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Daniel Vaughn is the author of The Prophets of Smoked Meat: A Journey Through Texas Barbecue, the coauthor of Whole Hog BBQ: The Gospel of Carolina Barbecue, and the barbecue editor at Texas Monthly. He has traveled the world sampling smoked meats at over 1,800 barbecue joints, most of which are in Texas.

1755 Articles

BBQ Joint Reviews|
July 1, 2016

Top 5 BBQ

Four years ago, Davetta Greene bought a used barbecue pit for $40. It was a gift for her husband, Kendon. After fried pork chops caused two separate fires in their home kitchen, she thought it was time he moved his cooking outside. He didn’t take to the pitmaster role immediately. “It was

BBQ|
June 30, 2016

BBQ News: 06/24 – 06/30

– Barbecue Week begins on July 10th. Every order of a barbecue plate listed here provides a $1 donation to Foodways Texas.– The former governor is a big fan of Truth BBQ in Brenham:

BBQ|
June 29, 2016

BBQ Anatomy 101: Bone-In Brisket

At the meat markets of yesteryear, a boneless brisket would have been a special order. If beef was arriving as a half carcass, there would be no need for the butcher to remove the bones before selling or smoking the cut; doing so would have meant more work for less money.The brisket

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 Joint Reviews|
June 24, 2016

Pat Gee’s Barbecue

The hand-painted wooden sign reads “Pat’s Barbecue,” but everybody calls it Pat Gee’s after its late founder, Mack Henry “Pat” Gee, who opened this barbecue shack east of Tyler, deep in the piney woods, sometime around 1963. Pat, his wife Vida, and their seven children lived just up the hill

BBQ|
June 23, 2016

BBQ News: 06/17 – 06/23

– From First We Feast: How the Texas BBQ Boom Marginalizes Its African-American Roots.– Over this past weekend, Greg Gatlin of Gatlin’s BBQ in Houston made some traditional Beaumont beef links.– Rock thrower not impressed with Franklin Barbecue: The suspected serial rock thrower

BBQ|
June 22, 2016

Hawaiian Barbecue Bites

The United States has many beloved barbecue styles, but meat cooked over fire in the fiftieth state rarely enters the discussion. Hawaiian barbecue traditions have been exported by the Honolulu-based L&L Hawaiian Barbecue chain to twelve states and six other countries, but those restaurants don’t really cook barbecue. Rather, they specialize

BBQ|
June 21, 2016

Kalua Pig: The Barbacoa of Hawaii

The world’s oldest barbecue tradition is cooking meat in underground pits. It’s a method so old, that our ancestors cooked mammoths in underground pits some 29,000 years ago. In modern day Texas, meat cooked in subterranean pits is most often referred to as barbacoa, like the barbacoa de cabeza that

BBQ Joint Reviews|
June 17, 2016

One90 Smoked Meats

This is not a barbecue joint. As the name suggests, they specialize in smoked meats, which are mostly piled in a sandwich. If you come to One90 Smoked Meats looking for a combo plate with slaw and beans on a plastic tray, prepare to be disappointed. But if you’re happy with

BBQ|
June 17, 2016

Eugene “Hot Sauce” Williams

The contributions of African Americans to our country’s barbecue culture are often overlooked. The influences can be hard to trace, which make it tempting to ignore them. Throughout Texas and the rest of the country, records of black barbecue culture are either gone or never existed in the first place. Most newspapers and magazines were

BBQ|
June 16, 2016

BBQ News: 06/10 – 06/16

– It’s Barbecue Week on Eater: Barbecue Week on Eater starts right now: https://t.co/pdFL0tyPwT pic.twitter.com/XDZt49W5MV — Eater (@Eater) June 13, 2016 – Here are the best ribs in Austin according to Eater Austin. – Eater Houston talks with Jerry Pizzitola about how

BBQ Recipes|
June 13, 2016

Raise Your Steak Game

If you’ve never heard of the reverse sear, then the best steak of your life is still in your future. Ever since I first used the reverse sear method, I haven’t cooked a steak any other way. It’s that good. And simple.What is a reverse sear? The name sounds a little odd,

BBQ|
June 9, 2016

Cleveland Smokes

When I was growing up in Ohio, land of my birth, it was a barren wasteland when it came to barbecue. If you were looking for ribs, you better have liked them baked, sauced, and grilled. The pitmasters of my youth specialized in chicken on a backyard grill, and I didn’t

BBQ|
June 9, 2016

BBQ News: 06/03 – 06/09

– Texas BBQ at the James Beard House: Texas twinkies, slow-smoked brisket, and burnt end beans by @HutchinsBBQ at the #BeardHouse https://t.co/iP2IuWrKka pic.twitter.com/V6rszHJTg9 — Beard Foundation (@beardfoundation) June 8, 2016 – Myron Mixon attempts to bust five grilling myths for Made

BBQ|
June 6, 2016

Juneteenth BBQ Competition in Dallas

The seventh annual Elm Thicket/Northpark Juneteenth barbecue competition in Dallas is looking for competitors. It’s being held at the K. B. Polk recreation center, near Love Field, on Saturday, June 18. There’s no prize money, but, as organizer Virgil Lee told me, there are “bragging rights.”For the amateur pitmaster,

BBQ Joint Reviews|
June 3, 2016

Intrinsic Smokehouse & Brewery

Cary Hodson wanted to bring a brewery to historic downtown Garland. City regulations said he needed food to go along with his craft beers, so he enlisted the aptly named Tex Morgan to bring the barbecue. They made room for an Oyler smoker, and now Intrinsic Smokehouse & Brewery has

BBQ|
June 2, 2016

BBQ News: 05/27 – 06/02

– If you haven’t yet, you need to go: Take a trip out to Cele Store, where barbecue, history, and movies collide https://t.co/YEbEnnYYO4 — Eater Austin (@EaterAustin) May 27, 2016 – Wyatt McSpadden shared some of the barbecue portraits he’s taken over the years for Yeti’s

BBQ Recipes|
June 1, 2016

Toasted Sugar Ribs

Brown sugar, white sugar, and honey are all common sweeteners in the pitmaster’s arsenal. They’re great in a pork rub or on chicken to accelerate the browning of the skin. In fact, sugar might be the most popular ingredient in commercial barbecue rubs, which is why I was excited to learn

BBQ Joint Reviews|
May 31, 2016

Zeke’s BBQ

Sometimes all it takes to seduce me into a high-mileage gamble on a barbecue joint are a few meat photos on Facebook. Unless you’re taking the circuitous route to nearby Wichita Falls, Windthorst, Texas isn’t really on the way to anywhere. But a mere five-hour round trip from home isn’t a bad investment for

BBQ|
May 26, 2016

BBQ News: 05/20 – 05/26

– Kelly Yandell began homeschooling her son this year, and created BBQ Thursday as part of his curriculum. He passed with flying colors.– A new look at BBQ around the country: We expect BBQ to be a bargain, which is why many spots start with

BBQ|
May 25, 2016

Now We’re Cooking With Brisket Fat

Established barbecue families are easy to romanticize, but Mike Smolik is a realist. He’s the latest to carry on the 88-year-old Smolik barbecue legacy, but he’s not letting family traditions dictate his every move. A big, new barbecue hall out along the interstate in Mathis was a bold step, and plenty has been changing in the

BBQ Joint Reviews|
May 24, 2016

The Salt Lick: An Appreciation

The image above is probably the most well-known in Texas barbecue. A photo of, or with, the iconic pit at the Salt Lick is on par with braking for our state’s bluebonnets along the highway. This particular photo fetched me nearly 3,000 likes on Instagram. My best image of a Franklin

BBQ Joint Reviews|
May 20, 2016

Truth Barbeque

Last year, Leonard Botello IV decided he wanted to open a barbecue joint. The big hitch in his giddyup? He needed a smoker. He started searching for a workable, used pit, and pretty soon “a Klose pit came up on Craigslist in Cleveland,” he recalled. Ohio, that is, not Texas. According

BBQ|
May 19, 2016

BBQ News: 05/13 – 05/19

– Rougned Odor’s punch earned him free barbecue for life in Ft. Worth: .@RougnedOdor EATS FREE at Heim BBQ t-shirts on sale now at https://t.co/qOWi3feEt7 all proceeds go to Joey Bats jaw re-alignment surgery… — Heim Barbecue (@HeimBBQ) May 16, 2016 – Looking for meat

BBQ|
May 18, 2016

Memphis Dismay

“It needs more dust,” I said. Tuffy Stone, whose Cool Smoke barbecue team is one of most prolific in the country, was about to close a styrofoam box full of pork shoulder that was bound for the judge’s table. Our team, most of which I’d first met the day prior, surrounded

BBQ Recipes|
May 16, 2016

Tootsie Tomanetz’s Pork Steak

Tootsie Tomanetz has been cooking barbecue for fifty years, an art she didn’t start practicing professionally until she was in her thirties. When she began her career in Giddings, offset smokers weren’t nearly as popular as they are today. Then, barbecue was cooked directly over wood coals, and that’s the

BBQ|
May 12, 2016

BBQ Books: Spring 2016

It’s May, the month that celebrates the best of spring, the kickoff to summer, and, for barbecue aficionados like myself, a 31-day-long celebration of barbecue. That’s right. In this age of every trend getting its own day or month, May has been reserved for barbecue, a fitting designation given that Memorial Day is the unofficial start

BBQ|
May 12, 2016

BBQ News: 05/06 – 05/12

– King Ranch chicken in tube form: As seen at @tmbbq fest: the recipe for @evanleroy’s Smoked King Ranch Sausage https://t.co/vh5OnHUtGO pic.twitter.com/7bYdgkGkEr — Jess Pryles (@jesspryles) May 8, 2016 – Dai Due in Austin is now offering an option to order a

BBQ|
May 10, 2016

Corpus Christi Fray

Joe Cotten’s Barbecue was once the pride of Corpus Christi, or Robstown, to be more specific. Founded in 1947, the joint’s mesquite-smoked barbecue and their tomatoey sauce helped define the local style of smoked meats. The joint was legendary, and legends are hard to replace. Since it tragically

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 Joint Reviews|
May 6, 2016

Julian’s BBQ

To the people of Corpus Christi, I’m sorry about your barbecue. I tried just about every joint in the city a couple of weeks back, and there wasn’t much good news to report. There was one bright spot, though: Julian’s BBQ.With a black cowboy hat, a black shirt, and a red

BBQ|
May 5, 2016

BBQ News: 04/29 – 05/05

– “The whole house is still redolent of smoke. If there’s a better scent, I have yet to encounter it.” – Ruth Reichl– These are the up-and-coming pitmasters across the country according to Thrillist, most of which are cooking Texas style.– Ladies and gentlemen, Tootsie Tomanetz:

BBQ|
May 3, 2016

Interview: Dwight Harvey of Off The Bone Barbeque

Owner/Pitmaster: Off the Bone Barbeque; Opened 2009Age: 70Smoker: Wood-Fired Rotisserie SmokerWood: Pecan and MesquiteOff the Bone was once a tiny joint in a neighborhood without much of an identity. Since it opened seven years ago, The Cedars has grown into a destination, and the barbecue joint has grown with

BBQ|
May 2, 2016

Brisket at the Beards

Last year, Aaron Franklin made history by being the first pitmaster to win in the Best Chef category at the James Beard Awards. He’s back at the awards ceremony in Chicago this year with the dish that got him the 2015 prize. Franklin packed up twenty

BBQ Joint Reviews|
April 29, 2016

King’s Hwy Brew & Q

Emilio Soliz began his barbecue career in a good spot. As a young man, he was the pitmaster at Two Bros. BBQ Market when they were named to the Texas Monthly Top 50 joints. Soon after, Anthony Bourdain visited and snapped a photo with Soliz—his reputation was on the rise.

