– Eater food critic Bill Addison went all over the country looking for the 38 best restaurants in the U.S. The list included a Texas barbecue joint:

 

– This week’s Punt, Pass, and Pork from SI’s Andy Staples includes detailed reviews of meals from both Lockhart Smokehouse and Pecan Lodge in Dallas. 

– Smoke in Plano is open with a new Oyler smoker and an Argentinian-style grill. 

– The owners of Company Café in Dallas plan a new barbecue joint on Ross Ave. to be called Back Home Barbecue. 

– WFAA shares the smoked brisket recipe from Pecan Lodge for those who’d rather cook at home. 

– Green Bay will be a better place when it gets some Pecan Lodge barbecue. 

– BBQ gloves that can open a beer too:

 

– Full & Content has plenty of praise for Stiles Switch Brew & BBQ in Austin.

– There’s a kosher barbecue joint called JoeBob’s BBQ coming to Austin.

– The Smoking Ho reviews Stubb’s BBQ in Austin and finds average barbecue.

– A barbecue restaurant deal in Waco goes sour for Old Fashion BBQ. Make sure to vet those seeking business partnerships.

– SB Nation uses Pecan Lodge as their venue for the College Football National Championship pregame show:

 

– A Texas author wrote a book promoting veganism, and the beef industry was quick to react.

– On the new Lucky Peach website, Gary Panter pens an ode to the chopped beef sandwich at Big Smith’s Bar-B-Q in Sulphur Springs.

– The Food Network aired a new show about the Best BBQ Ever. It could use a little more Texas.

– We’ve got a bread for that:

 

– Freedmen’s Bar in Austin is looking for a barbecue cook. 

– Brooks Place in Cypress, Texas is also hiring. 

– Hoegemeyer’s BBQ Barn is featured in the Corpus Christi Caller Times. 

– Houston’s Saint Arnold Brewery will host Super Beef Sunday during the Super Bowl featuring Corkscrew BBQ and Louie Mueller Barbecue. 

– Valentina’s BBQ & Tex-Mex in Austin is now making their own smoked brisket jerky.

 

– Get to know the various pits being used in barbecue joints.

– Burger Mary goes to barbecue school at Texas A&M.

– Camp Brisket was held last weekend at Texas A&M. Kelly Yandell provides this all-encompassing recap.

– Reuters talks with the attendees of Camp Brisket to see what motivated them to spend a couple of days eating and discussing brisket.

– More on Camp Brisket:

 

– Jordan Breal of Texas Monthly went on the DayTripper podcast to talk about her career in travel writing, including the hard work of searching for new spots to put on the Top 50 barbecue list. 

– Ray “Dr. BBQ” Lampe talks about the evolution of competition barbecue. “Little by little over my 33 years I have seen competition barbecue evolve from real barbecue to a new fangled version that gets good scores.” 

– Chef and television host Andrew Zimmern gives Austin’s Woodpile BBQ a ringing endorsement. 

– Houston BBQ History from Pizzitola’s:

 

– Some Chicagoans came down to Texas for one heck of a barbecue eating tour, and documented it all here.

– A fire damaged legendary Memphis barbecue joint Cozy Corner.  The fire was caused by a faulty electrical panel. Damages are estimated at $60,000. There is a GoFundMe page set up by the family.

– In Iceland, they’re smoking whale testicles and using them to make beer. Oh, and the testes are “smoked in a ‘traditional way’ with dried sheep dung.”

– Barbecue on a submarine, circa 1983: