– Meat Fight is a barbecue competition held in Dallas this weekend. Chefs compete with their versions of barbecue, while pitmasters (and Ron Swanson) do the judging. One of the competing chefs is Dallas’s Brian Luscher, and he helped (we think) produce this parody video of
Dirk Miller. Photo by Nicholas McWhirterPitmaster: Miller’s Smokehouse, opened 2008Age: 48Smoker: Wood-fired offset smokerWood: OakDirk Miller has never been this busy in his life. He called me from a van outside of his barbecue joint so nobody would bug him. He hasn’t taken a vacation in
Hans Peter Muller is a second generation baker. His father came over from Switzerland and started the Swiss Pastry Shop in 1973. While Hans is a great baker and I’ve enjoyed every pie and cake he can dish out, he also has a passion for barbecue. He runs
Big Al’s Smokehouse Barbecue has been smoking meats in Dallas for forty years. I recently sat down with owner Al Plaskoff to discuss a little Dallas barbecue history, and to learn where Big Al’s fits into the local story. It’s quite a legacy. There aren’t many restaurants of
We made a map. A giant barbecue map to be specific. It’s the best way I, as the Barbecue Editor, could come up with to keep track of where I’ve been and where I need to go. The map is accessible to all, so it can also be
“This is my crack habit right here.” That’s how Tom Bera of the Philly Blind Pig BBQ team describes competition barbecue in a new documentary, American Smoke. Bera’s comparison is not only a comment on how addictive the competitions are and the high of winning one, but he’s also
I cursed the Dallas traffic as I tried to get out of town on a rainy Tuesday morning. Secluded fields and old river crossings were my destination, and I was eager to leave the city behind me. I wanted to find the best barbecue along North Texas’s historic cattle trails.
– Lonely Planet just included Texas as a Top 10 regional destination in the world. That’s flattering, but their BBQ choices across the state are pretty ill-informed, especially Harold’s in Abilene which has been closed for two years.– Here’s what they learned about how
Travis Mayes at his walk-up window.Pitmaster: Meshack’s Bar-Be-Que, opened 2009Age: 64Smoker: Wood-fired Brick Smoker w/ gas assistWood: PecanIt was a Monday morning and Meshack’s was closed like normal. Travis and I had arranged this time to meet since the tasks to get ready for Tuesday were pretty slow-paced. There
This incredible line-up for the 3rd Annual Wine & Swine should be enough to get you there. Well, that and the fact that it’s only $75 for a ticket. It will be from 1-4 on Sunday, November 10th.Aaron Franklin, Franklin Barbecue (Austin) – South Carolina-Style Whole Hog Sliders with Vinegar
On his 1994 album Gringo Honeymoon, Texas singer/songwriter Robert Earl Keen recorded a song entitled “Barbeque.” It has become the anthem for many of my smoked meat adventures along with most every other REK song. When I had a chance meeting with he and Lyle Lovett at the
A collection of some of our favorite photos from yesterday’s Texas Monthly Barbecue Festival: [View the story “TMBBQ Fest 2013” on Storify]
The Texas Monthly Barbecue Festival is coming up this Sunday, but it’s been sold out since a few hours after tickets went on sale. There’s still a way to attend for just $35. Here’s the official explanation:NEW IN 2013: A limited quantity of Walk Up tickets
In this age of barbecue’s expansion and experimentation we see cuts of meat enter the smoker that have never previously been even figments of barbecue culture. But, there’s one protein that has gone largely ignored in real life, but has a rich history in art and film – human flesh.
– First, a lesson from Evan LeRoy of Freedmen’s Bar on what a properly smoked brisket looks like:Perfectly cooked brisket https://t.co/PDIpksEQ6o — Evan LeRoy (@evanleroy) October 29, 2013 – Barbecue & Blues was held in New York at last week’s New York City Wine & Food Fest. Here’s
Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Hard Eight Pit BBQ“The further west I go, the more I seem to like the barbecue.” That’s a curious way for a native of North Carolina to start off a press conference, but NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. was just being honest. He doesn’t much
This weekend Wyatt McSpadden will have his first photo exhibit. Entitled Two Meat Plate, it features many of the terrific images he shot for the recent Texas Monthly BBQ issue (including the cover), along with a number of his classic barbecue photographs. This weekend,
There’s a trailer in East Austin that is creating a new target for what it means to be a complete barbecue joint. Micklethwait Craft Meats not only serves great smoked meats, they also bake their own bread and desserts, all the sides and sauce are homemade, and they start with
Salt and pepper is a good start to any barbecue rub, but most on the market go well beyond that. The many labels on store shelves show the infinite combinations of paprika, sugar, garlic powder and anything else from the spice aisle that manufacturers believe will make their rub stand
“Line are overrated.” This is the conclusion of economist Tyler Cowen in a recent article where he shared some of his principles for finding good restaurants. For Cowen, standing in line is a conformist activity, and the presence of a line is a not a good indicator of the
– Two years ago Pierson’s BBQ closed in Houston. It was beloved, but owner Clarence Pierson had two bad knees which forced him to close. Now with two new knees, the joint has reopened. Pierson’s BBQ is back!– The Texas Book Festival is coming to Austin
Al, Lauran and ScottOwner: Big Al’s Smokehouse, Opened 1973Age: 69Smoker: Wood-fired rotisserieWood: HickoryI sat down with Al and his daughter Lauran Weiner to talk about the history of Big Al’s, the Plaskoff family and a little Dallas barbecue history. Al Plaskoff fell into the barbecue business. He wasn’t from a storied barbecue family,
The Texas Book Festival comes to Austin this weekend, and this year there’s a new food option – or three. Texas Monthly has partnered with three barbecue joints and a taco truck to create the TMBBQ ‘Cue Court. From 10-5 on Saturday and 11-5 on Sunday,
If you live in Austin, chances are you wouldn’t pass by Larrie’s Smokehouse in Bastrop. Billy’s, Cartwright’s and Fittie’s along busy four-lane Highway 71 may be familiar, but Larrie’s sits on the north side of town along tree-lined Highway 95. Coming south from Elgin the sign is hard to miss.
Thomas Abramowicz wants to open the first barbecue joint in Paris, France. You can help make it happen, that is if you’re a pitmaster who can help. Thomas is from France. He loves Texas barbecue, and wants to bring it back home by opening a barbecue joint in Paris. He
Every month we’ll bring you a profile of a photographer who has captured the people, the food and the spaces that make up the world of barbecue.Nicholas McWhirter – Dallas, TexasNicholas McWhirter is a fifth-generation Texan that has always sort-of-liked barbecue. “Like” blossomed into “true love” after 183 Texas BBQ
Texas is a beef barbecue state; in North Carolina they prefer pork. This isn’t news to most of you, but it may surprise some Texans to hear that people outside of the state our signature smoked brisket doesn’t meet the very definition of barbecue.A plate of North
– There is a college football award called “Arby’s League of Brisket Smokin’ Hot Player of the Week.” That’s a mouthful for a promotional title. I wonder what they win?– If you’re in Austin for lunch today, you might want to try out Micklethwait Craft Meats. They’ll have
Owner/Pitmaster: R&G Bar-B-Que, opened 1990Age: 69Smoker: Wood-fired offset smokerWood: OakWhen Roy Jeffrey started working at the City Market in Luling back in 1954 he had a full head of black hair. At sixty-nine years of age it looks like he hasn’t lost a single one. When I asked him how
Roy Jeffrey started working at City Market in Luling when he was ten. He then took that sauce and sausage recipe to Houston where he opened Luling City Market with a couple of business partners in 1981. He tired of the city life after a decade as the pitmaster there,
The sausage section at our local Kroger is well-stocked with dozens of sausages. Several weeks back my wife brought home a gift of the latest option: Nolan Ryan Beef Brisket Sausage. It was introduced to Kroger shelves back in July, and as Nolan Ryan Beef CEO Charlie Bradbury
Regular readers know that I review a barbecue joint every week. I highlight places that have an interesting story, or that serve one particularly good barbecue item, and when I can, I review new joints. As I travel around the state I usually have a few targets on