BBQ|
April 28, 2016

BBQ News: 04/22 – 04/28

– How do you define what “real” barbecue is? The pitfalls of defining true ‘cue https://t.co/q6NPfAX00t via @HoustonChron. Thanks JC for taking us on that trip! Thanks for so much. — Pizzitola’s BBQ (@PizzitolasBBQ) April 23, 2016 If you’re a barbecue cook, you probably use

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 25, 2016

Interview: Laura Loomis of Two Bros. BBQ

Pitmaster: Two Bros. BBQ; Opened 2009Age: 28Smoker: Indirect Heat Wood-Fired PitWood: OakA few years ago, Laura Loomis didn’t think much of Texas barbecue. Neither cooking nor eating it was a big deal in her family, and she admits to never really having a favorite joint growing up. She doesn’t remember eating

BBQ Joint Reviews|
April 22, 2016

Old 300 BBQ

Even if the 300 migrants first given land grants in Texas didn’t make it to Blanco, Old 300 BBQ is still a good lesson in Texas history. The Hill Country joint is dubbed in honor of those original settlers; their names adorn the walls and modified Texas battle flags are etched into

BBQ|
April 21, 2016

BBQ News: 04/15 – 04/21

– “If there was a state meat, surely it would be brisket.”: – The Dallas Observer wades into the barbecue sauce or no sauce debate.– Conde Nast Traveler has chosen their list of the fifteen best barbecue cities in the country.– Luke Russert is wrong on

BBQ|
April 19, 2016

Interview: Karl Kuby Sr. of Kuby’s Sausage House

Karl Kuby Jr. (left) and Karl Kuby Sr. (right) outside of Kuby’sOwner: Kuby’s Sausage House; Opened 1961Age: 84If you’ve had breakfast at Kuby’s Sausage House in Dallas’s Snider Plaza, chances are you’ve seen Karl Kuby Sr. canvassing the dining room looking for kids so he can pass out his

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 Joint Reviews|
April 15, 2016

Ronnie’s BBQ

Ronnie Weiershausen is a rare breed. Although most every barbecue joint out there is using an offset smoker or a rotisserie, Weiershausen still prefers the old-fashioned way of burning oak logs down to coals to feed the pits at Ronnie’s BBQ in Johnson City. The smell of fat dripping onto the

BBQ|
April 14, 2016

BBQ News: 04/08 – 04/14

– How Jon Favreau lured Bill Murray with a smoked brisket: Watch: Jon Favreau smoked Bill Murray a brisket to prepare for ‘The Jungle Book’ https://t.co/I8aJc2JMJx pic.twitter.com/sPvR5kTP4l — Eater (@Eater) April 7, 2016 – Eater Austin takes a good look at the current

BBQ|
April 11, 2016

Boneless Ribs

I recently documented my love for the rib sandwich, so when I learned there was a company selling boneless racks of ribs, I had to order them. It seemed these ribs from Ohio-based Bubba’s Q would be the perfect alternative to the deconstructed rib sandwich.Al “Bubba” Baker, a

BBQ|
April 7, 2016

BBQ News: 04/01 – 04/07

– “It’s funny with barbecue, because the most beloved barbecue places in the South, by and large, serve the shittiest barbecue.” – Alton Brown– Is wood versus gas really the debate? Wood or Gas? Maybe That’s the Wrong Question https://t.co/cseOEPtYDn @mossr @BBQsnob

BBQ|
April 6, 2016

Churrasco: Grilling the Brazilian Way

Rio Grande do Sul is the Texas of South America. Or at least that’s how Evandro Caregnato describes the Brazilian state. And he should know. He grew up there, and it’s where he lived when the founders of Texas de Brazil restaurant asked him to move here in

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