The Most Exciting BBQ Joint in Texas is Egyptian

Monk: Bon Appétit’s On the Line video series stops by Austin, TX and KG BBQ. Pitmaster Kareem El-Ghayesh left a corporate career in finance to pursue Texas barbecue, but outside of the traditional central Texas brisket he incorporates his Egyptian heritage in the other proteins on the menu such as pomegranate glazed pork ribs, lamb bacon ribs, smoked lambchops, smoked kofta, and sumac and cinnamon rubbed lamb shoulder. His middle-eastern influence is also found in the sides like Mediterranean rice, baladi salad (a tomato, cucumber, and onion salad), and a pink buttermilk potato salad. His smoker is even named after King Tut.

Looks delicious, and Kareem seems like an affable guy.

Description: Bon Appétit brings you along for a day with Egyptian pitmaster Kareem El-Ghayesh at KG Barbecue in Austin—where Texas barbecue is being transformed by incorporating the bright flavors of the Middle East.

Linkdown: 7/26/23 – The Barbycu Edition

Featured

Monk: Congrats to Joseph Haynes on the release of his latest barbecue history book
“From Barbycu to Barbecue,” now available from the University of South Carolina Press.

The central premise of Haynes’ book is that the barbecue methods were not imported from the Caribbean but instead were a collaboration “between Native Americans, Europeans, and free and enslaved people of African descent during the seventeenth century.”

While I’m somewhat familiar with Haynes’ work online, I have not ready any of his books to date. The release of his latest book is reason enough to check him out.

Native News

Digging this new Sam Jones BBQ tee

This week Jon G’s will be at Super Abari Game Bar on Wednesday, 7/26

Noble Smoke has a “Two Napkin BLT” on the menu for the summer

A belated happy birthday to “Papaw Keith” Smith of Bar-B-Q King

Non-Native News

Agreed – this is too pretty not to share

John Tanner welcomes the sight of direct heat true ‘cue in Virginia at Two Drummers Smokehouse in Toano (whole hog coming?!)

A photo of City Limits Barbeque’s sides

Any suggestions?

ICYMI, Franklin Barbecue is taking a well-earned vacation

Linkdown: 6/21/23 – The RIP LeeAnn Mueller Edition

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RIP LeeAnn Mueller. La Barbecue posted on their social media last Wednesday that the co-owner and chef had passed away unexpectedly at the age of 51.

The tributes poured in from Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn, the Houston Chronicle, and more

Our thoughts are with LeeAnn’s wife Ali and the rest of her family.

Native News

Sam Jones BBQ and Longleaf Swine make Axios Raleigh’s best restaurants list for the Triad

Former Buxton Hall Barbecue pitmaster/chef Elliott Moss has opened Regina’s, where comfort classics reign supreme

The barbecue on this list is from…Whisky River??

Non-Native News

Author Joe Haynes has a new barbecue book coming out on July 11

So this definitely is a barbecue list, I can say that

AL.com’s list of best barbecue in the state of Alabama

Linkdown: 5/10/23 – The Barbecue Hall of Fame Semi-Finalists Edition

Featured

Congrats to Steve Grady of Grady’s BBQ (as well as the rest of the top 10) for making the semi-finalist list for this year’s Barbecue Hall of Fame class! The inductees will be announced later this month on May 24th.

Native News

WRAL is a fan of Midwood Smokehouse‘s latest location in Raleigh

Midwood Smokehouse has some new barbecue taco specials Thursdays through Sundays in May for National Barbecue Month

Winners from this year’s Jiggy with the Piggy Challenge in Kannapolis

Congrats to Longleaf Swine for being named Readers’ Choice Awards winner for Best New Restaurant by Wake Living’s readers

Congrats to Prime Barbecue on 3 years open

Panther City BBQ out of Texas will be joining Christopher Prieto in an upcoming Latin-inspired barbecue class

Check out John Tanner’s updated list of best barbecue in Eastern NC

The Lexington Pit Stop Event Combines NASCAR and Barbecue this Memorial Day weekend; it’s a celebration of Lexington’s stock car racing teams and the pit-cooked Lexington-style barbecue for which the town is famous

Non-Native News

Scotty’s Whole Hog Barbecue is switching to a “once and month” pop-up schedule in Minnesota this year, and the next service will be on May 20

Aaron Franklin’s latest book, Smoke, from him and his photographer/collaborator Jordan McKay is now out

John Tanner’s out of state travels takes him to B. Cooper Barbecue in Austin, Pig Beach in West Palm Beach, and Pig and Pint in Mississippi

Report from the field on Kolacny BBQ House by Bryan from Tales from the Pits