We had an absolutely amazing weekend starting Friday night in Taylor, Texas. The primary purpose of the trip was to attend the Taylor International Barbeque Cookoff on Saturday, but the weekend began on Friday night with a dinner visit at Louie Mueler Barbecue followed by wine, cigars and great music on the back deck at the Talbot Street Bed & Breakfast in Taylor.

Saturday morning brought the Texas BBQ bloggers round table at Louie Mueller, arranged by our friend Daniel Vaughn. Then on to the Taylor cookoff for some BBQ 101.

Fellow posse member Gary Jacobson and I need all the intel we can get. The Texas BBQ Posse will be participating in our first cookoff, Blues, Bandits & BBQ in Oak Cliff on Sept. 11-12. Fortunately posse member Marshall Cooper has been smoking meat for 25 years, so hopefully the posse can hang in there at the BB&BBQ in the OC!

Thanks to several of the crews we met and talked technique with at the Taylor cookoff, including Kevin Widmer and Brian Rieger of The Ramblin' Rednecks team from Taylor, shown in the photo above. Also to Robert Sierra and the S&S Pit Crew from San Marcos. Lastly to Allen McAllister and Team Mimosa, who got tenth in brisket at their first cookoff.

The view of BBQ USA from across the pond at Murphy Park.
The beautiful customized BBQ rig of Robert Sierra and the S&S Pit Crew from San Marcos. They won first place for Most Elaborate Rig.
Robert Sierra, cook for the S&S Pit Crew tests his competition brisket.
The tenth-place brisket cooked by Team Mimosa of Taylor. Great finish out of 89 teams, especially considering this was their first cookoff.

Photos ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse