You can’t talk about great Texas barbecue without mentioning Driftwood’s most famous barbecue joint of all time – The Salt Lick Bar-B-Que. Through the years this Central Texas haunt has gained both fame and popularity for its delicious barbecue meats – well known for their preparation over an open pit. Come November, the restaurant will have its first cookbook, written by Jessica Dupuy, author of Uchi: The Cookbook, and Scott Roberts, owner of The Salt Lick Bar-B-Que. Roberts talked with TEXAS MONTHLY about The Salt Lick Cookbook, the history of the restaurant, and moving forward.

What made you guys decide it was time to do a book?

We’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I’ve always been proud of the fact that we’ve been around for so long and how we came be. I had been thinking about the book for ten or fifteen years, and about a year ago everything lined up. We realized we needed to stop thinking about it and start doing it, so we met up with Jessica. She and I spent a long time together talking about the stories, the history, and the recipes of The Salt Lick.

A lot cookbooks come out nowadays that are a balance between recipes and the story of a restaurant or chef. What was the story you wanted to tell in The Salt Lick Cookbook?

I wanted to tell the story of the family behind The Salt Lick. Like the story of how my great grandmother came to Texas in the 1880s, how the Roberts came in 1867, how they got here, the way they cooked then, and the way we cook today. That cooking technique has been handed down for generations. My father’s parents were significant in my life, and there was a whole lot of stuff that has happened through the years that I thought would be nice to share with people. The Salt Lick is tied to my family, so they were inevitably going to be mentioned in the cookbook. Jessica said the fact that my daughter is learning everything was a big deal, too, so we wanted to include the next generation in there as well.

Scott Roberts

Were there certain recipes or stories you really wanted to feature?

I wanted to include the fact that as a young child of about six or so I would watch my grandmother and her sisters grinding up meat and cooking these sausage links on a wood-fired stove. I can still remember the sound of the [meat] cooking and sizzling. My job then was to stay out of the way [laughs]. I had many stories like that one, and it was great to share them and honor the whole family.

What will be the recipe in here that readers will be excited to see? Were there any that were difficult to part with?

I’ll put it this way, we put all the recipes from the restaurant in the book except for the barbecue sauce. That’s going to remain a secret. I think people will really enjoy meats like the pork ribs and beef brisket. I think people will also really like my grandmother’s biscuits and her fried-chicken recipes. And one of the ones they are really going to love is my mother’s lemon meringue pie.

You guys have had a newfound notoriety recently with things like Top Chef Texas. How do you want to move forward into the future?

We want to continue to do what we’ve been doing, but add some new things along the way. We’re going to start concentrating on the wines and start working on a few new items like barbecue oysters. We want to continue to support local foods, so things like the barbecue oysters will be only Texas Gulf oysters. We want to keep doing what we’ve always been doing, but just add bits and pieces as we go.

Tagged: austin, barbecue, bbq, Driftwood, Jessica Dupuy, Layne Lynch, Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, The Salt Lick BBQ

They went as quickly as they came! Sorry, ya’ll! The Texas Monthly BBQ Festival tickets have officially sold out. The VIP tickets were gone faster than the blink of an eye, and now the general admission passes have all been snatched up as well. For those lucky individuals who got their passes, we look forward to seeing you all on September 23!
Trust me, you’re in for a day of some delicious barbecue, and we apologize for the meat sweats in advance. For those of you who missed out, get like a pack of ravenous wolves and track some tickets down. Believe me, you don’t want to miss out on this year’s action.

Tagged: barbecue, bbq, brisket, Layne Lynch, Texas Monthly BBQ, Texas Monthly BBQ Festival

Do you smother your meats in tangy barbecue sauce? Have you ever planned a road trip just to devour some Central Texas barbecue? Would you stand in a three-hour line for a single serving of brisket at Franklin Barbecue? Well, ready your wallets my fellow barbecue-loving fiends! Tickets for the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival go on sale today at 10 a.m., and you better grab tickets while you can because – similar to a hearty serving of finger-lickin’-good Texas barbecue – these tickets will go fast.

The third annual festival takes place on Sunday, Sept. 23 at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin. Through this link, individuals can purchase VIP or general admission tickets and sample amongst over 20 barbecue joints from across the state. For more information about the festival visit the Texas Monthly BBQ page or follow us on Twitter.

Tagged: austin, barbecue, Layne Lynch, Texas Monthly BBQ, Texas Monthly BBQ Festival

Little did I know when I wrote the following words nearly four years ago—“Please, patronize Wild Blue before it’s too late”—that my greatest fear would come true. One of the true stalwarts of Texas Barbecue–Wild Blue B.B.Q., located in the near-Brownsville city of Los Fresnos—will shut its doors on February 4. Wild Blue was included in Texas Monthly’s June 2008 story on the top fifty barbecue joints in Texas and participated in both of our barbecue festivals, in 2010 and 2011. Owner/pitmaster Abraham Avila said in a story in the Brownsville Herald that business was just too spotty in his out-of-the-way location.

I remember distinctly the day I ate at Wild Blue, on my road trip through the Valley in 2008, for our top-fifty story. In a word, its barbecue blew me away. In spite of not being done on a traditional pit, it was deeply smoky, tender, and had a rub that wasn’t like anything else I had come across before. After I decided (instantly) that it was worthy of our list, I started talking with the young owner, Abraham Avila. That blew me away again. The guy had about, oh, a hundred cookbooks and food magazines lying around the joint. It turned out he was whip smart and a trained chef to boot. We must have talked for thirty minutes or more about the New York food scene (he keeps up with it), chefs we admired, and, oh yes, the future of barbecue in Texas.

He admitted to me then that his true dream was to open a serious restaurant, but that barbecue seemed like a better bet in the Rio Grande Valley. He told the newspaper he’s hoping to open a restaurant (maybe his dream place) and will revive Wild Blue if he finds a good spot. Abraham, all your friends here wish you well and are keeping our fingers crossed. You people in the Valley, head over and have a brisket plate while you still can!

Here is what I wrote about Wild Blue in June 2008:  “Food is my life,” says young owner-pitmaster Abraham Avila, who fusses over every detail, from the brisket-seasoning rub (paprika, brown sugar, ancho chile, cumin, oregano, coriander, and kosher salt) and the satiny sweet-potato flan to the blend of apple and pecan woods in the smoker. But business is slow, as South Padre—bound tourists zoom by, hell-bent for bad tacos. Please, patronize Wild Blue before it’s too late. 31230 Texas Hwy. 100, 956-233-8185.” Breakfast Mon–Sat 7–9. Lunch Mon–Sat 11–3. Dinner Sun–Tue 5–9, Fri & Sat 5–10.  (Hours and photograph from Wild Blue’s website.)

Tagged: Abraham Avila, Brownsville, Los Fresnos, Rio Grande Valley, Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, Wild Blue B.B.Q.

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

The second annual Texas Monthly BBQ Festival was held Sunday, October 30, at the outdoor terrace of Long Center in Austin. Some 3,000 people attended to sample barbecue from 22 vendors (all of whom had been named to our Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas in 2008), listen to music (Jimmie Vaughan and Asleep at the Wheel), and vote for the people’s choice in four categories. The prizes were won this year by Franklin Barbecue of Austin (best brisket), Louie Mueller Barbecue of Taylor (best beef ribs and best sausage), and Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q of Tyler (best pork ribs). Last  year’s best brisket winner was Snow’s BBQ of Lexington. Here are some random observations from an assortment of well-fed attendees.

It’s kind of like drinking from a fire hydrant. There is so much here!—Seth Dockery

This is Texas, so the temperature could have been 40, it could have been 95. But today was perfect.—Jen Pencis, Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q, Tyler

Cooking’s easy. The hardest part is figuring out the amount of meat. –Todd Ashmore, Opie’s Barbecue, Spicewood

This event is definitely off the ground. Yesterday I was telling people I was in town for the barbecue festival and everybody knew what I was talking about. Last year they had no idea.—Daniel Vaughn, Full Custom Gospel BBQ blog (more…)

Tagged: Foodways Texas, Franklin Barbecue, Kerry Bexley, louie mueller barbecue, Snow's, Stacy Franklin, Stanley's, Texas A&M University, Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, Tootsie Tomananz

The barbecue bacchanal that is the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival is set to be, for the second year in row, an awe-inspiring helping of the very best barbecue in Texas (and therefore the world). Carnivorous connoisseurs of charry comestibles, a toothy group amongst whose ranks the Texanist proudly counts himself, will have their smoky dreams brought to life for this glorious once-a-year afternoon in Austin. To understate it badly, it’s going to be a very appetizing affair.

In all, there will be 22 of the state’s most renowned barbecue establishments showcasing their succulent wares at the Fest. Smitty’s Market in Lockhart? Check. Snow’s BBQ in Lexington? Check. Casstevens Cash & Carry in Lillian? Check. Even already-venerable newcomer Franklin Barbecue in Austin will be there.

Attending the festival will be not unlike like having the results of a months-long barbecue road trip conveniently delivered to you, where you can check nearly two dozen places off of your barbecue bucket list in one fell swoop. But wouldn’t it be a crying shame to have to be wheeled over to the emergency services tent for a light head and a heavy belly after having only visited, say, a dozen or so of the pits? Here, for the lucky attendants, are a few things to keep in mind. Not attending this year’s fest? Take note for next year.

Admittedly the Texanist does not always heed his own advice, but try to exercise a little self control. In such a setting, what with all the mouthwatering aromas and glistening morsels, it will be impossible, but it never hurts to make the effort. Just remember, you are not a contestant in a competitive barbecue-eating contest. (more…)

Tagged: brisket, meat coma, smoked meats, Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, The Texanist

Editor’s Note: Just one more day until the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival! As you surely know by now, we’ve been interviewing all the featured pitmasters, with questions from TM staffers, esteemed BBQ experts, Twitter followers and you, the readers of this blog.

Today we’re featuring John A. Fullilove, 38 , of Smitty’s Market in Lockhart. For more info, visit their page on TMBBQ.com.

Photos courtesy Daniel Vaughn

What is the heat source you use?

Indirect post oak fires, no gas and no electricity whatsoever. It’s been that before my father’s time and my grandfather’s time. Guess we’re 25 years behind the times and it seems to work well for us.

So do you start a new fire everyday then?

We actually use the coal from the day before and we’ll shovel it in and put some wood in there and kind of fan it until it goes again. We don’t use any lighter fluid or anything like that.

Do you cook slow and low or fast and high?

Real fast and high. We cook our briskets in 46 hours. Buy quality meat and put a high heat to it, that’s what I was always told. We don’t use any thermometers whatsoever but the temperature ranges anywhere from 300 to 400 degrees.

Where did you learn your barbecue craft from?

It’s a family thing, third generation. Learned a lot from what I didn’t like through the years but kept it as traditional as I could. Times change but we try to stay a little bit behind the times if we can.

What are some of your non-secret dry rub ingredients?

We don’t use any fillers or preserves so we’re just looking at black pepper, red pepper, and salt. Simple is best, we try to keep it consistent. There are many things we like and ways we do it ourselves but we try to do it the way it’s always been done.

Do you believe in using sauce?

BBQ sauce is something we added a year or two years ago after we changed the name and location of Smitty’s. We actually cook it ourselves for probably the past eight or nine years. We added sides at the same time. We base the ribs ourselves with something new I added.

What is your signature meat?

That’s something that’s changed over the past ten years. The staple meat I grew up on was shoulder clod and pork chops but now everyone likes brisket and ribs. They seem to travel well. We’ve probably increased the brisket by 500 percent and the ribs have been new territory for the past eight years or so. We sell a lot of them.

Do you make your own sausage?

Yes, we make anywhere from 10 to 15,000 links a week. Its all hand tied and cooked with post oak.

Do you use aluminum foil or butcher paper?

We don’t cook with any aluminum foil. We do serve on butcher paper. What holds the flavor in though is that hot fire heating it up.

What are some of your favorite barbecues in Texas besides your own?

Oh I couldn’t really tell you. I mean I’m sure everyone has their own niche and claim to fame, definitely their own backing and following.  But that’s a hard question to answer or argue about. I say give everyone a try.

What do you think a home cook should look for when buying a brisket?

Don’t want it too lean in my opinion. Not too much excess fat but I mean you watch everyone pick one out for the BBQ competition and you want it to shake.

Any other advice or techniques for the home smoker?

Buy quality meat.

Ever had Texas barbecue outside of Texas?

This right now [as he is driving through New Mexico] is my first trip outside of Texas and we couldn’t find a BBQ pit in Colorado.

What BBQ are you looking forward to trying at the TMBBQ Festival?

I don’t see it as a competition, it’s more like a gathering. We’re feeding Texas Monthly’s party – I’m not going to it with a competitive mind. We just have a good time and meet a lot of people.

How many pounds of meat do you cook in a day?

That’s a hard one for me to answer because we touch every bit of it and everything we do. But we do butcher a lot of meat and when we do our four-day production, it’s over a ton. (A ton being 2,000 pounds raw.) We do a whole lot and at 13 years of Smitty’s being open we’ve increased it every year.

Tagged: brisket, John Fullilove, Lockhart, Smitty's Market, smoked meats, Texas Monthly BBQ, Texas Monthly BBQ Festival

Photo by Trey Kazee

Make that 22 pitmasters.

Since Bertram Smoke Haus made our Top 50 in 2008, a lot has happened with the joint northwest of Austin. Pitmaster and owner Jim Wallace moved out of his original location, a 100-plus year-old former mercantile and lumber store, for a bigger new spot that he renamed Bertram Bar B Que.

Unfortunately, as some of our most die-hard BBQ Finder App and web site users already know, Bertram 2.0 did not work out.

The good news is, Wallace is still manning the mesquite, including as a caterer, but more importantly, he’s planning to re-open back at the old Smoke Haus spot as soon as possible.

The bad news is, because of that transition, he can no longer make the festival on Sunday. We at TEXAS MONTHLY still wish him the best, and look forward to future feedings at the new old place.

Tagged: 23 pitmasters, austin, barbecue, bbq, bertram, brisket, burnet, oatmeal, ribs, sausage, Texas Monthly BBQ Festival

On Sunday, some 3,000 hungry carnivores will descend on the Terrace at the Long Center in Austin to devour a truly massive spread of meat at the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival. We’ll have 22 pitmasters from across the state serving up brisket, ribs, and sausage as festival-goers enjoy live music from Jimmie Vaughan and Ray Benson. Sounds like a pretty good time, doesn’t it?

This will be the second annual BBQ Festival, an event that grew out of the Top 50 BBQ Joints round-up we publish in the pages of the magazine. For the festival, we invite those 50 joints to come and serve up their meat in one location. Last year 21 of them made it; this year we’ll have 22, including a new category for the best new place to open since our last list, the “Newcomer Tent,” which will be occupied this year by Austin sensation, Franklin Barbecue.

BBQ is important to Texans and it’s important to Texas Monthly. In the year since the inaugural 2010 festival, we’ve also launched a BBQ smartphone app and a companion BBQ website, TMBBQ.com. The app locates nearby barbecue joints both within Texas and all over the world, as well as delivering reviews and information, connecting barbecue enthusiasts, and letting users engage in some friendly competition. It launched for iPhone on June 8, and currently has more than 15,000 active users. Today, we’re making it available on Android as well. Take a look.

These digital efforts, and the festival—as well as our every-five-years Top 50 BBQ Joints story—give you a sense of how seriously we take our smoked meat here at Texas Monthly. And they also give you a sense of how seriously we take the idea of engaging with our readers in as many different ways as we can, in print, on screens and mobile devices, and at live events. (more…)

Tagged: BBQ Finder App, smoked meats, Texas Monthly BBQ, Texas Monthly BBQ Festival