Where to find the best smoked turkey around Austin (plus top news & events)
This week’s guest introduction is by Beth Breeding, Vice President of Communications & Marketing for the National Turkey Federation (NTF), the creators of the Turkey Smoke competition. NTF represents the entire U.S. turkey industry from family farmers to processors whose products you find in the grocery store. Beth resides in Washington, D.C., but you’ll see her out at barbecue events across the country talking turkey. If you would like to write a guest article for The Smoke Sheet, please get in touch.
They say everything is bigger in Texas. And when it comes to barbecue, Texans don’t hold anything back.
At the National Turkey Federation (NTF), we’ve made it our mission to amplify the versatility of turkey in grilling and smoking. NTF’s Turkey Smoke is creating a new category for competition barbecue and challenging pitmasters across the country to dream up their tastiest turkey creations. In 2019, Turkey Smoke appeared as a competition category at the biggest events in barbecue, including Memphis in May and the American Royal World Series of Barbecue.
But turkey isn’t just making strides in competition barbecue. From the backyard grill to the barbecue pit at your favorite joint, turkey is smoking over the coals, and Texas is leading the way. With barbecue considered its own food group in the Lone Star State, it’s no surprise that pitmasters have embraced turkey as a staple on barbecue menus to keep flavors fresh.
To get a taste for ourselves, we set out on a Texas “Turkey Smoke” Tour where we visited several barbecue joints in the Austin area. Check out some of our stops to see for yourself how turkey stacks up on the smoker and click here for a video recap. Clear eyes, full bellies, can’t lose!
Peppery turkey goodness from Stiles Switch.
Stiles Switch BBQ and Brew
Our first stop was Stiles Switch BBQ and Brew with Pitmaster Inkle Sinclair. The peppery, almost spicy, bark on this smoked turkey breast, which was cooked over post oak, was the perfect way to whet our appetite for even more turkey.
Everything, including the turkey, is good at Valentina’s.
Valentina’s Tex Mex Barbecue
Wow, just wow. If you haven’t been to Valentina’s Tex Mex Barbecue in South Austin, make it a stop on your next visit (and ask Miguel to put turkey on the menu full time!). Owner Miguel Vidal walked us through his unique take on barbecue — all inspired by family. And the turkey dishes did not disappoint. Cooked over mesquite, Miguel broke down a whole turkey into three dishes featuring super flavorful turkey breast and thigh. Miguel mentioned that turkey is often “misunderstood,” and we agree — the dishes we sampled prove that turkey is so much more than just your holiday bird.
The Salt Lick offers great classic smoked turkey.
Salt Lick BBQ
When you’re thinking classic smoked turkey, look no further than Salt Lick BBQ. Salt Lick brines their turkey for 12 hours and cooks it in the pit at 275 degrees for 5 hours. They go through 30 plus turkey breasts on a busy day. Fun fact: the Spicy Smoked Turkey Breast is Salt Lick’s top seller by mail order!
The “panes con pavo” sandwich from SLAB has juicy smoked turkey, mole sauce, and more.
SLAB BBQ & Beer
On our next stop, we were chasing after “the perfect bite,” and we found it! SLAB BBQ & Beer’s Mark Avalos put together a flavorful spin on a Salvadoran favorite — panes con pavo. We savored every bite of the juicy smoked turkey covered in mole sauce served on a toasted roll with roasted veggies and olives. Talk about a next level turkey sandwich!
Black’s in Lockhart has simple, tasty smoked turkey.
Black’s Barbecue — Lockhart
Black’s Barbecue is one of the oldest in the business, and they do a mean sliced turkey breast. It’s simple, but turkey doesn’t need to be fussy to be good. Cooked low and slow, you’re going to be hard-pressed to find a slice of turkey that’s more tender, juicy and loaded with smoky flavor than what the Black family is serving. Plus, we hear it’s what many of the regulars order when they stop by.
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That’s a wrap on NTF’s Texas “Turkey Smoke” Tour. Try turkey at your next barbecue joint — you won’t be disappointed. To keep up with the latest in Turkey Smoke, follow us at @ServeTurkey. Remember, where there’s smoke, there’s turkey!
Beth Breeding
Vice President of Communications and Marketing, National Turkey Federation
Here are the top recent barbecue news stories from around the country:
The James Beard Foundation named Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que in Brownsville, Texas an American Classic. (Photo by Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que)
Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que was named an American Classic by the prestigious James Beard Foundation, an honor given to restaurants that have “timeless appeal and are beloved regionally.” The legendary 65-year old Brownsville, Texas restaurant specializes in barbacoa de cabeza, or barbecued cow’s head, which is buried in the ground and smoked for up to twelve hours.
Hormel Foods announced the $270 million acquisition of Texas-based Sadler’s Smokehouse, which sells smoked meats to supermarkets and restaurants such as Subway and Arby’s. You may recall the Sadler's Smokehouse name from Daniel Vaughn’s November report on his search for “Pitmaster Ramone” - the man behind Subway’s smoked brisket.
