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Stop the Presses: The Posse says ‘yes!’ to a BBQ sauce

Austin pitmaster Mark Gabrick's new BBQ sauce "Texas Tang." Photo ©Gary Jacobson/Texas BBQ Posse First, an admission. Mark Gabrick is a friend. He has accompanied the Posse on some of its smoked meat sojourns. He’s good company and he knows barbecue. Gabrick also operated a food trailer in Austin until the Coronavirus Pandemic shut everything down in March. Now, with his regular business closed, he is making and selling barbecue sauce. His first offering: Texas Tang. We sampled some during a rib cook on July 4 and it got strong positive reviews from four Posse regulars. Keep in mind, these…

Cooking - 07/06/2020

Yikes! The Posse does wine with BBQ

The partial lineup of wines and meats at the Posse's Smoke, Wine & BBQ shindig. (Photo ©Don Rypka) When the Posse eats smoked meat, the word "sipping" is usually not in our vocabulary. We prefer to swig, whether it’s beer or Big Red. But we did change the pace a bit recently with a barbecue and wine tasting shindig that had even Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins sounding like a sommelier. “This is incredible,” he wrote about a Gamble Family Heart Block Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley. “Very smooth, not too dry, full of complex flavors.” The party, which started at…

Cooking - 07/02/2019

Recipe: Smoked Turkey & Sweet Potato Casserole from HangryQ.com

Here's a holiday classic from our friends at HangryQ.com, barrel-smoked turkey and sweet potato casserole. (Photos ©Jason Shane/HangryQ.com) Just in time for Thanksgiving, here's a great set of holiday recipes and a video from the the cook team at HangryQ.com. HangryQ posts a new recipe and video every week, with some fun ideas for your backyard smoker or grill. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Enjoy! Additional photos for reference Preparation photos of smoked turkey and sweet potato casserole.(Photos ©Jason Shane/HangryQ.com)

Cooking - 11/16/2018

A pig roast, the Lopez Island way

Scenes from the annual “Big Fat Pig Roast” on Lopez Island, Washington. (Photos ©Bryan Gooding) It is a week and a half into September and the rains we usually see later in the month are here. It is 60 degrees and it feels like fall. In a week we are having a fundraiser for the Lopez Island (Washington) Grange because it is an old building with a history that sorely needs a paint job. The event is called the “Big Fat Pig Roast” and will be a covered dish dinner for 150 locals where the main course will be a two-and-a-half…

Cooking - 10/23/2018

Join the discussion: Thanksgiving turkey

Two splatchcock turkeys smoke on Marshall Cooper's Jambo smoker. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) On Thanksgiving, just a short while away, 46 million or so turkeys will be eaten by Americans. Many will be baked in the oven, others smoked or cooked on a grill for friends and family. I learned to cook turkey on a Weber nearly 50 years ago from my wife’s grandfather. But this isn’t about our methods. The Posse wants to know your favored method for smoking or grilling turkey. Do you brine? What kind of wood, charcoal, pellets do you use? Seasonings? Butter baste? Share…

Cooking / Join the discussion - 10/15/2018

$Valentinas-Tex-Mex-BBQ$

Recreating Valentina’s breakfast tacos with barbecue leftovers

The gold standard of all breakfast tacos in Texas, from Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ in Austin. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) What to do with barbecue leftovers? Always an important question. The best advice the Posse ever received on that front came years ago during a visit to Snow’s BBQ in Lexington, Tx. Reheat slowly in the oven with lots of butter, owner Kerry Bexley told us. Still solid advice. After a recent Saturday Posse feast at 2M Smokehouse in San Antonio, we found ourselves with lots of barbecue leftovers on a Sunday morning at our place in Austin. There…

Cooking - 09/26/2018

Smoking beef short ribs and tri-tip steak on a perfect Sunday

Beef short ribs hot off the smoker. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) A recent Sunday in DFW offered the combination of perfect weather, the start of the NFL season and an interesting package of meats from Texas Beefhouse. So, what a better way to spend the day than smoking beef short ribs and tri-tip steak? After another hot Texas summer, a cold front brought a cloudy 70-degree day to Posse member Darrell Byers' backyard test kitchen. Darrell grabbed the flatscreen TV from his catering rig and set it up on the patio. With the addition of a couple of cold…

Cooking - 09/25/2018

Recipe: Smoked Pastrami with Smashed Baby Reds from HangryQ.com

HangryQ.com brings you another great recipe, smoked pastrami and baby red potatoes. (Photos ©Jason Shane/HangryQ.com) Here’s another great recipe and video from the good folks at HangryQ.com. This week's recipe features smoked pastrami and baby red potatoes, a perfect combo for an upcoming football Sunday. The HangryQ team posts a new recipe and video every week, with some creative ideas for your backyard smoker or grill. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Enjoy!

Cooking - 09/07/2018

Some damn good steaks from Texas Beefhouse

Hot off the grill and sliced, Wagyu ribeye steak, top row, and Black Angus ribeye steak from Texas Beefhouse in Whitehouse. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) Jonathan Wilkins, brother of Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins, succinctly summed up our recent test of Black Angus and Wagyu steaks from the Texas Beefhouse: “The lede is this place in Whitehouse produces good beef,” he said, getting nods of approval from the seven other Posse test eaters in attendance. The Beefhouse farm is located near Whitehouse, not far from Tyler. Jon is a finance guy, but as a retired newspaper dinosaur I loved the…

Cooking - 08/27/2018

Smoked-Chicken-Salad-Recipe-by-HangryQ-1-2

Recipe: Smoked Chicken Salad from HangryQ.com

HangryQ.com brings you their smoked chicken salad recipe, a great dining idea for a hot summer day. (Photos ©Jason Shane/HangryQ.com) Here’s another great recipe and video for smoked chicken salad from the pitmasters at HangryQ.com. What could be better on a hot summer day than a smoked chicken sandwich on fresh bread, perhaps served with a cold beverage of your choice?! The HangryQ team posts a new recipe and video every week, with some of the most creative ideas you’ll ever see for your backyard smoker or grill. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Enjoy!

Cooking - 07/27/2018

Smoking times and temperatures, your guide

Briskets cook at a steady 225-degrees on the smoker at Tejas Chocolate Craftory. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) Over the years, the Posse has seen — and used — many guides to smoking times and temperatures for barbecue. This chart from the folks at Bro BBQ is one of the most comprehensive we’ve run into. It includes seafood and a couple veggies as well as beef, pork, lamb, and poultry. It comes to us from Jack Thompson, the founder of BroBBQ.com, who said he was looking for information on barbecue recipes when he ran into our post from a while…

Cooking - 07/16/2018

The challenge of cooking chicken right

Posse member Bryan Gooding preps whole chickens for competition at the first Blues, Bandits & BBQ cookoff in Oak Cliff. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) In barbecue and grilling, properly cooking chicken is a tough challenge. Much of the chicken served by backyard grillers and smokers, as well as barbecue joints, is overcooked. Probably because no one wants to undercook. Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins and I had undercooked chicken at two consecutive stops on a recent tour of Austin-area places. It’s jarring to bite into a piece of chicken and see small red splotches — blood — deep in the…

Cooking - 07/03/2018

Recipe: Fire Roasted Hot Sauce from HangryQ.com

Just in time for July 4th, here's a fun recipe for fire roasted hot sauce. (Photos ©Jason Shane/HangryQ.com) Here’s a great recipe and video for fire roasted hot sauce from our friends at HangryQ.com. The Posse has started to see salsa offered at more BBQ joints, like our recent visits to Zavala's Barbecue in Grand Prairie and Louie's in Austin. There's nothing like chopped brisket or barbacoa on a fresh tortilla with a splash of hot sauce on top. The HangryQ team posts a new recipe and video every week, with some of the most creative ideas you’ll ever see…

Cooking - 06/29/2018

Recipe: Jalapeño Bacon from HangryQ.com

From start to finish, the process to make jalapeño bacon will take up about 3 hours, but needs 3-4 days to cure properly. (Photos ©Jason Shane/HangryQ.com) Here's the first recipe from our new partnership with the barbecue-crazed team at HangryQ.com. They post a new recipe and video every week, with some of the most creative ideas you'll ever see for your backyard smoker. HangryQ is the brainchild of Jason Shane and Justin Horner of PCS Productions, an Irving-based video production company. Much like the origins of the Posse, HangryQ began with a love for all things BBQ and a desire…

Cooking - 06/06/2018

The Texas BBQ Posse goes sous vide

Posse member Mike Gagne uses sous vide to reheat a prime rib. (Photo ©Gary Jacobson/Texas BBQ Posse) Now it can be told. The Posse has gone all-in on sous vide. Well, not quite ALL. But we certainly have some strong sympathizers in our group. That became quite evident during a recent email discussion. It began on a lazy Friday afternoon and extended into the weekend. No better time to get philosophical about food. Sous vide, in short, is a method of cooking using sealed bags that are submerged in warm water. The technique was developed by a French chef…

Cooking / Equipment - 05/14/2018

A day in the life: How John Lewis makes damn good BBQ

The pit fires burn at Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, South Carolina. (Photo ©Darren Carroll) Barbecue maestro John Lewis manages a staff of 60 at his restaurant — Lewis Barbecue — in Charleston, S.C. “Yeh, it’s a big place,” he said recently. “We’re open 11 hours a day. Sometimes it’s crisis central. Most of the time it’s just management.” In the world of smoked meat, the term “legend” sometimes gets tossed around too easily. John Lewis, though, legitimately deserves the tag. In Austin, he assisted Aaron Franklin back in Franklin Barbecue’s embryonic trailer days. And Lewis later helped make la Barbecue…

Cooking / Joints - 05/01/2018

Bill Gillespie reveals the secret of butter in BBQ in his new book

For me, the Bible of backyard barbecue books remains Weber’s Big Book of Grilling, published in 2001. My battered copy is littered with yellow, blue and pink sticky notes marking dishes I’ve cooked over the years. In a quick search of my home library, I found a half-dozen Weber-related books. No surprise. I’ve been a devoted Weber Kettle user for nearly half a century. More recently, I’ve become a fan of the Weber Smokey Mountain. The latest addition to my book collection is The Secrets to Great Charcoal Grilling on the Weber by competition champ Bill Gillespie, published this month.…

Cooking - 04/13/2018

Recipe: The secret to great BBQ Chicken -- brining!

The whole bird with rub applied from Bryan Gooding's award-winning recipe for brining and smoking BBQ. chicken. (Photo ©Bryan Gooding) Brining and smoking BBQ chicken recipe Our brining and smoking BBQ chicken recipe earned the Posse its first category win at the Blues, Bandits festival in Oak Cliff, Tx. The key to any good chicken -- from fried to smoked-- is brining. We all have endured a tough, stringy, dry piece of chicken and making it juicy is an easy fix. Ingredients for Bryan Gooding's BBQ chicken recipe. (Photo ©Bryan Gooding) Just take a little extra time to brine. Ingredients:…

Cooking / Popular - 03/28/2018

Product review: Booze Dogs liquor infused bratwurst

Booze Dogs are bratwurst infused with bourbon, rum or gin. (Courtesy photo) To answer the big question first, yes, Booze Dogs — Man’s Best Brat — are infused with real booze. Bourbon, gin and rum. “The alcohol cooks off,” says Joe McGowen, who spent seven years developing the specialty bratwursts before getting USDA approval and beginning sales last summer. McGowen calls the alcohol level in his brats “perfect proof,” meaning anyone of any age can eat them. “No one’s going to get drunk or get a buzz,” he said. McGowen said interest in his brats is growing, but he’s still…

Cooking - 03/22/2018

Shigging: New thoughts on an old BBQ topic

The Posse is always shigging. Nothing sinister, mind you, as some define the term: “stealing” barbecue secrets. We’re always looking for techniques that will make us better cooks and that we can share with readers. “To become great at anything you learn by trying, by failing and from observing those who are greater than you,” Posse member Daniel Goncalves says. We first wrote about shigging in 2011, a few months after Posse member Marshall Cooper noticed that Aaron Franklin — then operating a small trailer joint in Austin — wrapped his briskets in butcher paper for part of the cook.…

Cooking / Equipment / Joints / People - 02/15/2018

Smoked ham from heritage piglets

Heritage hams with rub applied, ready to become smoked ham. (Photo ©Bryan Gooding) Every spring there’s a new crop of weaners on Lopez Island. Robin and David Gibson of Two Shed Farm raise heritage pigs down the hill and ended up with 17 piglets from their two sows. Time for some smoked ham. We were lucky enough to have two six-pound hams for a holiday dinner. A six-pounder easily fed eight people with leftovers to take home for each couple. Reports have come back of smoked ham and egg breakfasts and ham omelets deluxe the following morning. Robin and David…

Cooking - 12/29/2017

Two great recipes for your Greenberg turkey leftovers

Fresh out of the oven, smoked turkey tetrazzini made with Greenberg turkey leftovers. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) One of the true joys of having a Greenberg smoked turkey for the holidays has always been the Greenberg turkey leftovers. I've been enjoying Greenbergs for most of my life and have probably eaten hundreds of post-holiday smoked turkey sandwiches on wheat bread, with a swipe of mayo. Ah, the simple pleasures of life. . . I've been lucky this year to have back-to-back turkeys. We ordered one for Thanksgiving and I picked up a second one on our recent tour of their…

Cooking - 12/25/2017

Talking turkey -- smoked! -- with Sam Greenberg

A simple sign displaying a turkey marks Greenberg Smoked Turkey offices in Tyler. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) TYLER, Texas – As a Greenberg Smoked Turkey rolls off the production line – hickory-cured to its distinctive mahogany hue, sealed in plastic, then packed into its distinctive white box with red and black lettering – it passes beneath a small mechanical press. The press drives two copper-colored staples into the box, to seal it. That stapler is the first and only machine you’ll find on Greenberg’s production line. Up to that point, every step in creating this world-famous delicacy – “The…

Cooking / People - 12/20/2017

We wanted lamb burnt ends and got great smoked lamb instead

Skewered lamb strips and veggies ready to go on the Jambo for the smoked lamb cook. (Photo ©Marshall Cooper) This cook was definitely an experiment. We wanted to produce lamb burnt ends. Didn't get 'em this time. But we did get some damn good smoked lamb. Some people like lamb and some don’t. If it’s not fresh or cooked right, it can be gamey. I like it as long as it’s fresh, seasoned well and cooked right. We eat a lot of rack of lamb and lamb chops, cooked on our PK Grill. My plan for this cook was to…

Cooking - 12/19/2017

Recipe: How to cook the perfect rib roast

A finished prime rib roast sits on the grill. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) For me, nothing compares to cooking a prime rib roast on the grill. It’s a tasty cut of meat, always fun to prepare, and sometimes there can be a bit of adventure. And let’s not forget the cost. For this cook, we special ordered a four-bone, seven-pound rib roast from our neighborhood H-E-B in Austin, Tx. Price: About $85. Not a fortune, but certainly enough to keep the mind focused on proper preparation and technique, even after a glass or two of wine on a sunny…

Cooking - 12/07/2017

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