CNN ran a piece on barbecue and the quest for the best last week. In case you missed it, here's the link.
BBQ Quest on CNN
Monday, May 25, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Congrats to the Bar-B-Que Shop
While I was in Memphis for the World Championship Barbecue Contest, I picked up the local weekly, The Memphis Flyer and noticed that the Bar-B-Que Shop won the top honor in the Best Ribs in the City feature. Congrats to Eric Vernon and the Bar-B-Que shop for winning yet another award.
Despite already having lunch at Central Bar-B-Q, I went by the Shop for a rack on my way out of town. I'm happy to say that the ribs were amazing again, and that the Bar-B-Que shop remains my favorite barbecue restaurant on the planet.
Despite already having lunch at Central Bar-B-Q, I went by the Shop for a rack on my way out of town. I'm happy to say that the ribs were amazing again, and that the Bar-B-Que shop remains my favorite barbecue restaurant on the planet.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Tex- Richmond, VA
The first ti
me I drove by Tex on the corner of Semmes and Cowardin I did a U-Turn and pulled in. An hour later, I left excited, full of delicious barbecue and great stories.
"Tex" is hidden jewel on the Richmond culinary circuit. He's a one man show. Equal parts pitmaster and showman, Tex makes it a point to entertain you as well as feed you. When I walked up he excitedly yelled to the four other people "we've got a virgin!".
Before I had the chance to feel awkward, Tex had nicknamed me Shorty and welcomed me to my initiation. He informed me that his smoker was named Bertha, and that they'd been together quite a while. When I asked what was best, he replied, "whatever you want". When I said I wanted to try a couple of things, he smiled, shook his head and gave out his trademark "It's On".
First he started
by slicing a small piece of brisket for me...damn. "It's On" Then he told me that he was going to give me five different tastes from his ribs. He explained that he was a trained chef, and that he could make a steak taste different by cutting it with two different knives. After the second rib sample, I didn't question him. "It's On". The ribs, all five tastes, were all well smoked, and true to his word, deliciously different.
After sampling the brisket and the ribs, my mouth was watering. When I asked what kind of sausage he had, he responded "the kind you've never had before". What he meant by that was that his sausage isn't just a smoked sausage, it's what he calls a Tuxedo, a delicious combination of a butterflied smoked sausage filled with diced brisket, sauteed onions, bbq sauce and a little mustard all on
a bun.
When he handed it to me, he confidently said "I'm gonna get ya". Holy bejesus was he right. The Tuxedo is one of the better things I've ever put in my mouth. It should get nominated for a James Beard award. After my first bite he saw my eyes light up, howled in laughter and said "It's On!"
Every time I went back to Tex, which was a lot, I would order a tuxedo as a starter. I might change up the main dish from ribs to chicken to brisket, but the Tuxedo was my north star. It let me know that everything was right in the world.
With that said, I don't mean to downplay the rest of his barbecue. It's all great. He prides himself on doing things the right way, low and slow over real wood. Bertha is an old school pit, meaning there's no sensors or gauges on her. He does it all my feel, touch and look. And a thermometer to keep the health department off his back.
Everything he does is incredibly well smoked, flavorful and moist. His chicken may be the best I've ever eate
n, and his ribs and brisket aren't far behind. But just as good as the meat is the show he puts on.
I encourage you to go with some free time on your hands, eat a tuxedo and then let another customer or two go ahead before finishing your order so you can take in Tex's humor. He welcomes everybody like they're family, and after a while that's how you'll feel. If you come back often enough, you'll soon learn he's a former Navy pilot and that he was the first black state trooper in the state of Texas. He was also a chef for a while and dabbled a bit in corporate America. I'll leave the rest for him to tell you, but suffice it to say you'll enjoy hearing his stories about his many different careers. What you'll enjoy most are his one liners. Stuff will come out of his mouth that you wish you could write down to retell later. But it's probably for the best that you don't, because your de
livery won't be near as good as his.
Since Tex's shop is a trailer, be prepared to eat on or in your car. And don't go to Tex if you're in a rush. You'll spend at least 30 minutes with him, and that's if you're the only customer. But trust me, it'll be time well spent.
Tex is out there on Mondays and Fridays for sure, more often than not on Thursdays, and occasionally on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. After your first trip you'll have his cell phone so you can call to make sure "it's on".
me I drove by Tex on the corner of Semmes and Cowardin I did a U-Turn and pulled in. An hour later, I left excited, full of delicious barbecue and great stories."Tex" is hidden jewel on the Richmond culinary circuit. He's a one man show. Equal parts pitmaster and showman, Tex makes it a point to entertain you as well as feed you. When I walked up he excitedly yelled to the four other people "we've got a virgin!".
Before I had the chance to feel awkward, Tex had nicknamed me Shorty and welcomed me to my initiation. He informed me that his smoker was named Bertha, and that they'd been together quite a while. When I asked what was best, he replied, "whatever you want". When I said I wanted to try a couple of things, he smiled, shook his head and gave out his trademark "It's On".
First he started
by slicing a small piece of brisket for me...damn. "It's On" Then he told me that he was going to give me five different tastes from his ribs. He explained that he was a trained chef, and that he could make a steak taste different by cutting it with two different knives. After the second rib sample, I didn't question him. "It's On". The ribs, all five tastes, were all well smoked, and true to his word, deliciously different.After sampling the brisket and the ribs, my mouth was watering. When I asked what kind of sausage he had, he responded "the kind you've never had before". What he meant by that was that his sausage isn't just a smoked sausage, it's what he calls a Tuxedo, a delicious combination of a butterflied smoked sausage filled with diced brisket, sauteed onions, bbq sauce and a little mustard all on
a bun.When he handed it to me, he confidently said "I'm gonna get ya". Holy bejesus was he right. The Tuxedo is one of the better things I've ever put in my mouth. It should get nominated for a James Beard award. After my first bite he saw my eyes light up, howled in laughter and said "It's On!"
Every time I went back to Tex, which was a lot, I would order a tuxedo as a starter. I might change up the main dish from ribs to chicken to brisket, but the Tuxedo was my north star. It let me know that everything was right in the world.
With that said, I don't mean to downplay the rest of his barbecue. It's all great. He prides himself on doing things the right way, low and slow over real wood. Bertha is an old school pit, meaning there's no sensors or gauges on her. He does it all my feel, touch and look. And a thermometer to keep the health department off his back.
Everything he does is incredibly well smoked, flavorful and moist. His chicken may be the best I've ever eate
n, and his ribs and brisket aren't far behind. But just as good as the meat is the show he puts on.I encourage you to go with some free time on your hands, eat a tuxedo and then let another customer or two go ahead before finishing your order so you can take in Tex's humor. He welcomes everybody like they're family, and after a while that's how you'll feel. If you come back often enough, you'll soon learn he's a former Navy pilot and that he was the first black state trooper in the state of Texas. He was also a chef for a while and dabbled a bit in corporate America. I'll leave the rest for him to tell you, but suffice it to say you'll enjoy hearing his stories about his many different careers. What you'll enjoy most are his one liners. Stuff will come out of his mouth that you wish you could write down to retell later. But it's probably for the best that you don't, because your de
livery won't be near as good as his.Since Tex's shop is a trailer, be prepared to eat on or in your car. And don't go to Tex if you're in a rush. You'll spend at least 30 minutes with him, and that's if you're the only customer. But trust me, it'll be time well spent.
Tex is out there on Mondays and Fridays for sure, more often than not on Thursdays, and occasionally on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. After your first trip you'll have his cell phone so you can call to make sure "it's on".
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Living the Dream
I absolutely love barbecue. I'm addicted to it. I love making it, I love eating it and I love talking about it. For ten years I thought about taking a trip to visit the best barbecue places in the southeast. I read books, magazines and websites and got advice from everyone I could talk to about where the best places were.
In August of 2008 I quit my job in Arizona to try to open a brewery with a friend of mine in Richmond, VA. On my way across country, I decided to fulfill my dream of doing the great American barbecue roadtrip.
For nearly three weeks, I would travel from Texas to Memphis to North Carolina, sampling some of the best barbecue our country has to offer at 19 different places. In Texas it was brisket, sausage, ribs and random blocks of cheddar cheese. In Memphis it was ribs(wet and dry) and pulled pork sandwiches and in North Carolina it was shoulder, slaw and hush puppies.
Along the way, I would meet some of the legends of industry, often getting a personal tour of their pits and a behind the scenes look at where the magic happens. I would talk with the locals to get a sense of the pride and passion they have for their revered locale. Every person had a story and over the years those individual stories had become interwoven to create the legend of each barbecue shrine.
Finding the "best" barbecue place is simply not possible, because barbecue is much more than just the food. It's a combination of flavors, sights, smells, sounds, people and stories. So as I recount my gluttonous journey across the southeast, I do my best to tell the story of each place, offer what my favorite places were, and encourage you to try them all for yourself. Trust me, it’s a hell of a lot of fun.
In August of 2008 I quit my job in Arizona to try to open a brewery with a friend of mine in Richmond, VA. On my way across country, I decided to fulfill my dream of doing the great American barbecue roadtrip.
For nearly three weeks, I would travel from Texas to Memphis to North Carolina, sampling some of the best barbecue our country has to offer at 19 different places. In Texas it was brisket, sausage, ribs and random blocks of cheddar cheese. In Memphis it was ribs(wet and dry) and pulled pork sandwiches and in North Carolina it was shoulder, slaw and hush puppies.
Along the way, I would meet some of the legends of industry, often getting a personal tour of their pits and a behind the scenes look at where the magic happens. I would talk with the locals to get a sense of the pride and passion they have for their revered locale. Every person had a story and over the years those individual stories had become interwoven to create the legend of each barbecue shrine.
Finding the "best" barbecue place is simply not possible, because barbecue is much more than just the food. It's a combination of flavors, sights, smells, sounds, people and stories. So as I recount my gluttonous journey across the southeast, I do my best to tell the story of each place, offer what my favorite places were, and encourage you to try them all for yourself. Trust me, it’s a hell of a lot of fun.
