NEED A TEXAS-STYLE GIFT for a friend? Barbecue is the answer. Of the many places that ship, we’ve tried and like these. All send the cooked and frozen meat in an insulated box, generally accompanied by reheating instructions. Prices do not include shipping unless otherwise noted.
City Market in Schulenburg, 800-793-3440; citymarketsch.com. Besides brisket ($36.75 for 4 to 5 pounds), ribs, jerky, and “jalapeño smokies,” you can order three kinds of smoked bacon ($5.50 to $6.50 a pound), “old timey rat cheese,” and apple strudel. Reheating instructions are not included. Prices include shipping.
Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Q, in Llano, 877-533-5553; coopersbbq.com. You can purchase everything from a package of jerky for less than $4 to the eleven-pound Texas Feast combo for $70. Hickory-smoked bacon is a specialty ($7.25 a pound).
The County Line, 800-AIR-RIBS (247-7427); airribs.com. This barbecue chain’s new shipping facility is scheduled to be open for business by May 1. Prices range from $10 for a six-pound rack of beef ribs to $50 for a varied combo. Pork loin is a specialty.
The Salt Lick, in Driftwood, 888-725-8542; saltlickbbq.net (click on “Barbecue Shop”). Combinations of meat ranging from $28 to $135 are offered, and you can of course order the Salt Lick’s popular family-recipe sauce.
