2017

Texas BBQ Posse / 2017

2017

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Bubba Flint talks barbecue and the Cowboys, yes, a Super Bowl!

William “Bubba” Flint, a free-lance artist and painter, has been eating barbecue most of his life and drawing cartoons for the Dallas Cowboys’ Star Magazine for 30 years. Barbecue and the Cowboys. That alone makes him one of the more interesting people I’ve known and worked with. He’s also an expert on baseball — all levels from youth to pro — and music. I’m tempted to call him a Renaissance Man, but he doesn’t cook. Oh, well, everyone has holes in their expertise, I guess. Flint, who lives in Mesquite and drew the big cartoon (above) for us, is the…

People - 09/22/2017

A tribute to Cleo Baltimore, the BBQ goodwill ambassador of Port Neches

Billy Joe’s Bar B-Q pitmaster Cleo Baltimore, who passed away last week in Port Neches. Editor’s note: The Posse, largely, is made up of jaundiced, old newspaper types who don’t get worked up about much. But Joel Smith’s Facebook tribute to Cleo Baltimore, who recently passed away, moved even us. Many thanks to reader Tim Hinson who alerted us to the post. And to Joel for allowing us to reprint his thoughts. By Joel Smith This man's name is Cleo Baltimore, and he passed away yesterday. I don't write this out of sadness, but out of thankfulness. He's the first…

Joints - 09/20/2017

Interested in owning a classic joint? Fatboys BBQ in Cooper is for sale

If you've ever wanted to own a true Texas barbecue joint, there'a a really good one -- Fatboys BBQ -- for sale 80 miles northeast of Dallas in Cooper. We first met and wrote about Heather Hoff & Shannon Bankston in 2012 when they ran Fatboys in the tiny town of Ladonia, population 612. Within a year they had moved the business to nearby Cooper, a bigger town with state Hwy. 24 running through it. When we saw earlier this summer that the joint was for sale, Marshall Cooper and I headed east to visit. Fatboys BBQ is a classic…

Joints - 09/19/2017

Recipe: Lightly smoked, grilled salmon on a Weber -- Let the fish speak for itself

Lightly smoked, grilled salmon served with grilled fresh vegetables. (Photo ©Bryan Gooding) When you live on an island where you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a salmon you have to cook fish. The touch of smoke you get with this approach to lightly smoked, grilled salmon really kicks up the umami flavor profile giving it a heartier taste. The added benefit of this recipe is a fast cook on a regular Weber. The dish looks and tastes great. Ingredients: 2 – 2 lb. Coho salmon fillets kosher salt lemon pepper olive oil fresh or dry dill lemon Martha's…

Cooking - 09/13/2017

Don't miss Smoke Sessions Barbecue -- new joint east of DFW

Pitmaster/owner Chad Sessions at Smoke Sessions Barbecue. (Photo ©Jim Rossman/Texas BBQ Posse) A new BBQ joint flashed up on my Facebook feed last week. My nephew’s mother-in-law tagged her daughter to mention Smoke Sessions Barbecue, a new trailer on State Highway 66 between Rockwall and Royse City in the small town of Fate. I was free for lunch the next day, so I drove the half hour east on I-30 and found Chad and Jessica Sessions manning a very sharp-looking smoker/trailer parked in front of a feed store. The right half of the trailer houses the offset pit and a…

Joints - 09/08/2017

Franklin Barbecue hopes to re-open in 'next two weeks'

Repairs at Franklin Barbecue appear to be progressing on schedule and the world famous Austin joint hopes to reopen for business in a couple weeks, Stacy Franklin says. We were in the neighborhood of Franklin on Wednesday and drove by to see how the rebuilding was going. There were workers on the roof, and it was evident that repairs were well underway. The place has been closed since a fire the morning of Aug. 26. Afterward, Aaron Franklin said the place would be closed for at least a month. "We are hoping to open in the next two weeks," Stacy wrote…

Joints - 09/07/2017

With GreenFlame, I broke Weber's 'charcoal vow'

On the Posse, we’re dedicated chimney users when it comes to starting charcoal. Simple and effective, even if from time to time I have to use a second sheet of newsprint to get the coals going. Posse member Bryan Gooding likes to use a propane torch to start the paper rather than matches or a lighter. Marshall Cooper uses a treated cube or wadded butcher paper with cooking oil. He says newspaper and cooking oil work well too. Still, there are times when I’m in a hurry and just want to get a flame going as quickly as possible,…

Cooking - 09/06/2017

After the fire, could another trailer help reopen Franklin Barbecue?

For a barbecue lover, it might be the saddest sight imaginable: “CLOSED” the sign said. “We had a fire. We will reopen as soon as we can. - The Franklin Family” The sign, hand printed on butcher paper, was taped to the front door of Franklin Barbecue in Austin. Normally, at about noon on a nice summer Thursday, there could be dozens of people in line, ready to taste the best of Texas smoked meats. The original Franklin Barbecue trailer in 2010. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) But no one was in line during my visit. The joint has been…

Joints - 09/01/2017

The Texas BBQ community responds to Hurricane Harvey

Grant Pinkerton, owner and pitmaster at Pinkerton's Barbecue in Houston, during a visit in June. (Photo @Michael Ainsworth/Texas BBQ Posse) There’s a note with a phone number on the door of Pinkerton’s Barbecue in Houston. It’s addressed to all Hurricane Harvey and flood rescue workers who might show up in the middle of the night. “We live right above the restaurant,” owner Grant Pinkerton explains. “The note says, call this number and we’ll come down and cook for you.” The Texas barbecue community has certainly stepped up to the challenge of helping the state’s residents recover from the unprecedented storm.…

Joints - 08/31/2017

Recipe: This ain’t your Mama’s smoked bacon

Whole pork belly from Midnight's Farm on Lopez Island, before trimming. (Photo ©Bryan Gooding) There are only a few dishes in barbecue where a pit master can take it to the edge and really personalize the food. Sausage is one. Smoked bacon another. Former ferry Captain Kenny Burtness dropped by one day and left us a one pound slab of his homemade smoked bacon. This was not by any stretch of the imagination normal looking bacon. Irregular in shape with wide swings in fattiness and leanness, Kenny had used an unusual blend of spices and maple syrup for his personal…

Cooking - 08/29/2017

Jones Bar-B-Que -- Touting Texas taste in Victoria, B.C.

Combo platter of ribs, brisket, pulled pork, sausage & sides at Jones Bar-B-Que in Victoria, British Columbia. (Photo ©Bryan Gooding) We walked into Jones Bar-B-Que, not far from downtown Victoria, at 6:30 p.m. on a Tuesday. There was no line. The joint touts its "learned in the pits of Texas" style. "Brisket to blow you away. Pork that’ll put you down for the count. Smoked slow," Jones' Web site says. Liam Harlow, the manager who greeted us at the order counter, continued with the hard Texas pitch. Before Harlow got too carried away, though, Posse member Bryan Gooding asked him…

Joints - 08/25/2017

The Posse’s Top 6 BBQ Bars in Texas

The Smoked Meat Bloody Mary at Lockhart Smokehouse, a true Texas BBQ bar classic. (Photo ©Lockhart Smokehouse) There are times when you need more than Big Red or Lone Star with barbecue. We were reminded of that fact of smoked meat life on our recent tour of Houston joints. One stop was Pinkerton’s Barbecue, which has a full bar off its main dining area. Our favorite barbecue bar remains Lamberts in downtown Austin. But, with Pinkerton's, there’s now a new challenger. Bars in barbecue places are somewhat rare in Texas. A lot of joints just offer soft drinks and beer.…

Joints - 08/16/2017

Adamson Barbecue: Great Texas taste in Canada

Customers in the main dining area at Adamson Barbecue in Toronto. (Photo ©Sherry Jacobson/Texas BBQ Posse) Other than too many people wearing Blue Jays baseball caps, there's a lot about Adamson Barbecue in Toronto -- O Canada! -- that will remind a Texan of home. -- There's the line of customers that forms well before the joint opens, even in the rain. -- The big Texas flag in the main dining room. -- The gallery of excellent Robert J. Lerma barbecue photos on the wall, including a portrait of Tootsie Tomanetz, the grand matron of smoked meat at Snow's BBQ…

Joints - 08/09/2017

Recipe: Apple smoked pork belly from heritage pigs

Apple smoked pork belly on the cutting board as appetizers are prepared. (Photo ©Bryan Gooding) This apple smoked pork belly recipe won the Posse its first People’s Choice Award at the Blues, Bandits and BBQ Cook-off in Oak Cliff, Texas. The pork belly, brie, and peach marmalade crostini knocked out the crowd and was the first item we ran out of that year. In the photos here, our pork comes from David Bill and Faith Van De Putte here on Lopez Island, Wash. It is a Berkshire/Tamworth mix that has been developed into a fantastic heritage meat pig. “Great tasting…

Cooking - 08/03/2017

Texas BBQ revolution keeps spreading

Call me clueless, but I hadn't realized how far, and fast, the Texas BBQ revolution has spread. Some background: We’re heading soon on a cross-Canada train trip, so I was checking to see if there might be decent barbecue joints on the front end (Toronto) and back end (Victoria, B.C.) of the trip. Sure enough, Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins recommended Adamson Barbecue in Toronto, which has gotten some buzz from aficionados. Notice the lede photo on Adamson’s Facebook page, shown above. Can’t get much more Texas than that. And through a Google search I found Jones Bar-B-Que in Victoria.…

Joints - 08/01/2017

7 ways to spot great BBQ joints

Arthur Gee works in the smoker room at Pat Gee's Barbecue, a classic joint in the piney woods east of Tyler. (Photo ©Guy Reynolds) A recent Thrillist story about seven ways to spot fake bbq joints generated lots of comments on our Facebook page, so we thought we’d take a cue and advise you how to spot great bbq joints. Being positive, the Posse thinks, is always better than being negative. That’s not to say the Thrillist item, written by Colleen Rush, is bad. It has excellent advice , i.e., be wary if there’s no wood pile in sight. And…

Joints - 07/27/2017

Have the young guns of Texas BBQ won the revolution?

Left to right: Esaul Ramos & Joe Melig of 2M Smokehouse, Leonard Botello of Truth Barbeque and Grant Pinkerton of Pinkerton's BBQ. (Photos ©Michael Ainsworth & Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) Your response to the above question probably depends upon personal taste. Evolving personal taste. At first glance, the answer appears to be a loud YES! The young guns of Texas BBQ have, indeed, taken over from the traditional joints. Look no further than the makeup of Texas Monthly’s recent Top 10 places in the state. Seven of them have either started or reopened operations since 2011, five since 2013. Only…

Joints - 07/25/2017

Meet the Holy Trinity of Texas BBQ Joints

A customer orders at City Market in Luling, which opened in 1958. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) In Texas, we’re familiar with the Holy Trinity of barbecue meats: brisket, ribs and sausage. How about the Holy Trinity of Texas BBQ joints? For consistent quality and longevity, there’s little argument, at least according to the Bible of Smoked Meat in the Lone Star State. Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Kreuz Market in Lockhart and City Market in Luling are the only places to be on every one of Texas Monthly’s top-joint lists since they debuted in 1973. We owe a huge…

Joints - 07/18/2017

The bad boy of Texas BBQ is back and cooking up a storm

Customers line up for lunch at John Mueller Black Box Barbecue in Georgetown. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) You can say a lot of things about John Mueller, who some might call the bad boy of Texas barbecue. And, over the years, most of it probably has been said. But the dude can cook! We were reminded of that during a recent visit to a new trailer operation — John Mueller Black Box Barbecue — in Georgetown. “Damn, he’s good,” I blurted, after taking a bite of Mueller’s smoked turkey. I followed with a crusted bite of fatty brisket. Delicious.…

Joints - 07/12/2017

Why do we have nicknames for BBQ pits?

Owner & pitmaster Grant Pinkerton poses with his matching Klose pits "Waylon" & "Willie" at Pinkerton's BBQ. We met “Waylon” and “Willie” recently at Pinkerton’s Barbecue in Houston. “You know how to tell the difference?” Grant Pinkerton asked, setting up a punchline about his two big Klose pits. “Willie is always smoking,” Pinkerton said. Why do we have nicknames for BBQ pits and other machines we love? A few years ago, The Atlantic magazine tackled that question and basically determined that we apply human characteristics — names — to machines because it makes us think the machines work for us. Maybe.…

Equipment - 07/05/2017

Recipe: Mr. BBQ’s dried fruit stuffed pork roast recipe

Dried fruit stuffed pork roast on Bruce Bjorkman's smoker. We've known Bruce Bjorkman -- Mr. BBQ -- for years. He lives in Oregon, but considers Central Texas the barbecue heartland. Can't argue with those sentiments. Bruce Bjorkman And Bruce knows how to cook. We've watched, hungrily from afar, as he regularly posts on Facebook about his smoked meat culinary adventures. Finally, after a recent post, the light went on here at Posse headquarters: We need to get Bruce to give us his recipe. Here it is, for dried fruit stuffed pork roast. Bruce uses a MAK grill, but you can…

Cooking - 06/29/2017

Let the Texas BBQ Posse eat cake, mom says, and we do

Customers line up on a Saturday morning at Truth Barbeque in Brenham, the Posse's first stop of the trip. (Photo ©Michael Ainsworth/Texas BBQ Posse) At the first stop of the day on a barbecue tour, we almost never order dessert. Plenty of opportunity later for sweets, if we’re still hungry. And so it was at Truth Barbeque in Brenham on a recent Saturday morning. After tasting the joint’s beef rib, brisket, pork ribs, turkey and sausage, we confirmed that Truth deserved every bit of its recent Texas Monthly ranking among the Top 10 places in the state. “I can’t think we’re…

Joints / Roadtrips - 06/26/2017

Texas Monthly's BBQ rankings, fair or not?

Are Texas Monthly’s barbecue rankings fair? Can you compare a joint open just one day a week to places open six and seven? And a related, but more complicated fairness question: With so much of Texas Monthly’s overall business plan — events, tours, dinners, merchandise — now tied to barbecue, can the magazine look beyond its self interest when it comes to smoked meat? After gurgling below the surface since the release of the latest Top 50 list last month, these issues erupted into full view this week when Ronnie Killen went public to the Houston media. He later elaborated…

Joints - 06/23/2017

Food, music at Opie's BBQ make the Posse happy

Our lunch of brisket, ribs, sausage, pork loin & turkey at Opie's BBQ in Spicewood, with tater tot casserole and butterbeans. The last time Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins visited Opie’s BBQ, on an Easter Sunday four years ago, he was too late for the brisket. In the world of Texas barbecue, that’s called disappointment. So Wilkins was very happy on a recent return visit to the Spicewood joint when we ordered a full platter of brisket, ribs, sausage, pork loin and turkey. The meats are terrific at Opie's BBQ, but don't miss the homemade banana pudding either. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas…

Joints - 06/20/2017

Going forward, a delicate balance for Austin’s Hot Luck Festival

Prime rib galore roasting on spits at the Hot Luck Festival in Austin. Austin’s inaugural Hot Luck Festival of food and music in May attracted 6,500 “patrons,” according to a recent release from the organizers. “Patrons” is an interesting term. In broad form, it includes paying customers as well as those who don't pay admission, such as guests, clients, sponsors and friends. At Hot Luck’s food events, based on my observations, there were a lot of non-paying attendees. In a follow up email, I asked Courtney Knittel, handling Hot Luck’s public relations, for a breakdown of attendance between the music…

People - 06/18/2017

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