The Posse digs into a Brother-in-Law sandwich at Stanley's. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves)

Discipline and portion control were the guiding principles of our recent Best of Texas BBQ Tour. They have to be when you eat at 10 places over a period of about 48 hours.

But while we focused on -- and scored -- only brisket, pork ribs and sausage, we did manage to sample other fare on the first day of the tour, when we visited only 3 places.

At Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Que in Tyler, we loved the smoked turkey breast and the Brother-In-Law sandwich, made of chopped brisket, sausage and cheese.

"The Brother in Law is the best single bite I've had here," said Posse veteran Jim Rossman. We cut a jumbo sandwich into 6 pieces.

At Baby J's Bar-B-Que and Fish in Palestine, pitmaster/preacher Jeremiah "Baby J" McKenzie offered us a sample of his deep-fried catfish, crispy batter on the outside, flaky fish on the inside.

"If we come back, I'd order the catfish," Posse veteran Bruce Tomaso said. He also liked the cobbler.

Pitmaster Jeremiah "Baby J" McKenzie shows a tray of ribs, but the catfish is great too. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves)