BBQ
March 9, 2018
Hog Head Cheese at Patillo’s Bar-B-Q
Ready for this jelly: Pig ears provide most of the gelatin in the Beaumont restaurant's version, which is heavy on the meat.
Smoked in Texas
BBQ
March 1, 2018
Where to Find the Best Pork Steaks in Texas
When it’s on the menu at a barbecue joint, you’ll want to order this underused cut. Trust us.
BBQ
February 23, 2018
Smoked Brisket Chili Combines All That is Good
Two Texan treasures come together in this magical dish, but it's not always easy to find. Here's where to start.
BBQ
January 30, 2018
Koko Ramen
Quick study Cade Mercer’s pitmaster background brings the smoke to this Japanese staple at his new food truck in Waco.
BBQ
January 13, 2018
EastSide Tavern’s Tater Tots
Stuffed with brisket and cheddar, these long, crisp "potato sausages" are a revelation at Austin joint.
BBQ
December 29, 2017
Mum Foods Pastrami
You'll find the best pastrami in the state on weekends only at three Austin farmers markets.
BBQ
December 16, 2017
Tri Tip Grill
At the Dallas Cowboys’ Star complex, the barbecue comes from California.
BBQ
November 30, 2017
Barbecue and Sushi Meet at Q-Shi
Pairing the raw and the slow-smoked.
BBQ
September 8, 2017
Lyle Bento’s Hawaiian BBQ Bathtub
Traditional kalua pork in Houston.
BBQ
August 15, 2017
Smoked Ham at Prine’s Barbecue
Bone-in tastes better.
BBQ
July 28, 2017
Steak Night in the Hill Country
Trading ribs for ribeyes.
BBQ Joint Reviews
July 17, 2017
Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue
Pflugerville has some of the most creative barbecue sandwiches in the Austin area.
BBQ
June 26, 2017
Barbecue Fried Pies
Get ’em fresh at Baker’s Ribs
BBQ
May 16, 2017
Smoked Bologna at Gatlin’s BBQ
A spicy addition to the sausage-making tradition.
BBQ
May 8, 2017
The American Egg Roll at Bolivar St. BBQ
An extra-large serving of golden-brown goodness.
BBQ
April 28, 2017
Full Fat Beef Ribs at Knife
Bringing short ribs to the steakhouse scene.
BBQ
April 25, 2017
Pastrami Pork Ribs at Wheelhouse
A flavorful favorite.
BBQ
April 4, 2017
Burnt End Boudin at Bodacious Bar-B-Q
Texas BBQ with a Cajun Twist.
BBQ
April 3, 2017
Barbecue in a Bag
Western Premium BBQ Products of Pleasanton.
BBQ
March 27, 2017
Stuffed Chicken Legs at Baker Boys BBQ
In Luling, Wayne Baker grew up on the basics of barbecue. Brisket, ribs, and beef sausage came wrapped up in butcher paper at City Market, the favored barbecue joint of his youth. “I didn’t really know a barbecue plate existed,” he told me at his barbecue joint, Baker Boys BBQ in Gonzales.
BBQ
March 22, 2017
Avoiding Dirty Smoke
Because BBQ shouldn't taste like an ashtray.
BBQ
February 7, 2017
Smoked in Texas: Gut Pak at Vitek’s
The Gut Pak is to Waco what rings of smoked sausage are to Lockhart. It’s part of the city’s barbecue identity. A Gut Pak is smoked sausage, barbecue, beans, and cheese, and a few other items piled high atop a mess of Fritos, making this the huskier cousin of a Frito pie.Sometime in
BBQ
January 24, 2017
Smoked in Texas: Oysters Gilhooley at Gilhooley’s
Oyster shells crackled under the car tires as I pulled into Gilhooley’s in San Leon. The parking lot is paved with them, and a pile taller than me rose like a dune at one end of the parking lot. A storm was rolling into the small town on the Gulf
BBQ
January 19, 2017
The Year Old Brisket
After thousands of barbecue meals, I’ve never been struck ill by smoked meat. Maybe it’s the long cooking time, or the preservative qualities provided by a layer of wood smoke, or maybe I’ve just been lucky. Either way, I put that streak to the test over the weekend.“How long can
BBQ
January 10, 2017
The Zeke Sandwich
After an incredible championship game on Monday night, this season of college football is (sadly) behind us. But that means we can now focus solely on the NFL playoffs, in which the Texans are still alive and the Cowboys look to avenge Dez Bryant’s “non-catch” from a 2015 game
BBQ
November 7, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Texas Twinkies at Hutchins BBQ
Leftover brisket is a fact of life for most barbecue joints, but how they use it says a lot about their commitment to quality. It’s far better suited for fortifying pinto beans than to be back on the slicing block for day two. I’ve eaten fine chopped brisket sandwiches, tacos,
BBQ
October 26, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Bacon Burnt Ends at Heim BBQ
Burnt ends aren’t just for brisket anymore. And let’s get something out of the way, Kansas City barbecue fans: don’t get too sanctimonious about proper burnt ends only coming from a brisket; I’ve had ham and sausage burnt ends in your city.Beef belly burnt ends were the special last week
BBQ
October 18, 2016
Smoked in Texas: BBQ Tacos at BBQ on the Brazos
Combining barbecue and tacos is a damn-near perfect culinary Texas creation. In fact, it is the barbecue tacos at Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ in Austin that has made this one of my favorite joints in the state. I’ve often wished that more tortillas were stuffed with smoked meat, so I was happy to find another
BBQ
October 10, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Smokehouse Burger at Lakewood Smokehouse
Until recently, every smoked burger I’ve eaten has resulted in a contradiction of the palate. Smoky beef seasoned with salt and pepper hits all the positive taste receptors, but to trigger those you have to chew on a patty as dry as mesquite. It doesn’t take long to overcook
BBQ
September 27, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Dry-Aged Brisket at Killen’s Barbecue
The experimentation never seems to end at Killen’s Barbecue in Pearland. Some days you can do a side-by-side taste test of different beef rib varieties, on others owner Ronnie Killen and pitmaster Manny Torres are serving flights of various smoked briskets. And when I stopped in last week they
BBQ
September 20, 2016
Deep-Fried Barbecue in San Angelo
John Young is now settled in his native West Texas, but he took a circuitous route to get back there. He sold his barbecue joint in Sachse, northeast of Dallas, in 2001 and moved to Philadelphia for a corporate job, and then five years ago he moved back to San Angelo and
BBQ
September 12, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Smoked Corn at Kerlin BBQ
Kerlin BBQ in Austin has been known for their ribs and brisket since opening in 2013, but Bill and Amelis Kerlin really made a splash with their smoked-meat kolaches. Those have been so much of a hit that soon they’ll have a dedicated kolache truck. I must admit that the
BBQ
September 1, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Breakfast at Smoke
Barbecue for breakfast in Texas usually means an old time smokehouse that happens to open early. Whether it’s a ring of sausage and a Dr Pepper at Smitty’s in Lockhart or the whole menu at Snow’s BBQ in Lexington, you can find breakfast if you look hard enough (though the
BBQ
June 28, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Chicken Wings at Green Mesquite
Green Mesquite has been a fixture in South Austin since Tom Davis opened the place in 1988. The restaurant now has three locations, but the original on Barton Springs Road has all the charm of a real joint and one of the coolest neon signs in Texas. There’s an even better one inside—a glowing red
BBQ
May 9, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Stuffed Potato at Smoke to the Bone BBQ
Gregory Johns didn’t learn to cook barbecue from his family, books, videos, or from a mentor. He taught himself through trial-and-error. As he told me, “You burn some meat, you get it right next time.” His journey began in 1998 when he purchased a steel barrel smoker. Eight years later, Johns
BBQ
April 26, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Pollos Asados Los Norteños
It was the smoke that stopped me. The juice and fat from fifty-some-odd chickens mixed with mesquite charcoal to form a steady stream of smoke high above the roof line of Pollos Asados Los Norteños in San Antonio. I was scouting another barbecue joint and had stumbled upon the popular spot
BBQ
April 18, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Pulled Pork at Chico & the Fox
A barbecue truck in Austin is nothing new, but there’s plenty about Chico & the Fox that is unconventional. They don’t serve sausage, ribs, or even brisket. This truck is dedicated to pulled pork. You also won’t find a rustic smoker out back. Everything is smoked in an electric Masterbuilt
BBQ
March 29, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Sausage at Big Creek Butcher Shop
Coming around the bend on Craik Street in Marlin, it’s hard to miss the huge black letters set against a white background announcing your arrival at the Big Creek Butcher Shop. Look closer and you’ll see a pile of pecan wood and a steel smoker. You might even notice the gate and cattle
BBQ
March 7, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Smoked Brisket Tacos at Plantation BBQ
It’s become a fairly common sight in Texas: smoke rising from a little trailer parked in a gravel lot alongside the highway. But the Plantation BBQ trailer in Richmond was running a trailer long before it food trucks were de rigueur.Richmond is southwest of Houston, about forty minutes from downtown, but
BBQ
March 1, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Sausage at Galvan’s Sausage House
After more than thirty years of doing laundry for the local school district, Clemente Galvan Jr. chose a second career: barbecue. It hasn’t been easy. The pit room at Galvan’s Sausage House has burned down twice, most recently in 2014. He works long hours at the small restaurant along Highway 90 in
BBQ
February 17, 2016
Mel-Man Sandwich
The Mel-Man sandwich is the product of a barbecue epiphany. The East Texas specialty, which consists of brisket and sausage chopped together instead of layered on top of each other, is named after a man who once hated barbecue. It’s big, hard to eat, and best with plenty of barbecue
BBQ
February 10, 2016
Smoked in Texas: The Hillbilly Pacifier
Hans Muller is a second-generation baker in Fort Worth, but he’s no stranger to smoking meat. His lunch menu at the Swiss Pastry Shop includes a smoked cuban sandwich, the Fort Worth Cheese Steak made with smoked prime rib, and he’s now working on a recipe for homemade
BBQ
February 1, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Beef Short Rib at Provisions
Barbecue and other smoked foods are making their way into fine dining faster than I can spit out liquid smoke. Often smoke is used as just another layer of seasoning, or maybe the barbecue is portioned and presented with a flourish on the plate. Not so at Provisions, the
BBQ
January 26, 2016
Pastrami Beef Ribs
When I first saw a pastrami beef rib on the menu at The Granary in San Antonio, my heart nearly skipped a beat (no blood pressure jokes, please). It was late 2012, and I’d never seen such a thing. Six months later, after I was named the Barbecue Editor, it
BBQ
January 25, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Mushroom Pastrami
Oliver Sitrin is no stranger to pastrami experimentation. During his time as chef at Blind Butcher on Greenville in Dallas, he’s taken his thin-sliced beef pastrami and piled it high on rye (a traditional presentation, to be sure), as well as tucked it into an egg roll. He’s made tender duck pastrami,
BBQ
January 19, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Smoke-Brined Fried Chicken
The best fried chicken in Dallas is served at a barbecue joint. Any self-respecting pitmaster might cringe when I suggest the fried chicken to prospective customers, but chef and pitmaster Jeffrey Hobbs at the Slow Bone Barbeque in Dallas is plenty proud of his unique smoke-brined
BBQ
January 11, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Smoked Pork Taco at Garcia’s
Despite the blasphemous ways they treat their smoked meats, Garcia’s in San Antonio makes a mean barbecue taco. I knew all about their now-famous smoked brisket taco because of its rapid rise in popularity: CNN named it one of the ten best tacos in America; Eater called Garcia’s one of
BBQ
January 4, 2016
Smoked in Texas: Wagyu Shortrib at Qui
There’s little room for variety in the smoked beef ribs you find at Texas barbecue joints—salt, black pepper, and smoke are doled out in big doses on impressively large hunks of beef and bone. They make for an imposing sight, and are a far cry from what anyone would consider refined.
BBQ
December 7, 2015
Smoked in Texas: Macaroni & Cheese Sausage
The Smokey Denmark barbecue trailer on East Fifth Street in Austin has a new head pitmaster: Keenan Goldis. Goldis recently took over for Bill Dumas (who is now working with Lance Kirkpatrick at Stiles Switch), and he may be a familiar name to anyone who enjoyed his wild creations at
BBQ
November 9, 2015
Smoking a Lamb Brisket
I ate a lot of lamb around the state a few months back, but it’s a protein I had never cooked in my own smoker. Given that the most common cut found at Texas barbecue joints is the bone-in lamb breast, that’s what I went searching for. While the cut isn’t easy to