– Texas Governor Greg Abbott says that calling barbecue sauce “the most important thing about barbecue” was, in hindsight “my biggest regret” while in office.

– Officials in China have seized meat illegally smuggled in from Vietnam. It was all previously frozen, and some of it was forty years old.

– A brisket demonstration video featuring the Salt Lick brought about what First We Feast has entitled #Brisketgate.

– Salt Lick responds:

 

– Steven Raichlen has a new barbecue show debuting this weekend called Project Smoke.

– Myron Mixon has a new show coming out next month called BBQ Rules.

– McCormick has purchased the full line of Stubb’s barbecue sauces for $100 million.

– Fatboy’s BBQ in Cooper is getting a new building soon:

– These are the 20 best barbecue joints in New York City according to Eater NY.

– ….and the 12 hottest barbecue joints in Dallas/Fort Worth.

– …and the 15 essential barbecue spots in Austin.

– …and the 11 essential barbecue spots in Houston, one even as far away as La Grange.

– …and the 15 essential barbecue joints in Los Angeles.

– This monster pizza is stuffed with lots of stuff including Pecan Lodge brisket:

 

– The Smoking Ho came back from the new Southside Market in Bastrop pleased with the sausage slammers.

– Texas Pit Quest has released a guide to great barbecue in Houston.

– Texas BBQ Treasure Hunt likes what he found at Pappa Charlie’s in Houston, especially the brisket.

– Corkscrew BBQ has been operating out of a food truck in Spring, but they are moving to a permanent building later this year.

– The Texas Supreme Court’s Justice Willett on impeachable offenses in the barbecue realm:

– An unnamed “upscale” barbecue restaurant is coming to the Lakewood neighborhood in Dallas.

– JC Reid goes to Huntsville, and finds that “New Zion’s barbecue isn’t necessarily better or worse than elsewhere in Texas – it’s just different.”

– Catherine Stiles of Stiles Switch BBQ in Austin is using the restaurant’s barbecue sauce in a new Bloody Mary mix in her new Barbecue Wife label.

– Cleveland style barbecue?

 

– Sisterdale Smokehouse in Sisterdale will be closed for the month of July.

– Snow’s BBQ in Lexington will be closed on Saturday, July 4th.

– A vote to go sans sauce:

– The Food Network chose their top 5 best barbecue joints in America, and #2 was in Texas.

– Timeout.com lists the 23 best barbecue joints in America.

– Here are Expedia’s 10 best barbecue joints in the South, but they forgot about Texas.

– Another top barbecue list for Texas. The only surprise to readers might be Triple J’s Smokehouse in Houston.

– A big-time barbecue bucket list:

 

– Speedy Lohr’s Barbecue in Lexington, North Carolina was damaged by fire.

– Some history on the three generations of a barbecue family that has run Van’s Pig Stand in Oklahoma.

– Men’s Journal explains why 2015 is the year of Alabama barbecue.

– Thrillist lists the most innovative barbecue dishes in the country.

– Mmmm. Brisket: