrup
2 sprigs fresh thyme

In a large bowl toss pumpkin with thyme, salt and pepper, and shallots in olive oil until thoroughly coated. Place on a medium sheet tray. Roast at 400 degrees until slightly caramelized. Let cool before handling. Heat stock to a simmer and add pumpkin, shallots, and maple syrup. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.

For the crème fraîche:
1 cup crème fraîche
½ cup Pernod Absinthe

Reduce absinthe by ½ cup in a small sauté pan over high heat. Fold into crème fraiche. In a serving bowl, ladle soup and spoon crème fraiche on top. Garnish with pumpernickel or Pecorino Romano croutons.

Maple Bread Pudding from John Bates, chef/owner of Noble Pig Sandwiches

“The reason I love bread pudding is because it reminds of the holidays. It is good in so many ways and reminds me of family,” Bates says.

Maple Bacon Bread Pudding
loaf day-old bread
6 cups half and half
1 cup sugar
1 cup maple syrup
¾ teaspoon breakfast sausage, cured
9 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1 ½ cups bacon, crumbled and crispy

Dice your bread. In a pot add half and half, sugar, maple syrup, and breakfast sausage. Bring the milk up to a simmer and allow the sugar to dissolve and infuse the flavors. In a mixing bowl, add whole eggs and egg yolks. Mix together the eggs and temper the hot milk into eggs. Pour hot custard base over the diced bread and bacon. Allow to soak for thirty minutes and then pack into mason jars. Put jars into a water bath and bake until set in a 350-degree oven. Approximately 45 minutes.

Apple Cheddar Pie from Janina O’Leary, executive pastry chef of TRACE

Cheddar-Cheese Tart shell
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons cold water

Crumble topping:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Apple Pie Filling:
6 cups cored, peeled, and thinly sliced crisp apples
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice

Crust: In a large bowl or food processor  combine flour and salt. Add the butter and, using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your hands, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add grated cheese and toss. Add cold water, by the tablespoon, until a rough dough forms. Gather dough into a ball, flatten into 3/4-inch-thick disk, and tightly wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to a 9-inch pie pan. Turn overhanging dough under itself to form an edge along the top of the pan, and crimp edges. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust is lightly browned — about 15 minutes.

Filling: Add cut apples to a large bowl and toss with lemon juice and zest. In a small bowl, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the apples and toss to mix thoroughly. Spoon the apples into the prepared crust.

Crumble topping: In a small bowl using a fork, toss flour, brown sugar, butter, and grated cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the top of the pie with crumble mixture. Place pie in the middle of the oven and bake until the topping is golden brown — 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sullivan’s Thanksgiving Eggs Benedict from Thomas Dritsas, corporate executive chef at Sullivan’s Steakhouse

“The Thanksgiving Eggs Benedict is a fun way to repurpose your leftover turkey into a uniquely delicious dish for the whole family to enjoy the next morning,” Dritsas says.

Thanksgiving Eggs Benedict
1 English muffin, split
2 ounces gravy
2-4 ounces turkey slices
2-4 ounces stuffing
2 cups water
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 jumbo eggs (for poaching)
3 ounces cranberry sauce

Start by heating the turkey, stuffing, and gravy in a microwave until warm throughout. Split the English muffin, then toast and place on a warm plate or platter of choice. Divide stuffing with an ice cream scoop or large spoon and place on top of each side of the English muffin. Top stuffing with slices of reheated turkey and press down on stuffing to level out so the egg will sit on top of the turkey properly. Bring the water and vinegar to a simmer in a small saucepot. Crack 2 eggs, then drop into the simmering water and poach for 2-4 minutes depending on how you like your eggs done. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain well on a paper towel to remove liquid. Set one egg on top of the turkey that is on each side of the toasted English muffin. Ladle approximately 1 ounce of gravy over each poached egg. Spoon the cranberry sauce on the plate accompanying the Benedict. Serve immediately.

Braised Short Rib from Olivier Ciesielski, chef of  L’Olivier Restaurant & Bar

“This dish reminds me of my childhood in Burgundy, France. It’s a simple, very rustic dish that my mother used to cook. We ate a nice braised meal almost every week during autumn and the winter,” Ciesielski says.

Braised Short Rib
5 pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2 inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 whole tomatoes, crushed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
3 ounces of red wine
5 cups beef stock (demi-glace)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy pan oven over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate and reserve.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomatoes; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, and then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Add all herbs to pot along with garlic and beef stock.  Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.

Cook until short ribs are tender,  about 2–2 1/2 hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in plate with the potato tart with sauce spooned over.

Green Bean Bundles from Patrick Russell, chef of MAX’s Wine Dive Dallas

Green Bean Bundles
Yields 25-30 bundles
2 pounds fresh green beans
1 pound applewood-smoked bacon—thick cut is best
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 orange
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Clean green beans by clipping the tip and tails, and removing the string.  Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, take the green beans and cook for 3 minutes; strain and shock in ice water to cool, repeat until all green beans are cooked. Strain green beans from ice water. In a new pot, boil butter and brown sugar; add soy sauce, garlic, and the juice of one orange and boil for 3-5 minutes more. Take the bacon and cut the strips in half. Wrap 5-7 green beans per each half, and place into a deep baking pan. Pour sauce over green beans, and let sit overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until bacon is rendered and crispy.

Turkey Gravy from Christina Lee, chef of Central Market Cooking School in Austin 

“I love this recipe because it is easy, tasty, and versatile. I use it to make turkey pot pies, turkey and dumplings, and baked turkey and rice casserole.  It’s also delicious on mashed potatoes,” Lee says.

Easy Turkey Gravy
yields 4 cups
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups hot turkey stock
1 tablespoon each of parsley, thyme, sage, and oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium pot, melt the butter and add the flour.  Whisk continuously until a blond roux has been achieved, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the hot turkey stock 1 cup at a time, whisking to incorporate into the roux. Add the herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Butternut Squash Cheesecake from Michelle Antonishek, executive pastry chef of Bar Mirabeau

Antonishek says this dessert is extra special to her because she made it for husband, Bar Mirabeau’s Executive Chef Bill McGrory, the day Bill asked Michelle to marry him.

Crust
2 cups graham crackers
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, melted

Mix all ingredients together and line cheesecake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Cut two butternut squash in half and place on pan lined with water.  Bake until butternut squash is tender and soft. Scoop out the squash and place in a blender and puree until smooth.Hang in cheesecloth to drain the excess water and moisture.

Butternut Squash Cheesecake
1 pound cream cheese
4.5 ounces sugar
12 ounces squash puree
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 vanilla bean
1/4 teaspoon cloves
6 eggs

Cream the cream cheese, sugar, and spices until smooth on low speed. Add the squash and mix until smooth on slow speed. Add the eggs one at a time scraping after every other egg. Strain and bake in a water bath at 275 degrees until set. (Depending on size: large 10″ cheesecakes, approximately take 1-1.5 hrs.) Serve with whipped cream and candied pecans.

Roasted Green Chile Pecan Dressing from Joe Synatschk, executive chef of Central Market Fort Worth

“This dressing is spicy and crunchy, and pairs well with turkey or pork at Thanksgiving,” Synatschk says.

1 8×8 pan cornbread, crumbled
1 small loaf crusty bread, cubed
3 poblano or hatch chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
1-2 jalapeño peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 cup sweet corn kernels
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2-3 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
salt and black pepper, to taste.

Allow breads to sit and dry out a bit. Char jalapeños and poblanos. Allow to sit in a bowl covered with plastic for 5 minutes. Peel, seed, and chop peppers, reserving some jalapeño to adjust for spiciness to taste. In a large sauté pan, sweat onions and celery in butter until tender. Add corn and sauté until warmed through.

In a large bowl, combine crumbled corn bread, cubed bread, chile mixture (some reserved), onion mixture, pecans, and half the stock. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add more stock as needed for desired texture. Taste for spiciness, add more chiles as necessary. Stir in beaten eggs and cilantro and place in a large baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until set and at an internal temp of 160.

Aji Ham from Rene Ortiz, executive chef of Sway and La Condesa

Whole roasted spiral cut ham from local butcher
Aji dijon glaze (recipe below)
canned pineapple rings
maraschino cherries
toothpicks

Aji Glaze
1 cup dijon mustard
2 cups local honey
1/2 cup Aji Amarillo paste (Peruvian yellow chili found at Mexican food markets)

Glaze method: Place ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil, reserve with a brush to glaze the ham.

Place the ham onto roasting rack. Add the decorative garnish with pineapple first, then the cherry, and stab them with toothpick. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and start the process of basing with the Aji glaze. While the ham is cooking, occasionally add some of the sweet glaze to it. Once the ham is up to temp and the glaze is starting to caramelize, the ham is ready to come out of the oven.

Apple Pie from Laura Sawicki, executive pastry chef of Sway and La Condesa

Pie dough
yields one double crust pie
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
8 ounces unsalted butter, diced
about 1/2 cup ice water

In a food processor, mix flour, salt, and sugar together. Pulse to evenly distribute. Add the cold, diced butter and pulse several times until the pieces are small and pea-like. Do not over mix! Pulse in the ice water a little at a time, adding up to 1/2 cup, if needed. Pulse until it just comes together. Turn onto a floured table and very gently knead the dough once or twice to bring all the flour together. Dough should be shaggy and loosely incorporated. Divide the dough into two pieces and form into a flattened round disk. Wrap dough and place in refrigerator overnight.

Filling:
7-8 apples
juice and zest of half a lemon
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Peel and slice the apples 1/4-inch thick. Toss the apples in a large bowl with all ingredients except the butter. Allow to macerate 5 minutes. When ready to assemble the pie, roll one piece of dough 12-14″ and place into the bottom of a pie tin. Trim the edges so there is a slight overhang. Place all the apples into the pie and dot the filling with butter. Roll remaining piece of dough slightly larger than the first. Fold in half and place over the filling. Unfold the dough to cover the pie completely. Gently tuck the edges of the dough into the pan, pulling the top dough over the bottom. Crimp the edges of the pie and place in the freezer about 30 minutes to firm up. The pie can remain frozen at this point.

Egg wash: Whisk together 1 egg, pinch of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon water

Brush the entire top of the pie with egg wash. Sprinkle liberally with sugar. Cut vent holes in the top of the pie in a decorative manner. This is crucial to allow steam to release. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for at least one hour. If the pie is getting too dark, turn the oven down to 325 degrees or wrap the edges in aluminum foil. Allow the pie to cool completely before eating.

Tagged: Aji Ham, Apple Cheddar Pie, Apple Pie, austin, Bar Mirabeau, Central Market, Christina Lee, Eggs Benedict, green beans, Houston, Janina O’Leary, Jason Dodge, Joe Synatschk, L'Olivier, la condesa, Laura Sawicki, MAX's Wine Dive, Michelle Antonishek, Noble Pig, Olivier Ciesielski, peche, recipes, Rene Ortiz, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Sway, texas, Thanksgiving, Thomas Dritsas, turkey gravy

Virginia Sherwood, Bravo

We heard the rumors that the show was coming (and that producers tried to shut down tweets about it). We’ve read about the state tax breaks and the lawsuit and the omission of our biggest (and completely food-rich) city, Houston.

Now the day is finally here: Top Chef: Texas, the ninth season of the cooking competition show, premieres tonight.

All the episodes will take place in Austin, Dallas or San Antonio; Paul Qui of Austin’s Uchiko and Andrew Curran of Austin’s 24 Diner are among the 29 “cheftestants.”

“Everything is bigger in Texas,” writes TV Guide. “And that includes Top Chef.” It also includes all the Texas cliches that we’ll be seeing on the show (“Saddle Up,” says one of Bravo.com‘s pop-up ads) and in the coverage of it.

The premiere (and eight of the season’s 14 episodes) takes place in San Antonio, which, as the Express-News‘ Jennifer McInnis notes, anted up $200,000 to the show’s producers via its Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (the state provided twice that).

Give the producers points for wit, however: the season will feature Pee Wee Herman, whose Pee Wee’s Big Adventure took him to the Alamo, as a guest judge. And that particular setting is probably appropriate given that the 29 competitors will shrink to 16 by the end of next week’s episode.

“It’s going to be quite a slaughter there,” says Eater Austin, while the Los Angeles Times compared the rapid cut-down to “[Rick] Perry and his state’s tough stance on final justice.” (more…)

Tagged: 24 Diner, Andrew Curran, austin, Bravo, dallas, Houston, Paul Qui, san antonio, texas, Tom Colicchio, Top Chef, uchiko

Mouse over for captions, or click for full-size image. See ya next year (or tomorrow at your favorite joint)!

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

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

(Editor’s Note: This guest post about last week’s Texas Sommelier Conference comes from San Francisco food, wine and spirits writer Jordan Mackay, a James Beard Award-winning author for his 2010 book with Rajat Parr, “Secrets of the Sommeliers.” But we knew him when!)

At TEXSOM, if you were not in a suit and tie, you’d have been likely to feel underdressed. But that’s part of the culture at the Texas Sommelier Conference: everyone’s suited up most all the time. Yet, thanks to the fact that they’re tasting wine all day, they’re likely still having more fun than you.

And when they’re not drinking wine, they’re drinking coffee. And when they’re not drinking coffee, they’re drinking Campari, which the bartender of the lobby bar in the Four Seasons at Las Colinas, where the convention took place, told me the hotel stocks up on before the conference. The thirsty, wined-out sommeliers likely drink as much of the red Italian aperitif (with soda or in Negronis), he said, as the hotel goes through the rest of the year. (Other preferred non-wine alcoholic beverages included Aperol and Fernet Branca, as well as mezcal.)

The bulk of the conference is taken up with education. In-depth wine seminars ran constantly for two days as heavily credentialed experts discoursed from the dais on subjects like “Grenache around the World” and “Red Wines of Burgundy’s Cote d’Or” to hundreds sitting quietly in the audience, taking notes and trying not to spill any of the eight glasses of wine they had lined up before them.

And all the while this was going on, a crew of masters from the Court of Master Sommeliers, the premier sommelier training and certification organization in the world, was putting 23 young sommeliers through a grueling multi-day examination to determine the winner of the Texas Best Sommelier 2011. The ultimate champion, Bill Elsey, was crowned at TEXSOM’s concluding event, the Grand Tasting, at which dozens of invited wineries and importers poured their wares for all the convention’s attendees.

TEXSOM is of particular relevance to me as, when I left Austin and Texas Monthly in 2001 to pursue my own interest in wine outside Texas, there were, to my knowledge, no dedicated sommeliers in Austin. I hardly knew what a sommelier was when I arrived in San Francisco later that year. Yet destiny led me to fall in love with and, in 2006, marry, a sommelier. Last year, I published Secrets of the Sommeliers. These days, as I learned at TEXSOM, Austin has several sommeliers, like the spirited June Rodil (who won Texas Best Sommelier in 2009) of Congress and the affable Mark Sayre of the Four Seasons (2007’s winner).

Texas has long been an important place for wine, even if it wasn’t noted for its sommelier community. Rebecca Murphy, who was one of the first members of the modern sommelier profession in Texas, starting in Dallas in 1972, remembers there being no culture of the professional wine steward. “I was working by myself, figuring out how to be a sommelier on the job,” she said. Today Murphy writes periodically on wine for the Dallas Morning News and runs its wine competition (more…)

Tagged: Bill Elsey, Court of Master Sommeliers, Drew Hendricks, Jordan Mackay, Rajat Parr, Rebecca Murphy, sommeliers, texas, Texas Sommelier Conference, wine

Photograph by Jody Horton

The bad news. Texas has a feral hog problem, with an estimated 2.6 million-plus animals roaming in destructive packs around our ranchland, woods and suburbs. The good news. They’re delicious.

If you still haven’t picked up our August issue, check out writer Philipp Meyer and photographer Jody Horton’s feature, “Whole Hog,” in which South Texas hunter Tink Pinkard and Austin butcher/chef Jesse Griffiths (of Dai Due) lead a wild boar hunt, followed by a knives-on class in breaking down the beast. The piece includes a recipe for tomato-braised wild boar, and you can also check out Horton’s slide show.

On top of that, we gave Texasmonthly.com staff writer Sonia Smith a gun and , sent her on a helicopter hunt. Starting on September 1, outfitters (who were previously hired privately by landowners) will be able to take hunters “porkchopping” in an attempt to reduce feral populations. Writes Smith:

As we flew over a small reservoir on a 25,000-acre spread of land, we spotted a sounder of hogs—two sows and their piglets—lounging in the shallow water, seeking respite from the 103-degree heat. The pilot, Dustin Johnson, maneuvered his Robinson-22 helicopter over the group, flushing the pigs out of the water and onto a nearby wheat field. Terrified by the sound of our blades and the rat-tat-tat of my gun, they ran at a fast clip in single file, with striped young piglets bringing up the rear. It was dusk, and this was my final chance to score a kill. I stared down the barrel of my AR-15, gripping the trigger.

Read the rest here.

- JASON COHEN

Tagged: austin, bacon, Butcher, Chefs, Dai Due, Feral Hogs, pork, Porkchopper, texas, Wild Boar

Get your general admission tickets to the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival on Wednesday, starting at 10 a.m. But if you are in or around Austin, we can also feed you sooner.  Come downtown at lunchtime for the final TM BBQ Hunt, where we’ll pick four winners in a random drawing.

One person will score a pair of tickets to the festival, but the real prize, as ever, is meat. The final hunt haul will be brisket, from a truly celebrated joint that you might say has just 1/6th the line of Austin’s Franklin, without it being any less in demand. Along with the festival itself, this will be a rare chance to forego the early morning wake-up and a 50-mile drive. Could we make this any easier to guess? We’ll officially announce the restaurant, and more importantly, exact location, Tuesday via Twitter (@tmfood or @texasmonthly).

UPDATE: The hunt is on at 2nd and Lavaca in downtown Austin. Wednesday, August 10th. 12:30. With brisket from the legendary Snow’s.

Tagged: austin, barbecue, bbq, BBQ Festival, brisket, texas, texas monthly

Annie Beedy, Sub Pop

Over at Eater National, their regular “Sound Cheque” interview (musicians talking food) is with Eric Johnson of the Fruit Bats, which just released its fifth album, Tripper, on Sub Pop Records.

The Portland-based musician says The Salt Lick is “something I basically think about daily.” But one of his all-time favorite culinary touring memories happened in Fort Stockton:

I always try and think about the best meal I ever had, and I had this insane barbecue in Fort Stockton, Texas. We were driving on tour between Austin and probably Tucson, along Interstate 10. We were super hungry and about ready to have Taco Bell, when we saw this little joint. We went in there and there was this old dude putting chickens into this pit, with mesquite and stuff. It was a real “out there in Texas” kind of vibe; it didn’t even have a name on it. There were beans with big jalapeños in them—all of it had a Mexican vibe. We were the only non-Mexicans in there. No one said anything for a while, but in the middle of the meal we all sort of did this little nod:”Oh yeah.”

I was on tour a few years later with another band and we were about to do that drive and I suggested it. I talked about it the whole way, I told everyone not to eat too much before, and then we managed to find the place and it was shuttered. Totally boarded up, ghost town style. And part of me thinks, “Was this really the best meal I’ve ever had? Or was I just really hungry? What was it?” We will never know.

Or will we?….

Tagged: austin, barbecue, Eric Johnson, Fort Stockton, Fruit Bats, texas

Dominic Episcopo

From Dominic Episcopo’s book-in-progress, Meat America, which also has a Facebook page.

(H/T to Jeff Smith for the headline.)

- JASON COHEN

Tagged: Dominic Episcopo, Meat, steak, texas

Photo by Brian Birzer

MEATLIFTING. It’s nothing new. The 2010 arrest of Austin’s Ronnie Allen Brock provided Texas Monthly with one of our trademark never-ending punny Bum Steer headlines (as if “Bum Steer” itself wasn’t enough).

But meat fencing? With an undercover sting called “Operation Meat Locker” to catch local restaurants buying cowntraband? (Sorry.)

It sounds like something out of Adult Swim’s new procedural parody NTSF:SD:SUV. But it happened yesterday in Austin, with East Side institution Sam’s Bar-B-Que getting nailed. Also charged was Willie’s Bar-B-Que and the Mexican restaurant La Morenita.

KUT appears to have been first to post the story: (more…)

Tagged: austin, bbq, brisket, Health Department, KUT, La Morenita, Meat, Sam's, Shoplifting, Statesman, texas, Travis County, Willie's