Inflation watch: Franklin's barbecue and Austin home prices on same track

All sold out at the original Franklin Barbecue trailer in Nov. 2010. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins sent me a photo the other day from a trip we made to the original Franklin Barbecue in November of 2010.

It shows the front of Aaron Franklin's little trailer in Austin and his barbecue prices at the time.

"Sweet memories," Wilkins said in his email subject line.

Indeed.

Franklin then sold his terrific brisket for $13 a pound. Now it's $20 a pound, a nearly 54 percent increase.

Ribs were $11 a pound then; now $17, also a 54 percent increase.

Franklin, of course, has since moved to a permanent building near downtown, which increased operating costs. And there was a huge jump in the price of raw brisket a while back.

Still, that 50 percent barbecue increase occurred over a period when overall consumer prices in the country rose by only about 10 percent.

But compared to another staple of life, shelter, Franklin's prices appear right in line. Since 2010,  the median price of an Austin-area home has jumped more than 50 percent, from about $179,000 to about $275,000.

So, Austin not only has one of the hottest residential real estate markets around but also one of the hottest barbecue markets.

More Franklin price comparisons:

Pulled pork, $11 a pound in 2010, $17 now.

Sausage, $9  vs. $12.

Tipsy Texan sandwich, $4.95 vs. $8.

Single serving sides (potato salad, slaw or beans),  $1.35 vs. $2.50.

Quart-size sides, $8  vs $9.

I'm certainly not an economic expert. But I would think that there is still some upside to both Franklin's prices and Austin homes.

Gary Jacobson carries the Posse's first-ever Franklin brisket to the table in 2010. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

In praise of the Cornell Recipe and Bob Baker, the Aaron Franklin of chicken

Cooking Cornell Recipe chicken at the Rochester Canoe Club in the early 1980s. Photo: Gary Jacobson

Within our great barbecue family, none of us stands alone. We're all influenced by someone or something else. Friends, relatives, pit masters, other cooks, experts, bloggers, books and all the joints we've ever visited, good and bad.

One of my main influences occurred almost 40 years ago when I first encountered the Cornell Recipe.

For fans of Texas barbecue who love dry rubs and post oak smoke, this may be a bit jarring. The Cornell Recipe is for a sauce -- a vinegar and oil marinade, if you prefer -- used on chicken.

The recipe is wonderful in its simplicity (see below). And it allows for some great barbecue theater.

On a long, cement-block pit, I've helped cook chicken for 100 guests, periodically splashing the sizzling quarters and halves into a pot of the sauce and then returning them to the grate. As the charcoal burned down, we lifted the heavy grates and kicked out a layer of blocks to get the chicken closer to the heat.

Labor intensive, yes. But lots of fun to cook…and to watch. It can be barbecue as performance art, even when you're using the Weber in your back yard.

Dr. Robert C. Baker
Photo: Cornell University

Dr. Robert C. Baker, a college professor, developed the sauce recipe while at Penn State after World War II. He took it with him to Cornell when he moved to the Ithaca, N.Y., school, and served it for decades at his Baker's Chicken Coop at the New York State Fair in Syracuse.

I "discovered" the Cornell Recipe in the late 1970s while working in Rochester, N.Y., about 90 miles from Ithaca. Ever since, the sauce has been a barbecue mainstay for me. Even hard-core barbecue fans like it. Meathead Goldwyn praises the sauce on his Amazing Ribs Web site.

While the recipe alone would be enough to put Baker in my culinary pantheon, he created many other food innovations, including poultry hot dogs, turkey ham and chicken nuggets, long before McDonald's. The New York Times once called Baker "something of a chicken Edison."

To translate that into Texan, we might call Baker the Aaron Franklin of chicken.

There's even a humorous song about his exploits:

O, Nugget Man
O, Nugget Man
Headin’ on down to that old Promised Land
Happy the meals all have been since the day
That the Nugget Man came our way

Baker died in 2006 at age 84. Before his memorial service, they held a chicken barbecue in his honor at his church.

In our great barbecue family, that rates among the highest forms of tribute.

Cornell Chicken Barbecue Sauce Recipe
From the Cornell Web site:

(enough for 10 halves)
1 cup cooking oil
1 pint cider vinegar
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg

Beat the egg, then add the oil and beat again. Add other ingredients and stir. The recipe can be varied to suit individual tastes.

Note:  I use kosher salt.

The Posse returns to Central Texas and not a bad bite of barbecue was had

The Texas BBQ Posse returns to Snow's BBQ in Lexington. (L-R) Mark Vamos, Jim Rossman, Bruce Tomaso, Chris Wilkins, Michael Ainsworth, Gary Jacobson, Daniel Goncalves & Tom Fox. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

We weren't on the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston. And it wasn't snowing. Still, James Taylor would have liked the scene.

In the early morning sun, a white frosting covered the fields along the highway from Austin to Lexington, Texas. Ice crystals glistened, almost as if they made their own light.

It was a nice way to begin a barbecue tour, especially since we were headed to Snow's BBQ, open only Saturdays, where brisket for breakfast remains one of the Posse's favorite meals since we first visited the place in 2009.

I recently moved to Austin so Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins and I were driving from there, an hour or so west of Snow's. Others were making the road trip from Dallas, about 180 miles north. A few more Posse members would join us at later stops.

Legendary Snow's BBQ pitmaster Tootsie Tomantez works the pits during our visit. (Photo ©Tom Fox) 

Over two days, the Posse ate at seven places, most ranked among the top handful of barbecue joints in the state, including Franklin Barbecue and La Barbecue in Austin.

Other stops, all in Austin, were John Mueller Meat Co., Freedmen's Bar, Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ, and Micklethwait Craft Meats.

We also planned to visit Stiles Switch BBQ and Brew, but were so stuffed from earlier eating that we had to wave the white flag of smoked meat and surrender until another time.

"Not a bad bite was taken, though some of us, like me, took too many bites," Posse member Michael Meadows said of the tour.

Taste highlights were the brisket at Franklin, the brisket and egg tacos at Valentina's, the pit chili at Freedmen's and just about everything on the menu at La Barbecue, a food trailer that also offers free beer and live music.

The massive beef rib at La Barbecue was a hit with the Posse. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins)

"My absolute favorite was the beef rib at La Barbecue," said Scott Montgomery, Meadows' brother-in-law, making his first tour with the Posse.

Wilkins ordered the giant rib -- at $22 a pound it cost $47 -- and shared it with everyone. My 21-month-old grand daughter, Ella Gagne, loved it, too.

Ella also dined on the spicy pinto beans at Franklin the next day. That was a love-hate relationship. She'd eat a few beans, cry and clamor for water to ease the heat, then take another bite and repeat the process. It's early in her barbecue-eating career, but she appears to have the makings of a first-rate Posse member. She is a little crystal that does generate her own light.

Her four-month-old brother, Jake, also made a couple stops with us. He smiled a lot so he fit right in with the group, but he didn't eat any barbecue. Maybe next time.

The longest lines we encountered were at La Barbecue and Franklin. Steve Hecht, a reader of this blog from California, saved us a lot of time at La Barbecue. He was making a tour of Texas joints, based in part on some of our posts. He was near the front of the line and discovered we were near the end so came back to talk.

Hecht then let us piggyback on his order, saving us at least an hour and a half of waiting. Thank you, Steve.

Man's best friend joins in the line at Franklin Barbecue on a chilly Saturday morning. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Sunday morning, while the main Posse party went to Valentina's for breakfast, I got in line at Franklin at 7:35. The place opens at 11 a.m.

It was 36 degrees and there were already 20 people and one dog ahead of me. The first person in line told me that he arrived at 5:30. We all wore parkas or several layers of warm clothing and head coverings. Some wore gloves.

The wait, even in the cold, is a social experience and the time goes fast. People bring chairs and drinks and play cards or other games. The guy behind me had been a U.S. Army tank commander in Europe who was soon deploying to Korea. I got a quick lesson in depleted uranium tank-buster shells.

My daughter, Libby Gagne, mother of Ella and Jake, joined me about 90 minutes or so into the wait. She lives a short distance from Franklin and brought hot coffee and pastries. The Posse contingent from Valentina's arrived soon after that bringing extra tacos.

Brisket breakfast tacos at Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

"That's the best breakfast taco I've ever eaten," Wilkins said, handing me the warm bag. Libby and I sampled one. Chris might be right.

After the doors opened and we moved inside, our attention was drawn to a photograph of Aaron and Stacy Franklin and crew at their original trailer, first set up in 2009 near I-35 and 34th Street.

The menu listed the price of brisket then at $13 a pound. Now, it's $20, more than a 50 percent increase. Seems like a lot, but Austin home prices have also shot up over the same span. Shelter and barbecue, after all, are two necessities of life.

Stuffed, we headed to our last stop, Micklethwait, a short drive away. It's a trailer operation in a nice park-like spot. Some of the Posse had headed back to Dallas after Franklin.

The few of us left ordered a three-meat platter with a couple of sides. We barely picked at the food but it was all good. I found myself thinking that this would be a great weekday lunch spot for anyone living in Austin, then quickly remembered, that's me!

I'll be back.

Return to Austin BBQ Tour  

Saturday Jan 23

6:30am: Leave Dallas, meet at Snow’s around 9am  (178 miles to Lexington)

9am: Snow’s BBQ, 516 Main St, Lexington, 979-773-4640. Open Sat. 8am–12pm or until the meat runs out.  (66 miles to Austin)   (Texas Monthly Top 50)

noon: La Barbecue, 1906 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, 512-605-9696. Open Wed & Sun 11am-6pm or until sold out, Thurs-Sat 11am-9pm or until sold out.   (Texas Monthly Top 50)

3pm: John Mueller Meat Co., 2500 E. 6th Street, Austin, Open Thurs-Tues (closed Wed) 10:30am-6pm or until sold out.  (Texas Monthly Top 50)

7pm: Freedmen’s Bar, 2402 San Gabriel St., Austin, 512-220-0953. Open Tues-Wed & Sun 11am-10pm, Thurs-Sat 11am-midnight.

Overnight in Austin

Sunday Jan 24

8:30am: Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ, 7612 Brodie Ln, Austin, 512-221-4248. Open 7 days a week 8am-10pm.  (trailer/breakfast tacos)

11am: Franklin Barbecue, 900 E 11th St, 512-653-1187. Open Tues-Sun 11am-until the meat runs out.     (Texas Monthly Top 50)

1pm: Micklethwait Craft Meats,  1309 Rosewood Ave, Austin, 512-791-5961.  Open Tues-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 11am-3pm.

2:30pm: Head back to Dallas (195 miles)

Out late Saturday lunch at John Mueller Meat Co. was stellar.   (Photo ©Tom Fox)

The wait at La BBQ was over two hours from the back of the line. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Ribs are pulled off the pit at Snow's BBQ in Lexington. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

The Texas Capitol dome hovers in the background across I-35 from Franklin Barbecue. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

The brisket, ribs and sausage at Franklin Barbecue were among the best of the weekend. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

A photo of Aaron & Stacy Franklin from their original BBQ trailer hangs on the wall at Franklin Barbecue. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Posse member Jim Rossman enjoys breakfast at Snow's BBQ. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

More photos from the Return to Austin BBQ Tour

Tending the late-night pits at Freedmen's Bar, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

One of the great rewards after a Texas BBQ tour is looking back on our trip through the eyes of Posse member Tom Fox.  We've written about Tom's amazing work before, he's a staff photographer at The Dallas Morning News and a 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner for his work on the Morning News photo team coverage of Hurricane Katrina.

We consider Tom to be one of the top visual storytellers documenting the Texas BBQ trail. Along with our friend Wyatt McSpadden, the godfather of Texas BBQ photography, Tom brings the unique beauty and artistry of  the Texas barbecue scene to thousands & thousands of readers. You can follow Tom's work on Instagram @weatherfox.

Snow's BBQ, Lexington. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Beef rib at La Barbecue, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Pitmaster Dylan Taylor, 21, at La Barbecue, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Snow's BBQ, Lexington. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ pitmaster Elias Vidal, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Snow's BBQ, Lexington. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Franklin Barbecue, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Franklin Barbecue, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Micklethwait Craft Meats, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Freedmen's Bar, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

More evidence that Lockhart has lost its barbecue magic

Smitty's Market oak wood pile & the Caldwell County courthouse. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

On our way back to Dallas from our recent Houston-area barbecue tour, all 6 Posse members on the trip listed their top 5 joints in the state, in no particular order.

Specific criteria probably varied from person to person, but these would be places we'd drive across the state to eat at or recommend to good friends that they do the same.

Since then, we've been asked to run each person's top 5. Those lists are below.

Three joints mentioned by each of us: Killen's Barbecue in Houston, Pecan Lodge in Dallas and la Barbecue in Austin. Only 3 of us listed Franklin Barbecue in Austin, generally considered the best joint in the state.

Others receiving at least one mention: Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Miller's Smokehouse in Belton and Snow's BBQ in Lexington.

Reviewing the lists now, a bigger revelation than the lack of unanimity for Franklin, is the total absence of any joint in Lockhart. Five years ago, that wouldn't have been the case. Then, Smitty's, Black's and Kreuz Market demanded a pilgrimage.

That's more evidence that Lockhart is no longer the barbecue capital of Texas.

Ten 50 BBQ in Richardson shows promise in first week, but Franklin, it's not...

Large pallets of wood wait their turn in the smoker  (Photos by Jim Rossman)

After an extensive remodel of a K&G Men's Wear on north Central Expressway in Richardson, Ten 50 BBQ, owned by Chili's founder Larry Lavine, finally opened this week to long lines and daily sellouts around 2:30p.m. each day.

I watched a few accounts of Monday's opening day, including a good writeup by Kellie Reynolds in the Dallas Observer. It was a quote in her story that caught my attention.

"Franklin's in Austin is the gold standard and we think we've matched that," Levine told Reynolds. "We've got a phenomenal product."

After reading the quote, I had to find out for myself, so I set out for Richardson after the lunch rush on their second day of operation. I also visited Thursday with Posse members Gary Jacobson and Phil Lamb and some of my other meat-loving friends.

I'm glad I waited to sample the meats twice before posting. Tuesday's visit was good, but Thursday's lunch was better.

Comparing yourself to the number one BBQ joint in the world is a lofty goal, and while the meat at Ten 50 shows promise, they're a ways from matching the quality of any of Aaron Franklin's offerings.

Lavine certainly built a nice place. Ten 50 has seating for 275 (don't worry about having to reserve a table for 10 or 12...they have plenty of very long tables). The layout will look familiar if you've ever been to a Hard 8 BBQ -- smokers outside, meat kept on outside warmers, cut to order and then taken indoors for sides and drinks.

Ten 50 uses oak to cook their briskets and there are pallets of wood all over the place (great sign). Two large red Oyler smokers are wood-fired and it looks like there's more than enough capacity to serve all day, even though it's lunch only for now. I hear dinner service is coming soon.
Ribs are cooked on hickory. I got these cooking facts from the Observer's story.

They offer grilled steaks, cooked over oak charcoal, which is burned from oak logs on-site. Ten 50 is built to handle large crowds and I found there to be ample staff who were very helpful.

The meats were promising, but all had room for improvement.

How was the meat?

The brisket was cooked perfectly and had a nice smoke ring, but I didn't detect much in the way of a rub on my first visit. The fat was well-rendered and tasted great with the meat, but I did wish it was a little saltier.
The second try was much better. I got more than one slice of beef and there was ample crust that was well-seasoned. The consensus at the table: brisket was the star today. Moist, good crust and very well-rendered fat made for great brisket. It's not Franklin good, but it's solidly in the top tier of DFW brisket.

Ribs on both visits were small. Almost "babyback small." They did have a sweetness to their crust and tasted pretty good. I just wish they were bigger, although this is a nitpick, as you pay by the pound here. We all wished there was some more flavor here. After the initial twinge of sweetness, the taste just faded away.

Sausage comes in two varieties, a traditional sausage from Elgin, TX and a jalapeno-cheddar from Tyler, TX. Both were cooked well. The Elgin sausage was the better of the two. The jalapeno cheddar might have too much of a cheese flavor going on. Neither was especially greasy.

Turkey looked great in the warmer, but the piece cut for me came off the bottom (no skin) and it was a bit dry and lacked flavor. I also tried the Jalapeno Torpedoes which is chicken and cheese, stuffed in a jalapeno wrapped in bacon and grilled. They were pretty good, but needed a hit of sauce to make them sing. They were plenty spicy though.

Speaking of sauce, I tried their traditional sauce and it was good. Very strong molasses taste, but a good balance. I didn't get to try the vinegar-based Carolina sauce.

Two oak-fired Oyler smokers handle the briskets.

One thing struck me when I was looking for a table -- on the fist visit it was really cold inside the restaurant.

I'll certainly say Ten 50 has a fantastic air conditioner, but looking out across the room, most of the rolls of paper towels were blowing like flags in a stiff breeze (no joke).

Besides the ample A/C, there are very large ceiling fans helping move the air. This is great when it's hot, but when you're holding an open tray of sliced meat, it tends to cool it off and dry out in a hurry. I switched tables three times before I found a spot not in a noticeable breeze and my meat was still cold before I finished lunch. I never thought I say this, but I wish it was a bit warmer and less windy at Ten 50.
The second visit was much better. The ceiling fan was spinning much slower. No stiff breezes.

Overall I'm glad we've got a new joint open north of LBJ. I can tell the people at Ten 50 are serious about what they do and I can see the potential. All the pieces are in place, now they just need to dial it in a bit.
This is a great place to bring guests. Nice and large, soon to be open for dinner, full bar with plenty of local beers on tap and above average to excellent meats.

Ten50 Barbecue, 1050 N Central Expy, Richardson, 972-234-1050. Open 7 days a week 10:50am-9pm.

Oak logs were burning to make charcoal.

Take a number -- A different approach to BBQ lines

Posse members Jim Rossman & Gary Jacobson head up the line at Killen's BBQ. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

In our recent travels to Houston, part of the scheduling involved knowing that two joints – Killen’s and CorkScrew – were places that would require a wait in a pretty lengthy line.

We hit CorkScrew BBQ in  Friday for lunch and did the same Saturday at Killen’s. Each place opens at 11am. I volunteered to be the line sitter each morning, arriving at 8:30 a.m. each day to secure the first spot in line.

Note to our fellow line-waiters – I was alone in line each day until at least 9:30am if you’d like to gauge when to arrive. I don’t mind the line if the food at the end of the wait is as good as we knew it would be, but frankly standing in one place for two hours or more is nobody’s idea of a good time.

There is a line culture that forms each day – a brotherhood of sorts -- amongst the BBQ faithful. I enjoy the alone time early in the morning. I was greeted bright and early by the owners and employees of both joints and they were happy I was there.

But both places have instituted a number system for those waiting in line and I think it really makes the wait a much better experience. At CorkScrew, there’s a three-ring binder with 20 numbered pages inside. As customers arrive, they remove their number from the binder and find a table to wait.

There’s no standing around. You’re free to wander, run to the bathroom, go sit in your car or whatever you like, as long as you don’t leave (although I doubt anyone would even know you’re gone if you had to run a quick errand). Once the numbers are gone, the line forms under some umbrellas, but those folks have to stand (or sit) in line.

Customers stand in line as CorkScrew BBQ in Spring opens on a Friday. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

When 11 a.m. comes, holders of numbers 1 through 20 line up at the window and the rest of the line falls in behind them. It could not have been a smoother process. A word of warning for CorkScrew customers – at 11:45 a.m. when we were leaving, they were only serving number 15. But don’t worry, the food is worth the wait.

At Killen’s, it’s a different sort of line. When I visited on Father’s Day, the line was the traditional “snake around the sidewalk” version with folks just standing in one place. Last weekend, Killen’s introduced a “take a number” dispenser just like you find at the grocery store meat counter.

The number dispenser is put out around 9:45 a.m. when there were about 6 groups of people lined up. We each took a number (mine was 21, which was the first number available) and again once you pulled a number you were free to go find a shady spot under one of the dozen picnic tables and wait. Myself and the others who showed up early found adjacent tables and continued our conversation about where we’d eaten good BBQ lately and other important topics.

Killen’s has recently started offering free beer to people waiting in line. The keg of Lone Star was wheeled out about 10 a.m. and it was tended by employees who dispensed the beer and even carried some full cups around on a tray to offer up to the guests. There were also large decanters of ice water available.

