Gaze at these beautiful Southeast Texas links:

 

The Ambassadors of Smoke article from The Christian Science Monitor touches on barbecue competitions, history, rebellions, and homogenization. There’s plenty of Big Moe Cason, too.

“In this building [Jacob] Fontaine conducted church services, operated a grocery and laundry, and published The Gold Dollar, the first African American newspaper in Austin.” – The Austin history Center on the building that now houses Freedmen’s Bar.

Pappas family restaurant empire turns 50 and adds Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse:

 

Leonard Botello IV talked to Paper City about his plans to expand Truth BBQ from Brenham into Houston.

Eater’s Texas road trip guide is, unsurprisingly, heavy on the barbecue options.

The Sklar Brothers race for beef ribs:

 

In their Heroes segment, CNN features Stan Hays of Operation BBQ Relief. The group has provided about 1.7 million barbecue meals since they first went into action in 2011.

The Verify team from WFAA in Dallas is planning a road trip to see if they can verify if chili or barbecue should be the state dish of Texas.

“Anyone who has been thinking there would be a barbecue where the meat would be warmed up over a ditch of hot coals…will find they have made a big mistake” Montana’s Great Falls Tribune on their local barbecue oven in 1919.

The KC Star has hired a barbecue beat reporter:

 

After being delayed by Hurricane Harvey, Southern Smoke is back on. It’ll be in Houston on 10/22 with even more barbecue talent.

Tickets are on sale for Dia de Los Puercos, a barbecue event at the new location of Four Corners Brewery in Dallas held on 10/22.

It’ll be Houston versus Austin at the Houston BBQ Throwdown coming on 12/3. Tickets are now on sale.

That’s some Top 10 BBQ right there:

 

Thrillist released their updated list of the 33 best barbecue joints in the country. Of course, Texas is well represented with 9 spots.

While their praise is usually reserved for upscale restaurants, The Michelin Guide gives a nod to BBQ in the UK at Smokestak.

J. C. Reid discusses the changing of the barbecue guard in the UK as one of the original joints closes, while others make waves.

It seems the barbecue scene in Paris is growing:

 

In depressing meat-processing news, investigative reporting by Reveal News highlighted a Christian rehab program run by CAAIR that provided slave labor to chicken processing plants in Oklahoma.

Sid Miller and the Texas Department of Agriculture lost the fight against HB 2029, the Barbecue Bill, earlier this year, but they won’t let go of the revenue stream so easily. They’re sending out letters to pitmasters warning about to-go orders.

David Carl Perkins of San Antonio was arrested after putting a smoked brisket from H-E-B down his pants and attempting to leave the store.

The fire looked bad at this legendary Alabama barbecue joint, but all is well now:

 

Swig & Swine in Charleston, SC wasn’t as lucky. A fire in their pit room last week still has their West Ashley location closed.

Jay-Z loved his brisket from La Barbecue so much during ACL fest that he ordered it again the next day.

A South Carolina college now offers classes in their BBQ Training Center: