Barbecue, I've Got Good Smoke in My Eyes...
"It is better to have burnt and lost,
then never to have barbecued at all"
~ William Shakespeare
Over the last 6 months, I've been fortunate to have traveled
to Austin (twice), Dallas, and NYC for barbecue.
Sometimes I take it for granted and have to explain
that meat on a grill is grilling and not BBQ.
In October 2015, my first stop in Austin
Bucket list item...
With friends, we arrived at 9:15 am.
They open at 11 am.
We ate by 1 pm or so.
They were SOLD OUT by 1:30 pm.
And they do this everyday, except Mondays.
Why do they show up and wait?
For me, it was the brisket.
The Best Brisket I've ever had, Period.
Franklin Barbecue doesn't have any Michelin stars,
but I did see a few Michelin tires in the parking lot...
Read more of my Franklin Barbecue experience HERE
Next stop: Dallas, TX
Brisket Frito Pie
at 3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House in Frisco.
Brisket with BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese
over Fritos, topped with red onions.
It would've been good with pulled pork too...
Next Dallas stop,
Another wait in line,
but not as long as Franklin Barbecue,
Ribs and brisket from Pecan Lodge.
Loved the ribs, brisket was good,
wasn't a fan of their mac & cheese tho.
Read more of my Texas Barbecue trip HERE
Back in Los Angeles,
a friend Neil,
invites me to his wife and daughter's
birthday party.
With brother-in-law Mike,
he throws a churrasco.
There's nothing like a Brazilian BBQ!
Picanha,
most desired cut of beef.
One of my favorite cuts of meat
at a meat marathon that
was just that good...
Next stop: Brooklyn, NY
At the Williamsburg Smorgasburg,
saw the grill and short rib.
The slow cooked beef short rib grilled over
charcoal and brushed with bone marrow fat.
How can you NOT want to get one?
The Short Rib
with bone marrow, roasted red peppers, and almonds.
I would've ordered another one,
but we had a lot of other food to try.
March 2016,
back to Austin again
First stop in Austin was Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ
I did know they were one of
"The 120 Tacos You Must Eat Before
You Die" by Texas Monthly
What I didn't know, and according to Texas Monthly,
Aaron Franklin (Franklin Barbecue) says it's his
favorite local barbecue trailer.
Bet he's glad he doesn't have to wait in a long line...
A cowboy (pulled pork) taco & brisket taco
Next stop, Salt Lick BBQ in Round Rock.
We were in the suburbs,
so we opted to go 1.3 miles
vs. the original location 45 mins away.
Now I understand why it was hard finding
smoked turkey.
If you dislike Thanksgiving turkey cause it's dry,
try a smoked turkey breast.
Look at that smoke ring.
"When the smoke gets in your eyes,
remember that those tears are the
last flavor profile of your barbecue."
~ Scott Roberts
Owner & Pit-Master, Salt Lick BBQ
The ribs were tender
at Salt Lick BBQ.
It was time to move to the next barbecue
across town...
I love gas station barbecue places.
OK, so Rudy's BBQ is a chain.
The Holy Trinity of BBQ,
brisket, sausage, and ribs.
It's not the greatest bbq,
some say it's the worst bbq in Texas...
After two weeks of SXSW,
it was time to head home.
The day after I arrive back in Los Angeles,
it was off to Dodger Stadium
to preview the new menu items for the 2016 season
The 15 piece BBQ chicken wings comes
with fries, veggie sticks, and two soft drinks
for under $30
I'm usually not impressed with bbq chicken,
but have to admit, this was a really good sauce!
Chef Jason Tingley didn't say much
about the sauce, other than it's a
BBQ honey vinegar sauce made
exclusively for the Dodgers.
The 15 piece BBQ chicken wings
available at the Think Blue BBQ
at Dodger Stadium.
Easter Sunday,
Neil sends me a message,
"Mike is in town for a BBQ"
You bet I went!
I didn't get an Easter basket,
but just look at the fat cap
on those beef ribs!
My favorite, picanha.
The flavor is incredible,
just salt as the seasoning.
I think I have a new favorite, lamb riblets.
This was my first time having these ribs,
they were so good.
A week later, it was
Winners' Circle BBQ Championship
at Santa Anita Park
Over 20 BBQ competition teams
$2 brisket samples,
just right when you have lots of barbecue to try,
This team was giving samples of their
bbq beans and slices of watermelon
to those in their line.
I dig their tent with the tin roof.
Pork rib,
not bad,
but no comparison to Texas.
I need to book another Texas trip,
didn't I just get back???
"Good barbecue comes from experience,
and experience,
well that comes from poor barbecue"
~ Cousin Woodman
No matter what kind of barbecue,
just enjoy it!
Photos by Jay Terauchi
Jay Eats Worldwide
See What Jay Eats
©Jay Terauchi
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