More Good Eatin’
Posted on April 25, 2009
Filed Under Food | Leave a Comment
Posted by Daria
We were in Texas nearly three weeks, visiting family, driving around the Hill Country, lazing on the beach at Mustang Island, hiking at Big Bend. But the main thing we did, other than drive (in Texas, everything is far away), was eat, and the main thing we ate was barbecue.
Stan has an assignment to write a magazine article about Texas barbecue, and we take such assignments very seriously. We lurched, stomachs laden with lard, from one smoky, creosote-covered pit to another, forks and fingers (for some places eschew utensils) ready.
After a few stops, we decided to forgo side dishes and stick to what matters, which is the meat. I will point out, however, that the universal side dishes in Texas barbecue joints are potato salad, cole slaw, and pinto beans. There might be slight variations—some may be a little sweet, and a few places offered corn or black-eyed peas. One notable barbecue bastion, Black’s in Lockhart, even had lettuce salad (as if!), as well as macaroni and cheese, green beans, and a few other delectables. You could also opt for white bread and/or pickles, onions, or jalapeños as condiments.
But back to the meat. In Texas the specialties are beef brisket and pork sausage. With the brisket, what matters is the crust—how it’s seasoned, how much crunch it has—and the amount of fat. If it’s not cooked right, it gets dry. The best is cooked slowly over wood-fired pits, but not so long that it loses all the fat.
A lot of the sausage is “house made,” stuffed coarsely so it crumbles when you cut into it. It’s spiced with black pepper, secret spices, and sometimes jalapeños and cheddar cheese.
You can also get chopped beef and pork, ribs, even duck and goat and mutton. We were barely able to scratch the surface. Some places serve tangy tomato-vinegar BBQ sauce, others only hot sauce. If a place boasts that its meat comes without sauce, the meat better be darned good, and it usually is.
Our favorite joints were the ones where you ordered your meat by the pound (or half- , or quarter- ) and it came wrapped in butcher paper to soak up the grease. Sides were so much an afterthought that you got them at a separate counter.
You’ll have to read Stan’s upcoming story in Draft for the full account. Let’s just say that, while we all had our individual favorites, we really wish we had leftovers from Smitty’s and Kreuz in Lockhart, Louie Mueller’s in Taylor, and City Market in Luling. And we’ll try not to think about that place that’s only open on Saturday mornings that we missed. Good thing we have family nearby.
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