– The American Royal barbecue competition, aka the World Series of BBQ, was held last weekend. Tuffy Stone and his Cool Smoke team beat the big boys in the Invitational on Saturday while Iowa’s Smokey D’s BBQ beat out 535 other teams in the Open competition on Sunday.– A barbecue competition
Chad Decker. Photo from Hard 8 Facebook pageGeneral Manager: Hard Eight BBQ, opened 2003Age: 40Smoker: Wood-fired cookers and gas-fired rotisseriesWood: MesquiteDale Earnhardt Jr. held a charity event at the Hard Eight BBQ location in Roanoke last week. I arrived early before the press conference and sat down with Chad Decker who
It’s a long drive from Deep Ellum to Weatherford, but repeated pleas from the owner of this Baker’s Ribs west of Fort Worth had convinced me that they were doing something a little different than their forebearers in Dallas. The owners posted photos of hormone-free, antibiotic-free briskets they’re using from
Title: The Salt Lick Cookbook Author: Scott Roberts and Jessica DupuyPublished: The Salt Lick, 2012This is not a a barbecue cookbook. It’s a family history told through food and recipes. That may be surprising to fans of the Salt Lick, but barbecue comprises less
There’s a scene toward the end of Smokey and the Bandit where a truck driver has just purposely torn the door off of Buford T. Justice’s already roof-less car with the bumper of his big rig. Sheriff Justice goes off on a tirade directed at the disappearing rig that ends
– Meshack’s BBQ in Garland is named best BBQ in Dallas by the Dallas Observer.– The Dallas Observer also shares their top 10 BBQ joint list for the Dallas/Fort Worth area.– Costco now serves barbecue, and it comes in individual servings:And now with
Robert J. Lerma has gathered original signatures from some of the best pitmasters in the state. They are collected onto an image of an aged Bar-B-Q sign in Corsicana, Texas that he photographed last year. He has sold a number of the originals, but there is only one
Photo c/o Tyler FrazerPitmaster: Tyler’s Barbeque, opened 2010Age: 45Smoker: Wood-fired Cabinet SmokerWood: MesquiteTyler Frazer took a converted Long John Silvers and turned it into a unique Panhandle barbecue joint. The menu itself isn’t so unique. You’ll find all the barbecue standards, but it’s his methods that buck the standard way of doing things
Stephen Joseph arrived at his barbecue joint, Joseph’s Riverport Bar-B-Q, in Jefferson, Texas early in the morning to find all of his briskets and pork butts burnt to a crisp. Here’s how he recovered.[View the story “Smoking Hot and Fast in East Texas” on Storify]
I’d seen this joint from the highway a couple of times, and I finally took the giant Texas U-turn required to visit. If you’re headed north on US Highway 287 through Decatur you’ll need to exit at US Highway 380 and go around a couple of cloverleaf ramps to get
The International Chefs Congress (ICC) is in its eighth year, but this weekend in New York they hosted their first ever barbecue competition. It was simply called Smoke @ ICC. Ten teams from six states were competing for the grand prize of a trip for four to South
Feast Portland, an enormous four day culinary event, was held this past weekend in Portland, Oregon. The main purpose of the event was to highlight the bounty of culinary talent in the area and to showcase food producers from the Northwest. The organizers certainly met their goal.
– Two weeks ago the Carnivore’s Ball was held in Austin. It was a great party with barbecue from John Mueller. These photos by Robert Strickland will make you wish you were there.– The TCU football team is playing for more than just the game this weekend. If they win,
Brian PattonThis isn’t so much a pitmaster interview as it is a discussion with a few Europeans who hope to learn the ways of Texas barbecue. Brian Patton is from Dublin, but he operates restaurants in Vienna, Austria. He is in Texas on a barbecue pilgrimage which
The rise of Austin’s barbecue culture has been led by food trailers. The mighty trio of John Mueller Meat Co., la Barbecue, and Franklin Barbecue (which began as a food trailer) lead the local scene and have made patrons all too familiar with the “Sold Out” sign. These joints all
Every month we’ll bring you a profile of a photographer who has captured the people, the food and the spaces that make up the world of barbecue.Wyatt McSpadden – Austin, TexasI’ve been shooting pictures at BBQ places around Texas for better than 25 years. I’ve had the pleasure of
If Alanis Morissette re-wrote her hit song “Ironic” today, she might include a line about buying an Arby’s smoked brisket sandwich in the middle of Texas, a state with just shy of two thousand barbecue joints that serve sandwiches stuffed with smoked meat. It’s like putting one of those Wonder
– On the proliferation of roadside barbecue joints as seen in Newsweek.– Brooks Place BBQ in Cypress is planning a move from their trailer to a brick and mortar location at FM 529 and Queenston in Houston. They’re also going to have to make some repairs
