BBQ Mission

I take this BBQ stuff way too seriously.

Though I’m a born and raised Texan who has always ‘liked’ BBQ, only last summer did I really begin to understand and develop a passion for true central Texas BBQ, and what separates the sublime from the mediocre. Almost everything in Austin, by the way, falls under mediocre. I’ll wax philosophical on the difference later if you want to hear a fat boy talk about BBQ in detail, but first I want to offer some suggestions of how to do this trip if you are interested.

I would bring at least $30 in cash. You might only need $20, but I’m not sharing my brisket if you run out of money. We are going to four places in the span of a few hours…so PACE YOURSELF. I would order a representative sample of the mains meat (usually brisket, sausage, and pork ribs, but whatever you want). If I’m eating at four places, I’m eating at most at each place a quarter pound of brisket (hopefully less, but its funny ordering 1/8th a pound), one pork rib, and a couple of bites of sausage. It can make sense to get in groups of about four and let one person order and pay for the whole group, switching the payer at each place. You could also take a small cooler to hold your left-overs at each place to save for later. Prioritize…I don’t recommend getting sides. They needlessly take up space, cost money, and are typically somewhat mediocre anyway.

Alright…about what makes Texas BBQ special and what separates the great from the mediocre.

While Texans will smoke about any meat and serve it with potato salad, typically three meats are considered Texas BBQ staples: brisket, sausage, and pork ribs. Honorable mentions go to beef ribs and chicken. Out of those three, brisket is considered the most uniquely Texan, the most difficult to cook given it being really tough, and therefore the key meat on which Texas BBQ is judged.

Brisket naturally comes in both lean and fatty sections, and the one that yields the best flavor and texture, when smoked correctly, is the fatty or ‘moist’ section… so my suggestion is to ask specifically for it. According to central Texas tradition, brisket is ideally slow smoked over real wood (post oak, sometimes mesquite) in a real pit. Gas and commercial smokers are frowned upon. Additionally, it is only seasoned by a dry rub consisting mostly, if not entirely, of salt and pepper. No marinades or basting allowed. It takes a lot of experience and skill to get the best results consistently this old fashioned way, but the reward should be some of the best meat you have ever eaten. These are the key characteristics of a brisket done right: moist, tender, good crust, rendered fat, and deep smoky flavor.

Rendered fat is fat that has basically melted so that few actual ‘globs’ of fat are left in the brisket…and what globs there are melt in your mouth and are not gristly at all. This also leads to the meat being tender and moist. The smoking process actually bastes the meat in its own fat. As far as the crust, the rub should have mixed with the smoke, heat and fat to form a very flavorful bark or black on the brisket. The blackened ends of a good brisket are usually the most coveted. And finally…smokiness. Often you get moist and tender brisket that tastes like really good roast beef…but we are after BBQ here, and a deep smoky flavor throughout the whole meat is desired.

You may notice I never mentioned sauce. That is because if BBQ is done right it doesn't need any sauce. One of the places we will go to (Kreuz, former #1) doesn't even have sauce. I really didn't understand this until I had really good BBQ last year, and now I hate it if I have to use the sauce somehwere...and I really like sauce (generally speaking).

For pork ribs, many of the same things are desired: moist, tender, crusty, and smokey. You will see two styles of ribs this Saturday, some with only a salt and pepper rub similar to the brisket, and others with a sweet glaze. I can’t decide which is my favorite.

And finally, the sausage. Sausage varies greatly from place to place, but in at least Lockhart and Luling, the sausage is primarily all beef sausage and pretty different compared to most other places I have been to. If you aren’t familiar with this style of sausage, which I think owes its uniqueness to the heritage of German and Czech meat markets that birthed this kind of BBQ, it may surprise you somewhat. I love it, though, and can barely eat plain store quality pork sausage anymore. It’s often judged on how coarse the grind is (almost like ground beef shoved in the casing) and how much snap the casing has. I think rating sausage is the most subjective process of the three meats.

If you’ve read this, I apologize for wasting your time pontificating on meat. BBQ is better enjoyed through eating than reading. See you on Saturday! Don't be late or you are going to need your own map or GPS.

-casey (fat boy) birch