Texas Monthly

Friday Find: Barbecue Editor Daniel Vaughn on the Tales from the Pits Podcast

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Monk: Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor Daniel Vaughn joins the Tales from the Pit guys for a wide-ranging conversation from his origin story with Texas barbecue to the early days of his blog to the construction of Top 50 lists and how they may or may not affect relationships with barbecue restaurant owners. A good, frank discussion between barbecue aficionados.

Description: Five years ago we launched Tales from the Pits to help tell the stories behind the people in barbecue. Daniel Vaughn’s writing and documenting of Texas barbecue has been one of our (and everyone else in the state’s) biggest resources in seeking out new places and visiting the classic joints.

We were excited to have Daniel join us on this episode to discuss all things barbecue past, present and future, lists, Texas Monthly, and more. A big thanks to Daniel for sitting down with us and to everyone who’s tuned in over all these years!

Linkdown: 1/26/22

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A fun story from Charlotte Magazine on how Chapel Hill-born fashion designer Alexander Julian got paid in barbecue for designing the original Charlotte Hornets jerseys.

According to Juilian (also known for the UNC Chapel Hill argyle and being the costume designer for Robert Altman’s The Player), “I had this idea: What good is money if you can’t buy barbecue? I call it Carolina caviar. … I said, ‘I’ll give you ownership of the design for five pounds of Carolina barbecue a month.’ A (writer) asked me to sum up the whole experience. I said, ‘Well, George (Shinn) got rich, and I got fat. I traded $10 million worth of royalties for a gut.'”

Getting paid in barbecue, that’s the dream. Well played Alexander Julian, well played.

Native News

Garren of Jon G’s Barbecue featured on the Minsters of Smoke Instagram page

…speaking of which, Jon G’s is popping up at Triple C Brewing in Charlotte tonight

Sweet Lew’s has a new “Just Peachy” barbecue sauce available through the end of the month

Non-Native News

John Tanner checks out Ruthie’s All Day, The Federalist Pig, and DCity Smokehouse for an upcoming Smoke Sheet article

Adrian Miller is interviewed for this Atlas Obscura piece on the Southern Foodways Alliance oral history project

The Oak Texas BBQ makes its debut in Kemah, TX; they were previously based in Nashville and were Speedy’s favorites

The Texas Monthly BBQ Fest moves to Lockhart for this year’s edition

Tips on selecting the best wood for barbecue

Nice merch special from Fox Bros Bar-B-Q: two mystery shirts and a mystery hat for $35

Linkdown: 12/8/21

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Native News

Congrats to Brent Little, fellow North Carolinian and Wolfpacker, on winning the Johnsonville Titanium Tongsman Contest!

These Pitt fans surely left Charlotte happy, both from the Panthers ACC Championship win over Wake Forest but also the Sweet Lew’s

Non-Native News

Kevin’s BBQ Joints recently released his 2nd annual holiday gift guide

…as has Beef Loving Texans

Speaking of gifts, might need a few of these in the Monk household

Roegels Barbecue in Katy is adding a new smoke pit

Barbecue writer Derrick Riches and cookbook author Sabrina Baksh recently released “The Complete Guide to Smoking Meat”

Hogs for the Cause releases its music lineup for next April

The latest on the future Blake’s BBQ

Daniel Vaughn’s favorite barbecue bites of 2021

And finally, in college football news:

Linkdown: 12/1/21

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In a collaboration you simply love to see: Jon G’s is collaborating with Salud Beer Shop to create a series of barbecue-inspired pizzas available until all month until December 24. The Monk clan used to live down the street from Salud when we lived in NoDa and I am a huge supporter of what Jason and his wife Dairelyn have built; what started out as a kickass bottle shop soon expanded to a small brewery and coffee shop upstairs before offering creative pizzas more recently. Its long been my favorite beer bar in Charlotte and all of North Carolina. And you don’t have to take just my word for it; they’ve been voted “Best Beer Bar” in the U.S. three years running.

Put together by mutual friend Stephen Philpott, these pizzas look simply delicious:

🍕The Jon: Brisket, Jalapenos, Pickled Red Onions, Jon G’s Barbecue Sauce, Salt and Vinegar chips, Chives, Smoked Sea Salt, Black Pepper.

🍕The Kelly: Cheesey Tex Sausage Link, Mozzarella, Bacon, Chopped Calabrian Chilies, Ham, Crispy Cajun Onions, House Honey Mustard, Chives.

🍕The Philpott: Cheerwine Sausage, House Chimichurri, Salud Kutless Lager Braised Sweet Onions, Bianco Dinapoli Tomatoes, Mozzarella.

The pizzas are available at Salud and I hope to try at least one but hopefully all three this month.

Native News

Jon G’s will finally be at Rhino Market in Wesley Heights tomorrow

Carolina Smoke, a food truck in Morganton, has opened its brick and mortar dubbed Carolina Smoke Barbeque Grill and Copper Still

Barbecue books from Asheville-area Buxton Hall and 12 Bones make great gifts

The First Pickles, Pigs, & Swigs Festival in Mount Olive looked to be a success

Non-Native News

More on the reopening of Franklin Barbecue indoor dining

Marie, Let’s Eat! makes a stop at the 75-year old Carlile’s BBQ in Birmingham

Dr. BBQ is a spokesman for the National Turkey Federation and recently stopped by WGN Radio

Bringles Smoking Oasis opens this Saturday in Nashville

Zavala’s Barbecue is in expansion mode