My BBQ Obsession
I've been a barbecue fanatic since college, when my roommate Adam brought home some of his father's ribs from Cleveland, TN. Danny Marr's ribs were legendary among our group of friends, and I quickly bought my first smoker to start experimenting. Soon after we went to the World Barbecue Championship in Memphis, and my eyes were opened to a whole new world of barbecue.
Imagine the smell of your neighbor's charcoal grill. When the wind is right, the scent travels halfway down the block. Like Pavlov's dog, your mouth starts to water and no matter how long it’s been since you last ate, you're instantly hungry. Now imagine hundreds of smokers lined up on the Mississippi River, all of them full of ribs, pork shoulder and chicken. Wipe the drool.
Before the health department cracked down on samples, you could walk with beer in hand through row after row of bbq teams and meet friendly, well marbled folks eager to let you try their best barbecue. I imagine a similar setup behind St. Peter’s pearly gates.
After Memphis, I did a lot of small road trips in search of legendary barbecue spots. Trips to Alabama (Dreamland, Big Bob Gibson's, Golden Rule), Kentucky (Moonlight BBQ), Tennessee (Rendezvous, Interstate, Carl's Perfect Pig, Jack Daniel's BBQ Competition), North Carolina (B’s, Lexington #1, Bill Ellis). Mississippi (Leatha's Bar-B-Que Inn), Texas (Salt Lick) and Kansas City (Bryant's, Gates, LC's, Oklahoma Joe's, Fiorella's Jack Stack, Guy and Mae's). Each time I would do a day trip or a weekend jaunt, I kept thinking how great it would be to do a barbecue tour across the country. To see the different regional styles and savor the local flavor of each town and city.
Some people dream of doing a baseball stadium tour. Others want to climb the highest peaks in each continent. Me, I wanted to make a pilgrimage to my own personal mecca...the hallowed halls of the legendary barbecue spots.
Buzzie's Bar-B-Q in Kerrville, TX
After years of making my list of places and talking about making this trip, I was finally on my way. My first stop on the tour was Buzzie’s Bar-B-Q in Kerrville, TX. Buzzie’s was voted Top 50 in Texas by Texas Monthly magazine, but at only sixteen years in existence, it was a mere pup compared to most of the places I would visit.
In college basketball parlance, Buzzie’s was the Athletes in Action of the barbecue tour. It was an exhibition game before the regular season started, providing a nice little warm-up for the real competition ahead.
Make no mistake about it, Buzzie’s serves good barbecue. I had the brisket plate, which came out with a nice smoky flavor. However the meat was pretty dry, a theme I would find with most brisket. The potato salad was amazing, with egg, onion, pepper and pimento all working together. A fire burned down the original location, so the place had a very modern, almost sterile feel to it. If you happen to find yourself in Kerrville, I would certainly head over to Buzzie’s, but don’t go out of your way to make the trip.
City Market in Luling, TX
A few hours later, I found myself in Luling, TX. A quaint little town south of Austin, Luling is famous for the Watermelon Thump and the City Market. As I walked inside the restaurant, I was filled with a sense of validation. I was in the presence of greatness.
You walk inside and the place looks exactly like you think a classic barbecue joint should. Part general store and part butcher shop, the wooden walls hold the smells of decades of barbecue.
The most unique part of the famous Texas barbecue spots is that they have separate rooms for ordering meat and sides. The pit is usually kept sealed off in the back, so you go in, order the meat you want and watch them open the pit to pull out the brisket, sausage and ribs. They slice it right in front of you and weigh it by the pound. From there they put it on butcher paper and ring you up, and you go out into
the seating area to find a table and order your drink and sides at another counter. Wonderfully odd.As I walked into the pit room at City Market, it was like entering heaven. The smell of smoked meat was overwhelming, and I felt like a kid looking at his first Playboy when they opened the pit to reveal hundreds of pounds of smoked goodness.
The four men working the pit stood proudly, like kings of the castle. When I told them I had driven in from Phoenix, they simply nodded, basically telling me “that’s cute son, let me know when you’ve crossed an ocean
”.Despite the blow off, I happily ordered a pound of brisket and a sausage link (I arrived too late for ribs) and walked out into the seating area. I went up to the front counter and ordered a Lone Star and some white bread. That’s when I noticed the small blocks of cheddar cheese laid out in 50, 60 and 75 cent increments. Proudly unrefrigerated and wrapped in plastic, this was definitely a new thing for me. As was the barbecue sauce in an old hot sauce bottle sitting open on the counter. I ordered a $0.60 piece of cheese and took the bottle of orange, spicy, mustard flavored sauce to my table.
If you walked into a normal restaurant and saw open sauce bottles and warm cheddar cheese on the counter, you would probably walk right out. But here it just seems to make sense, adding to the character.
The sausage had a crisp casing and popped with juice when you bit into it. Not overly flavorful, it had a unique taste that was much different than the smoked sausage I grew up on. The brisket was the real deal. It had a dark, flavorful outside and a wonderful smoke ring all the way around. While a couple of pieces were dry, others were tender, juicy and quite simply wonderful. An amazing combination of smoke and meat that left no doubt in my mind why this place was famous.
Happy and quite full, I left to scout out the next day’s locales.
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