The Texas barbecue community lost a legend with the recent passing of Jim Riscky of Riscky’s Barbeque, who transformed his family’s 92-year old business from a market and grocery into a successful barbecue chain.
Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que & Home Cooking, a popular Dallas barbecue restaurant, celebrated Black History Month by serving shoebox lunches, which were a staple of many African American families who traveled across the south during the Jim Crow era. The shoebox lunches are “the restaurant’s way of reminding its patrons about a unique part of the past.”
Pitmaster Jim Buchanon of the recently-closed Buck’s in Galveston has taken over operations of Dozier’s Grocery, which has been serving barbecue in Fulshear, Texas since 1957.
Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn recently wrote about the revamped sausage program at San Antonio’s Smoke Shack and the unique smoked tamales Tex Mex specialty at LaVaca BBQ in Port Lavaca.
Rod Machen of The Austin Chronicle recently profiled Lockhart pitmakers Mill Scale Metalworks, who we visited last June, writing that brothers Matt and Caleb Johnson create “custom smokers worthy of heirloom status.”
Robert Moss recently traveled to barbecue restaurants around South Carolina for Southern Living, examining the different sauces served. With the blurring of hard and fast boundaries and the availability of different sauces in new areas, Moss thinks the traditional map of South Carolina’s barbecue regions needs to be revised. (If he needs help with a barbecue map, we know a guy).
Meanwhile, Charleston-based Hanna Raskin of the Post and Courier recently wrote about barbecue hash, calling it “South Carolina’s greatest contribution to the barbecue canon,” despite being a dish that is relatively difficult to define. Raskin hit the road to visit every place that sells barbecue hash between I-95 and the coast and found that the tradition is disappearing in the Low Country.
The highly-anticipated opening of Horn Barbecue in West Oakland has unfortunately hit some snags due to a permitting issue. The restaurant’s opening date, which was set for December and then pushed to April, has been delayed indefinitely.
After closing for remodeling last year, San Diego’s Grand Ole BBQ y Asado is set to reopen in May, according to Eater San Diego.
Blane Hunter, the award-winning pitmaster and owner of Porky Butts BBQ, which opened in Omaha in August, is generating buzz by drawing on his competition pedigree and offering high-quality meats and sides.
Barbecue fans in East Texas will want to head to Bodacious Bar-B-Que in Longview on Saturday, February 29th, for a special Whole Hog BBQ event with Russell Roegels of Houston’s Roegel’s Barbecue Co. and Tyler Harp of Kansas City’s Harp Barbecue.
Here are BBQ shows, podcasts, or books you should check out this week:
Kevin Kelly talks with Brandon Simpson of Jazzy B’s Diner in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
Watch: Brandon Simpson of Jazzy B’s Diner — Kevin’s BBQ Joints
In this episode of Kevin’s BBQ Joints, host Kevin Kelly talks to Brandon Simpson from Jazzy B's Diner in Lee's Summit, Missouri. They talk about Brandon’s background in sales and discuss how passionate he is about food, serving people that fantastic food, and running a strong business. This interview is peppered with strong business advice as well as insight into his background and the inspiration for his evolving and eclectic menu. [Note at the end of the interview there is a SECRET WORD you can use to get something special at his restaurant.] Watch here.
Listen: Hurtado Barbecue — Tales from the Pits
As we have reported in the past year, the barbecue scene in the Dallas-Fort Worth is blowing up, with pop-ups, food trailers, and brick-and-mortars opening on a regular basis. In this episode of Tales from the Pits, hosts Bryan and Andrew talk to Brandon Hurtado of Hurtado Barbecue in Arlington. Brandon has grown his business with pop-ups and a food truck into a recently-opened retail store front. He puts his own spin on Hispanic-influenced Texas Barbecue, offering unique dishes to the local scene. Brandon discusses his background and how he got started in barbecue, what the influence of Tex Mex cuisine means to him, and his plans for Hurtado Barbecue in the future. Listen to the episode here.
Read: Showstopping BBQ with Your Traeger Grill: Standout Recipes for Your Wood Pellet Cooker from an Award-Winning Pitmaster — by Ed Randolph
The Traeger pellet grill and smoker is one of the most versatile and convenient cookers on the market, and award-winning pitmaster Ed Randolph will show you all the incredible dishes you can make with it. Use the smoker for delicious meats such as Beer Can Chicken and slow-smoking Maple-Bourbon Pork Belly, or the grill for Juicy Brined Chicken Breast and Stuffed Belly Burgers. Once you’ve mastered those functions, don’t forget to bake standout meals like Candied Maple Bacon, Cuban-Style Pork Shoulder or Chicken Skin Cracklings. When you have a world-class cooker and an expert pitmaster, all of your BBQ dreams become a reality. This title will be released on April 7, 2020. Pre-order the book here.
New School BBQ U with the Leroy and Lewis team takes place this weekend in Austin.
February 28 - March 1, 2020: New School Barbecue University — Austin, Texas
Leroy & Lewis Barbecue of Austin, Texas (which we included in ) will soon be “sharing their secrets” at its New School Barbecue University. During one long weekend, you’ll learn how to create popular items like beef cheeks, brisket, barbacoa, whole hog, sausages, and more. Attendance is limited to just 30 attendees so be sure to get your applications in quickly if you are interested. More info here.
February 27-29, 2020: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Bar-B-Que Contest — Houston, Texas
More than 250 teams, led by barbecue aficionados, compete in the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. While most team tents are invitation-only, visitors can enjoy several public venues, including The Garden, Rockin' Bar-B-Que Saloon, and the Chuck Wagon. Activities include live music, rides, games, and more and visitors will receive a complimentary sliced brisket plate with chips and beans. More info here.
March 4-8, 2020: Charleston Food and Wine Festival — Charleston, South Carolina
The Charleston Wine + Food infuses homegrown flavor with top chefs, winemakers, authors, storytellers, artisans, and food enthusiasts from around the globe for a five-day event that spans the first full weekend each March. More info here.
March 14-15, 2020: Meatstock Music and Barbecue Festival (Melbourne edition) — Melbourne, Australia
Meatstock returns for its fourth year with a typically stacked line-up of barbecue enthusiasts and bands. The sell-out, two-day event brings big-name American pitmasters Down Under; sees 50 teams from across Melbourne go head-to-head over the coals to be crowned the city’s best barbequers; and features live music, food trucks and pop-up bars. This year, American pitmasters Moe Cason, Wayne Mueller from Louie Mueller Barbecue, and Ronnie Evans and Philip Moseley from Blue Oak BBQ will be putting on demonstrations. More info here.
March 20-21, 2020: The American Royal Backyard BBQ & Steak Cookoff — Kansas City, Missouri
The American Royal Backyard BBQ and Steak Cook-Off allows participants to get a taste of what barbecue competitions are all about at a lower entry level and a portion of the cost. Join us March 20-21, 2020 at the American Royal Complex for this new BBQ event! More info here.
March 27-28, 2020: Hogs for the Cause — New Orleans, Louisiana
Hogs for the Cause returns as the largest, tastiest BBQ festival in New Orleans. The city welcomes numerous local and regional BBQ masters and the best backyard chefs to compete in seven categories: Whole Hog, Ribs, Pork Butt/Shoulder, Porkpourri, Sauce, Fan Favorite, and Fundraising Champion. The barbecue festival is a two-day event full of music, local beer, and fundraising. More info here.
March 27-28, 2020: Suncoast BBQ & Bluegrass Bash — Venice, Florida
Since 2010, the Suncoast BBQ & Bluegrass Bash has established itself as a destination for the best barbecue competition and bluegrass entertainment in Southwest Florida. It is the signature fund-raiser for the Suncoast Foundation for Handicapped Children (SFHC). More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the event, which will feature a large Florida BBQ Association competition, lots of live music, parties, cornhole tournament, family fun, and more. More info here.
April 1-4, 2020: National Barbecue & Grilling Association Annual Conference — Louisville, Kentucky
The National Barbecue & Grilling Association (NBBQA) Annual Conference will be held at The Galt House Hotel. The conference gathers members and people from across the industry to network, learn, and participate in a variety of topics and activities around the Business of BBQ. Whether you are a product owner, run a restaurant, involved in media, or any other sector of BBQ, there are boundless opportunities to network, learn, and grow at the event. More info here.
April 5, 2020: 8th Annual Houston BBQ Festival — Houston, Texas
The 8th Annual Houston BBQ Festival will take place on Sunday, April 5th from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Humble Civic Center Arena Complex. The festival will feature Houston’s best barbecue joints all in one place, including Blood Bros BBQ, Brett's BBQ Shop, Buck's Barbeque, CorkScrew BBQ, Daddy Duncan's BBQ, Eaker Barbecue, and Feges BBQ. Read our to learn about the experience. More info here.
April 18, 2020: Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit 2020 — Brooklyn, New York
Mark your calendars for the Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit 2020 at Pig Beach NYC in Brooklyn. Following the successful 2019 version of the event, this will feature many of the top pitmasters from around the country serving up incredible food, including Tuffy Stone, Chris Lilly, Amy Mills, Sam Jones, Carey Bringle, Billy Durney, and more. Read about the 2019 Jeff Michner BBQ benefit here. More info on the 2020 edition here.
See the full Smoke Sheet events calendar online here.
Malcom Reed of How to BBQ Right makes delicious peppery Texas-style turkey breasts.
Texas Turkey Breast by Malcom Reed
For this week’s Recipe of the Week, our friends at the National Turkey Federation had us thinking all about turkey, so we chose this excellent recipe from Malcom Reed of How to BBQ Right. In this video, Malcom prepares some turkey breasts Texas-style, with plenty of salt and pepper for that perfect bite of juicy, smokey deliciousness. View the recipe here.
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