Community was the star of the show at Texas Monthly BBQ Fest

The Smoke Sheet

Nov 07, 2018

At last, the smoke has cleared. Crowds of people from all walks of life turned out en masse to brave long lines, throwing support behind their favorites. Louie Mueller from Taylor? Valentina’s from Austin? Or perhaps the new kid on the block, Guess Family Barbecue from Waco? Of course I’m not referring to the midterm elections (did you notice there were elections going on?), but rather the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest that took place in Austin this past weekend. I drove down to attend the festivities with my family so we could sample the best barbecue from across the state.

On Saturday morning, I attended the ‘Cue Course at Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew, where Texas A&M’s Animal Science Department held a workshop to demystify barbecue using science. The workshop gave an overview of grades, characteristics, and cooking techniques for the most popular cuts in Texas barbecue, including brisket, beef ribs, and pork ribs. The workshop was followed by an incredible meal served by the pitmasters at Stiles Switch that included porchetta, prime rib, smoked turkey, corn casserole, and potato salad. (See below.) The highlight of the event was the tour of the pits and a question and answer session with owner Shane Stiles and lead pitmaster Lance Kirkpatrick.

Later that evening was the star-studded Franklin & Friends event hosted by pitmaster Aaron Franklin at his restaurant. The event featured dishes prepared by Franklin along with special guests Sam Jones from The Skylight Inn/Sam Jones BBQ in North Carolina, Bryan Furman from B’s Cracklin’ Barbeque in Georgia, and Evan Leroy from Leroy & Lewis Barbecue in Austin. Not only was I able to sample Franklin’s brisket, Jones’ whole hog sliders, Furman’s ribs, and Leroy’s beef cheek and house-made kimchi, I also met several wonderful barbecue enthusiasts and notable pitmasters from across the country. It was an unforgettable evening.

The main event on Sunday was held at the Long Center in downtown Austin and included thirty of the fifty barbecue restaurants on the Texas Monthly list of Top 50 BBQ Joints in the state. It had everything a festival-goer could possibly want — delicious food, fantastic music, and perfect weather. However, as a first timer to the event, I must admit at first it was a bit overwhelming. At every turn, I saw a pitmaster I had always wanted to meet or barbecue personality I recognized from social media and wanted to say hello to. Moreover, there was all of the incredible food from so many famous restaurants and I wanted to try it all. Yoni Levin from the Best BBQ Show said it takes endurance to take part in something as hectic as this barbecue festival — a true test of the kind of man or woman who can handle being surrounded by the meat and smoke. (Listen to the Best BBQ Show to hear interviews from the weekend of the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest here.)

I am happy to say I survived the event and had a wonderful time. The food however, as amazing as it tasted, was not the star of the show. What really made the event special was the crowd of people who came together in celebration of barbecue. I was fortunate to have met and talked with so many different people from all walks of life from all over the country and it was amazing to be able to see old friends and make new ones. Looking around, you would never guess there was anything like a divisive election going on.

The beautiful thing about barbecue is that this community doesn’t care much about much about your politics. It’s a family.

Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet

Here are the top recent barbecue news stories from around the country:

Matt Pittman of Meat Church BBQ will be teaming up with "BBQ Ninja" Craig Verhage (seen here at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party) of Ubon’s in Yazoo City, Mississippi to offer a one-of-a-kind class on Saturday, Nov. 10th in Waxahachie, Texas. Verhage will share not only recipes and tips but also his hunting stories, taking students through the entire progression of what they are cooking and eating.
Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn found Texas-style barbecue and sides at Pinche Gringo on a recent family trip to Mexico City.
West Oakland’s historic California Hotel is about to become a new destination for ribs, brisket, chicken, and more, with the opening of Crave BBQ, according to Eater SF.
Joplin, Missouri is open to see the opening of a new Kansas City-style barbecue joint called Little Pigs BBQ, from the son of longtime barbecue restaurant owners in Kansas City.
The Northeast continues to see a substantial increase in BBQ options. In New Haven, Connecticut, Bear’s Smokehouse at the Stack just opened, marking the barbecue group’s first restaurant outside of Hartford County.
Alabama has a long, rich history of barbecue. Read all about it in AL.com’s new feature on “history of barbecue in Alabama,” which includes all kinds of trivia and cool old-time photos.
Sammies BBQ, a Fort Worth, Texas landmark for 72 years, will reopen this week under the third “Sammie” since the restaurant opened in 1946. Sammies will start with limited hours and a shorter menu of brisket, hot links, sausage, and turkey.
No matter how hungry you get, please don’t steal barbecue from running smokers, like one thief did from Beach Brothers BBQ in Cape Coral, Florida.

Here are few BBQ shows, podcasts, or books you should check out this week:

Watch: Eater - Can the $150 Caiman Pressure Smoker Make Great Barbecue Indoors?
Not all barbecue lovers have the outdoor space for a smoker. Esther Choi of the Kitchen Gadget Test Show puts the $150 electric pressure cooker from Kalorik (see above) to the test to determine if you can make delicious smoked ribs indoors right on your counter top. Watch it here.

Listen: The BBQ Beat - Ep. 41, Jason Ganahl of Colorado’s GQue BBQ
The BBQ Beat podcast talks with Jason Ganahl, owner of GQue BBQ talks about the origins of his restaurant in Westminster, Colorado and his plans to open a second location in the Denver area. Find out about people in the barbecue industry that inspire him. Listen to it here.

Read: 12 Bones Smokehouse: An Updated Edition with More Barbecue Recipes from Asheville, NC
More than a decade after opening in Asheville, North Carolina, 12 Bones Smokehouse has become a local institution. In this newly updated edition of their cookbook 12 Bones Smokehouse, you'll find recipes that draw inspiration from all over the South (and sometimes the North), from old family favorites to new recipes invented on a whim. Buy the book here.

November 9-11: Ribfest - St. Petersburg, Florida
Ribfest has been a major draw in downtown St. Petersburg for 30 years, bringing together big musical acts and competitive barbecue. This weekend is no exception. Rib vendors at the event will include Blazin’ Bronco from Cleveland; Cowboys BBQ & Rib Co from Fort Wayne, Texas; Desparado’s from Hinckley, Ohio; Johnson’s BBQ from Chesapeake, Va.; Texas Outlaw out of Elizabethtown, Ky.; The Tender Rib from Brandywine, Md.; and Fat Fred’s Famous BBQ out of St. Petersburg. More info here.

November 11: Meat Fight - Dallas, Texas
Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor Daniel Vaughn gets a taste of his own medicine as he goes up against twelve of Dallas’ top chefs and pitmasters at the Meat Fight barbecue competition. See if Daniel can dish it out in the pit like he does in his restaurant reviews. Proceeds will benefit the National MS Society. More info here.

November 30 - December 1: Backyard BBQ Skills and Holiday Smoking & Grilling with Heath Riles and Malcom Reed - Tempe, Arizona
Pitmasters Heath Riles and Malcolm Reed are teaming up to offer two instructive and informative barbecue classes at BBQ Island, Inc. in Tempe, Arizona. The Backyard BBQ Skills class on November 30th will cover ribs, brisket, ribeye steak, and side dishes. In the Holiday Smoking & Grilling class on December 1st, Heath and Malcolm will share their secrets to cooking turkey, ham, prime rib, and sides for the holiday season. More info here.

December 9: Houston vs Austin BBQ Throwdown - Austin, Texas
The Houston Barbecue Festival and Friends & Allies Brewing have announced the second annual HOU-ATX BBQ Throwdown featuring top barbecue restaurants from Houston and Austin. They’ll be competing to determine who reigns supreme when it comes to Texas barbecue. Austin joints include Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue, LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, and Micklethwait Craft Meats. Houston joints include Beaver’s, Daddy Duncan's BBQ, Harlem Road Texas BBQ, and Victorian's Barbecue. More info here.

Melissa Cookston: Memphis Style Baby Back Ribs
Melissa Cookston is one of the world’s preeminent pitmasters and the queen of Memphis-style barbecue, having won Memphis in May five times. Here she shares a simplified version of her competition recipe for baby back ribs and the dry rub that Memphis is so famous for.