Anybody like Bar-B-Que?

[Tractor_Barn]

I have to throw my $.02 into this...We got married last weekend (17th) and had a pig and chicken roast here at the farm for a reception. We cooked up a pig dressed out at 85#. I have a wood fired cooker made out of a 300 gal oil drum. Since we're in the heart of apple orchard country we use apple wood trimmed from our own trees (never sprayed) and either use chunks or chips over charcoal.

Seasoned the pig and put it in the cooker about 1:30AM. 12 whole chickens were added about 10:30AM. Well, after many beers, tequila shots and a few jello shots, dinner was served at 3:00PM...MMMMMMMM, pig was moist and falling off the bone. Most people didn't even wait for serving pans to come out, they just grabbed a handfull off the table in front of the cooker. We had a variety of sauses and that smoked flavor was unmatched. Since its corn season, we had 20doz ears of sweet corn and great salads and beans to go with it.

Everyone left a few pounds heavier.

 

[8NTX]

Egon - When we grill steaks in Texas, that is not BBQ. Brisket, ribs, and when desparate, sausage, chicken, turkey, pork, etc. is BBQ when slow-cooked over an open pit or in a smoker as described in some of the above Texas-generated posts. Now, we do have some of the best steaks in the world. But don't cook 'em over about 5 or 6 minutes over hot coals(past medium rare) or that's also considered sinful around these parts.

Has anybody from Texas noticed that the best steaks are generally the old-fashioned, inexpensive steakhouses in the heart of cattle country? I'd prefer a $9.00 top sirloin from the Ole West Steakhouse in Athens, TX to a $30.00 filet mignon from the fanciest North Dallas eaterie any day. Every time we dine there (OWS), there are more men wearing spurs than not. If there's cow dung on the front porch and doolies in the parking lot, that's a sure bet that there's fine steaks being served inside./w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

 

[Egon]

Every day my small world gets expanded.
I wonder what the origin of the word BBQ is as it seems to vary from location to location.
Somewhere I recall reading it had something to do with fellows smoking wild cattle meat on Caribean islands?????
Any steak subjected to any heat source other than hot wood coals just ain't right.

Don't sell ALBERTA beef short.
Egon

 

[DavidInNH]

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.cbbqa.com/history/secondary/OxfordEngDictionary.html>This</A> indicates that it originated in Haiti as "barbacoa" and came to us via Spanish.

The introduction to "Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook", by Robb Walsh includes several sections that elaborate on the generalization that "Texans Barbecue Beef". "Texans barbecue pork" claims that east Texas barbecue derives from Southern black barbecue. "Texans barbecue sausage" - barbecued sausage originated in Texas's German belt in the 1800's. Smoked sausage from the Czech and German markets is almost the same as that from central Europe. "Texan's barbecue cow heads" - this tradition traces back to Mexican barbacoa style.

I've eaten my share of beef brisket, pork and sausage, but I've never even heard of the barbecued cow head.

Its a pretty interesting book. It has stories about a lot of famous Texas barbecuers, including historic pictures and recipes. Talking about a small world - I found this book in a coffee shop in downtown San Francisco a few months ago. Its been sitting on the shelf, but this thread has motivated me to read it...

-david

 

[Anonymous Poster]

My favorite BBQ joint always seems to be the one I've most recently left. Ruby's in Austin has, I swear, the best chopped beef I've ever wrapped myself around. Bob's in San Antonio - now that's a place. My buddy and I wandered in, with low expectations, I might add, and ordered brisket and sausage plates. The surly counterperson scowled, mumbled and plopped the meat on the plates. We wondered what bit of BBQ etiquette we'd screwed up, but forgot about everything once we took a bite of brisket, at which time we looked up at each other and simultaneously said '[censored], that's GOOD!" so loud that the counterperson heard. She actually smiled. And of course there's the Salt Lick near Driftwood, and Busby's in Bandera is pretty tasty (my current favorite) and then there's the place in Brady, Lonestar Barbecue, I think it's called, that serves goat. But the absolute best I've ever eaten was prepared by the Martindale Fire Department one cool December afternoon in the 80's. Not sure why we were there, as there really is no there, there, some kind of festival, I suppose, but The Lovely Wife and I came upon a booth manned by the fire department and purchased and ate the most tender, flavorful brisket sandwiches imaginable. Ah, barbecue! /w3tcompact/icons/love.gif