The history behind hush puppies, which I will never refer to “red horse bread”
Do we call them "hushpuppies" because folks used to throw fried cornmeal to dogs to shut them up? Don't be absurd! (And we really should be calling them "red horse bread".)https://t.co/hTwriK6zd7
Not so fast, my friend: After announcing that its Lake Norman location was going to close, Mac’s Speed Shopannounced plans for the restaurant to stay open as a smaller location after an outpouring of love from the community
John Tanner’s Barbecue Blog expands his list of good local places off I-95 from Virginia to Key West
In total copycat fashion, Eater comes out with their own list
Non-Native News
The Smoke Sheet checks out the DFW barbecue scene in person
Happy to confirm @goldeesbbq in Fort Worth is outstanding. Some of the best brisket, turkey, ribs, and sides I’ve had in Texas pic.twitter.com/dCQiSuzAA8
John Tanner checks out Meat BBQ in Lansing, Michigan while crossing that state off his list
Franklin Barbecue finally reopened for in-person dining yesterday
It sure was nice to see all your smiling faces today. A huge thanks to everyone who came to our reopening. Whaddaya say we do it again tomorrow? pic.twitter.com/Eh02lhUkmN
Not that we’re anywhere close to being qualified enough to evaluate books but more so as a public service announcement we will periodically discuss barbecue and barbecue-related books. And in this case, barbecue magazine issues.
Every four years, the most anticipated issue of Texas Monthly is awaited not only by Texas barbecue fans but also by just about all Texas barbecue restaurants as well. The Top 50 is the end product of “32 Texas Monthly editorial staffers and 3 freelancers [who] visited 411 barbecue joints over eight weeks during the spring and summer, driving many thousands of miles in the process.”
As for the issue itself, the Texas Monthly Top 50 and its related features takes up about 30 pages of the November issue of the magazine. That covers: the top 10 with extended write ups, shorter write-ups on the remaining 40 of the 50, a list of the 50 honorable mentioned joints, plus a couple of short articles. Beautiful photos are featured throughout.
I can’t help but be struck by the newness of the joints in the top 50 but also the youth of several of the top joints. The five pitmasters at #1 joint Goldee’s BBQ in Fort Worth are all under 27, the five listed pitmasters at #3 Truth Barbeque in Houston are all under 35, Evan LeRoy of #5 LeRoy and Lewis is 35, and four of the other joints in the top 10 have pitmasters under 40 (Franklin Barbeque, Evie Mae’s Pit Barbeque, Snow’s BBQ, and Panther City BBQ). And as noted in the lead-in, 29 of the top 50 are new to the list.
Goldee’s Barbecue in particular is one I hope to visit soon. Besides the youth of the pitmasters noted above, I love the multi-culturality. Black, white, Laotian; these are some of the new faces of always changing barbecue scene.
Also included in the issue is the updated Top 50 BBQ Joints Passport, a highly coveted item for all Texas BBQ hunters. As folks visit the various joints, they get a stamp in the hopes of completing the passport. Who knows if I’ll get the opportunity to get stamps of my own, but I urge folks to practice civility when visiting these joints in the coming weeks and months. I recall anecdotal evidence of impatience and ugliness after the last list drop in 2017.
The Texas Monthly Top 50 issue is available through the Texas Monthly Store online(now sold out) for those of us not in Texas but be warned that you will be paying about $15 for the single issue after shipping. It’s also available as part of “The Ultimate Texas BBQ Guide Bundle” which will run you $50 before shipping (also now sold out). Even with the increased price for those out of state, it’s worth having for any serious barbecue fan.
Monk: The Smoke Sheet has recently been active on their YouTube Channel and they have some sights and sounds from BrettFest held last month in Rockdale, TX.
Description: Celebrating their 3rd anniversary with over 45 BBQ joints, several from the newly listed Texas Monthly Top 50, Brett’s Backyard Bar-B-Que sold over 400 tickets to BrettFest and put on a show!
Brett Boren called BrettFest 2021 the “party of the year”, and that might have been an understatement. Gathering pitmasters from all over Texas, Rockdale was rocking with live music, delicious bites, and crafted cocktails. Highlighting their culinary powers, the pitmasters cooked up everything from homemade empanadas, grilled steaks with chimichurri, onigirazu, chocolate chip cookies, kimchi pulled pork sliders, tacos, and bbq eggrolls. Vendors handed out samples of hot sauce, pickles, beer, and cocktails.
Guests of the event not only ate to their hearts delight, but also collected signatures from the pitmasters in their newly printed Texas Monthly magazines.
Brett being a man of few words spoke to the pitmasters and simply thanked them for coming and that he was looking forward to celebrating with them after the event with a nice glass of bourbon. I would recommend that everyone mark their calendars for Brett Fest 2022!
Mustard-sauce barbecue and hash and rice are two iconic Midlands SC dishes
Passing through Columbia on your travels this weekend? @BeehiveSteph has 7 Iconic Midlands Dishes that you really should stop off and sample.https://t.co/3FpYDx6PlI
If you are in the market for a new knife (or just want to give someone a great holiday gift), my updated list, provided by owners of over 190 BBQ joints, might be helpful. See the diverse and detailed responses here:https://t.co/EHO0EddJB9pic.twitter.com/19rT1QvN6Y
