Althouse: Texas BBQ.

January 9, 2010

Texas BBQ.

Today, at the Salt Lick, in Driftwood, Texas.

46 comments:

Anonymous said...: Ugh... that'll drive away the liberal readers.

Hope it smelled and tasted better than it looks.; 1/9/10, 11:06 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: What's wrong with how it looks?

Yum.; 1/9/10, 11:09 PM
Chef Mojo said...: Sweet jeebus. As a chef, I am filled with such culinary lust at those pictures.

There is nothing quite like a Texas BBQ. Ribs, brisket, sausages.

So, what did you have?; 1/9/10, 11:13 PM
Donna B. said...: The way it looks is so good I can almost smell it!

wv - scalia - if only I could have had that for another post!; 1/9/10, 11:14 PM
chickelit said...: Now you're talkin'

Reminds me of another great Texas classic: Tres Hombres inside cover

Other great Texas exports: Stevie Ray Vaughn, Johnny Winter, Janis Joplin; 1/9/10, 11:15 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Aaahhhh!

Now you're in Texas, baby!; 1/9/10, 11:34 PM
chickelit said...: "The best way to reduce the clearing of land for crops would be to impose a tax on meat consumption. If we all turned into vegetarians, we could get by on one-tenth of the land."

Bruce Babcock, economist at Iowa State University, Ames funded by the EPA as quoted in Science, 2009 324, p. 587.; 1/9/10, 11:53 PM
David said...: My daughter took me to the Salt Lick first time I visited her when she was in B school at UT. It is one of the three or four best food experiences of my life. The brisket . . . . man, I had no idea anything could taste that good.

I am officially jealous of your trip now.

Tonight I cooked Chilean Sea Bass (aka Guiltfish) for my wife. It was pretty damn good too.; 1/9/10, 11:53 PM
David said...: El Pollo, you just tell Professor Babcock that what Althouse was eating is a Texas salad. Then gently whack him upside the head.; 1/9/10, 11:57 PM
chickelit said...: Nevermind the trippy visuals, crank up this great Texas sound: BH Surfers; 1/9/10, 11:57 PM
Ron said...: El Pollo -- Who wouldn't set fire to their hand for que like that?; 1/10/10, 12:10 AM
vbspurs said...: OMG! I've died and gone to carnivore heaven. I'm with FH. YUMMMMMMM.; 1/10/10, 12:26 AM
vbspurs said...: See how the juices, BBQ sauce, and grease just pile up on the grill below. Bliss!

Julia Reed, the Southern Vogue editor who writes love letters about Mississippi and the South in her cookery books, once said that Southern ladies hand down their old, heavy frying pans from generation to generation of female descendants. They are as black as your boots because whilst they are cleaned, they are never scoured with SOS, and all that gloop from the meats and fried chicken makes the food taste better.

We have the same trick in England with teapots. You NEVER put detergent inside a teapot. Just water and swish. The resin gathers throughout the years and imparts a delicious taste to tea that way.

Cheers,
Victoria; 1/10/10, 12:32 AM
Synova said...: That looks wonderful. We have some decent BBQ here, and I think that we'll need to go again soon.

I notice that the ribs already have sauce on them. I am vindicated! I was told that in Texas BBQ the sauce goes on after so I was doing it *wrong*. In my opinion the sauce needs to be on the heat so that the sugar in it caramelizes.

Oh, sure, if you've roasted a pig, or a javelina or a brisket put the sauce on afterward but for chicken and ribs, melt that sugar into it.; 1/10/10, 12:40 AM
vbspurs said...: Ron-boy, I was thinking of you when I was watching "Flying down to Rio" on TCM a few hours ago. I hadn't ever seen it -- the first Fred & Ginger pairing! I also forgot how beautiful Loly del Rio was, and how handsome Gene Raymond (Mr. Jeannette MacDonald). ;); 1/10/10, 12:46 AM
Ron said...: Kreuz market next!; 1/10/10, 12:47 AM
Ron said...: Vic -- Doesn't Ginger seem more like Joan Blondell in that movie?; 1/10/10, 12:49 AM
Ron said...: Vic were you there for TCM's "Brazil" night? :0; 1/10/10, 12:50 AM
Chip Ahoy said...: OH, MY GOD 111!!1

That is so wrong on one level.; 1/10/10, 12:52 AM
vbspurs said...: 1- She is very Pre-Code. You're right, Ron!

2- I am indeed. Started off the night with Ingrid and Cary in Notorious (always loved it). I think the next film is Thrill in Brazil. :); 1/10/10, 12:58 AM
Ron said...: a little more pre-Code for you Vic...note the Pig Latin!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJOjTNuuEVw

I do wish we could chat!; 1/10/10, 1:08 AM
Methadras said...: OMG!!!! DROOOOOL!!!!; 1/10/10, 1:25 AM
vbspurs said...: OT: I'm not sure anyone is scrolling down to read the Scott Brown post anymore, so I'll put the link here. It's from "Legal Insurrection", a blog which has really coming on of late. The blogger is a volunteer over at Scott Brown's campaign office -- he describes today as absolute, wonderful, upbeat bedlam. There are photos of the call centre, too. Very nice.

(Thanks Ron!); 1/10/10, 1:36 AM
vbspurs said...: P.S.: Sarah needs to stay out of the MA Senate race. Big time. Massachussetts may be ready to cause a tectonic shift in politics by electing a Repub to the Kennedy clan's hereditary seat, but Mass ain't ready for Saint Sarah of Wasilla.; 1/10/10, 1:41 AM
Unknown said...: Synova - The Salt Lick do 'wet' bbq, which while very good is not the traditional Texas style. Smitty's and Kreuz both smoke the meat with a dry rub.; 1/10/10, 1:47 AM
Fred4Pres said...: That BBQ looks mighty, mighty fine.

Enough to tempt a vegetarian to sin.; 1/10/10, 3:25 AM
Fred4Pres said...: I just realized something. Avatar is not some fluke. Like Kubrick's The Shining, Avatar is a film with deep and powerful symbolism. But merely lefty Gaia worship or mindless frame work of a story with just some cool special effects it is not it.

Oh no, it is so much more...

James Cameron used to be married to Linda Hamilton. Signorey smokes in the film. Guess who else used to smoke. Coincidence? I think not.

Linda Hamilton has a career and a specific job before she worked with Jim Cameron in the Terminator.

Separated at birth? Or the love child that was never acknowledged?

Oh yes, Mr. Cameron is working through a few issues. Now that is art!; 1/10/10, 3:27 AM
Bob said...: Although I live in North Carolina, where the pig is the local preference for BBQ, I myself favor the Texas-style brisket; a few of the local BBQ places make it pretty well.

Anyone wanting to see an entertaining new reality/cooking show would be well advised to watch BBQ Pitmasters, Thursday nights on TLC. It follows a bunch of BBQ cooks around as they compete in various contests throughout the US.; 1/10/10, 3:32 AM
Ron said...: It's 8:20 in the AM...and Que is still at the top of the page! Now that's breakfast...Althouse! Put up some coffee pics!; 1/10/10, 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...: Get yo feedbag on.

OK ... NOW I believe you're in Texas.; 1/10/10, 7:49 AM
Harsh Pencil said...: Ok. Now go to County Line BBQ.; 1/10/10, 7:51 AM
Michael Haz said...: BBQ blogging! Thanks, Althouse.

The Salt Lick was just on Food TV. One of the hosts on that network named it one of his favorite restaurants in America.

Mmmmm.; 1/10/10, 7:56 AM
Anonymous said...: In breaking news:

Hawaii Democrats have announced they're not going to hold elections.

Democrats say elections cost the state too much money.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34782085/ns/us_news/

AP: "Cash-strapped Hawaii can't afford to pay for an election to replace a congressman who is planning to step down next month to run for governor, potentially leaving 600,000 urban Honolulu residents without representation in Washington."

It's time for a revolution.

You know, they warned me that the Democrats would subvert America, turn it into a socialist haven, and do away with pesky elections.

And they were right!; 1/10/10, 8:00 AM
John said...: Ann,

Go to Lockhart and the Kreitz Market, older and even better than the Salt Lick, although the Salt Lick is awefully good. Texas Barbeque rules all.; 1/10/10, 9:13 AM
Diane said...: I've watched Food Network programs featuring the Texas BBQ places which made me want to head down there and try that brisket. How lucky you are.; 1/10/10, 9:31 AM
somefeller said...: That's some goodness, though I'd also suggest paying a visit to Kreuz Market.; 1/10/10, 9:34 AM
Celia Hayes said...: Easy Pickens BBQ in Harper. Trouble is, they're only open on weekends... but oh, it is sublime!; 1/10/10, 10:14 AM
Michael said...: In Texas they refer to beef cooked over smokey fires as "BBQ." Actual BBQ is pork cooked over smokey fires.; 1/10/10, 10:20 AM
Big Mike said...: Interesting quote upthread by El Pollo Real, which I'll repeat:

"The best way to reduce the clearing of land for crops would be to impose a tax on meat consumption. If we all turned into vegetarians, we could get by on one-tenth of the land."

This guy Babcock needs to talk to a nutritionist -- it takes much more food to get the protein humans need to sustain ourselves if we don't eat meat than if we get our protein directly from ingesting protein. There is also some evidence that failure to ingest enough fats during the late teens and early twenties can retard the development of the frontal lobes.; 1/10/10, 10:47 AM
traditionalguy said...: A new study by Science For Dummies has concluded that if we eat Babcock first , then he will not delude men into eliminating meat eating humans from the earth to make it all PURE and CLEAN again like it was before men accidently evolved. What a truly evil excuse for a man.; 1/10/10, 4:12 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: once said that Southern ladies hand down their old, heavy frying pans from generation to generation of female descendants. They are as black as your boots because whilst they are cleaned, they are never scoured with SOS,

I have three cast iron fry pans that my mother gave to me when (in 1968) I moved out on my own. They had been given to her by her mother when she got married. The pans must be at least 75 to 100years old (or older) and I wouldn't ever wash them in anything but hot water and possibly a light scrubbing with a dish cloth and some mild liquid soap. Then heat them up and rub the insides with some vegetable oil to keep them seasoned.

I use the pans all the time. One large skillet, perfect for great fried chicken. One square cast iron pan, perfect for oven baked biscuits. And a little 6 inch skillet

Mmmmm. BBQ Brisket. Slow slow cooking over a low temperature.; 1/10/10, 4:53 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: I notice that the ribs already have sauce on them. I am vindicated! I was told that in Texas BBQ the sauce goes on after so I was doing it *wrong*.

Dunno about Texas, but at our house and in our previous deli/barbeque business, the sauce only goes on at the very last. Maybe the last half hour or so.

The rest of the time it is cooked in a slow cooking process over indirect heat (not directly under the meat) low temps. Sometimes covered or not (depending on the meat) and smoke provided by wet chips. The heat is turned up at the very last by the meat being transfered to another pit/bbq or section of the pit with a higher temp.; 1/10/10, 5:00 PM
Synova said...: Florida... the right answer is that Hawaii should not *let* the Congressman quit until regularly scheduled elections, which should be nearly yearly for various other local offices.; 1/10/10, 6:24 PM
Opus One Media said...: and the death rate for heart disease in texas is what?; 1/11/10, 7:39 AM
Unknown said...: and the death rate for heart disease in texas is what?

Not actually all that high since we have so many hearts available for transplanting from executed prisoners. There are also the tornadoes, hurricanes, scorpions, rattlesnakes, black widow spiders, Mexican truck drivers, fire ants and everybody carries a gun.; 1/11/10, 9:28 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: Ah, the Salt Lick.

My brother lived a couple miles up the road just inside the Hays county line for about 20 years, finally moving up north this year. So, this was the "must go" place whenever anyone in the family visited. Only made it there a couple of times a year in the maybe 5 years I was in Austin.

I know I shouldn't do it, but since this was my first experience with Texas BBQ, it is what I compare everything else to.

And, yes, my favorite was the brisket, though I do seem to remember a 2 or 3 meat sampler that I sometimes had (with brisket being one of the samples).

Last time I was there, Hays county was still dry (or at least damp), and so you had to bring your own alcohol. So, everyone shows up with coolers filled with beer.

Thanks for the memories.; 1/11/10, 9:16 PM