Not everyone is ready to drink beer at 10 a.m., but I have to say it was damn good. Everyone seemed to be putting a dollar or two in the “donation” jar, which I hope ends up paying for the keg each Saturday.

Once the beer was flowing and as the last hour of waiting ticked away, the place took on a really relaxed feeling – more like a backyard gathering of friends and not at all like a long line of people waiting in the sun (or rain). I even saw owner and pitmaster Ronnie Killen manning the keg as I returned for a refill – talk about a good way to connect with your customers.

Pitmaster/owner Ronnie Killen mans the keg on a Saturday morning at Killen's BBQ. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

There was no limit on the numbers at Killen’s, but once everyone lined up at 11am, I have to figure people stopped coming up to the front to take a number and just joined the end of the line. As a point of reference, when we were leaving shortly after noon, the number coming through the front door was 75, so they’d run through 54 numbers in just over an hour.

Overall, I really liked the number system, but probably a little more so because I was first in line each day. I tried to think about which other joints have a daily line, like Franklin or Pecan Lodge and wonder if a number system could work at those places.

Both Corkscrew and Killen’s have quite a few outdoor picnic tables in the shade, which gives number holders a place to enjoy the wait. Franklin and Pecan Lodge don’t have near that type of room outside, although Pecan Lodge does have a patio with a dozen or so tables.

I’m not convinced either of those places would benefit from numbers, but I could be wrong. As the Posse waited at Killen’s Saturday morning, the talk turned to what would happen if someone arrived early and grabbed half a dozen numbers and sold them quietly to late arrivers?

We agreed this (hopefully) wouldn’t be too big a problem, but other questions did come up. What’s the etiquette for showing up at 10:59 a.m. and joining someone already in line? The Posse did just that each day, but I‘d warned the group behind me that six other guys would be joining me, but I’d only be placing one order for all of us.

I’ve often arrived at Pecan Lodge when someone else had arrived earlier and joined them in line with no issue, but I have to wonder if there’s a limit to the number of people you can have join you in line without raising the ire of the rest of the line.

Of course, there’s always the Pecan Lodge express line…

CorkScrew BBQ, 24930 Budde Rd., Spring, 832-592-1184. Open Tues-Sat 11am-til the meat runs out. Website: http://www.corkscrewbbq.com (Texas Monthly Top 50)

Killen's BBQ, 3613 E. Broadway, Pearland, 281-485-2272. Open Tues-Sun 11am-until they run out of meat. Website: http://www.killensbarbecue.com

Posse member Jim Rossman was first in line at CorkScrew BBQ on Friday and first at Killen's BBQ on Saturday.
(Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Soft on gassers? Not so says Posse member Bruce Tomaso.....

Snow's BBQ pit boss Tootsie Tomanetz tends the pits as the sun rises over Lexington. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

By Bruce Tomaso/Texas BBQ Posse

Gary Jacobson is a friend of mine. He’s a gifted writer, an extraordinary journalist with a sharp wit and a sharper mind.

And he knows his barbecue. He’s been riding with the Posse longer than just about any of us.

So it pains me to say this:

On the subject of gas-fired smokers, Gary Jacobson is full of gas.

A few days ago, he wrote on this blog that “perhaps we have mellowed a bit” on the question of whether meat cooked with gas is worthy of consideration alongside true, wood-smoked Texas barbecue.

“We're just not as militant about using wood as we once were,” he said.

I still haven’t figured out how to leave a comment on this damned blog, even though I’ve been contributing to it, off and on, for a couple of years now.

If I had, Gary and his pro-propane pals would have read this comment from me:

“Speak for yourself, homes.”

I like my gas fireplace at home, because I don’t have to clean out ashes and I can turn it off when I leave.

I like my barbecue cooked with wood, because that’s the way you do it.

Gary’s flawed conclusion was based on Posse visits to a couple of joints that cook with gas and turn out good food. (He actually wrote “damn good” food, a difference that may not be worth quibbling over, even though he’s wrong. It was good.)

Here’s what I say: Scroll back to the top of this page and see what’s written there, plain as a hickory log. The mission of the Texas BBQ Posse, its very raison d’ être, is to travel the state “in search of the greatest smoked meats.”

It says nothing about “good.”

Is it possible to turn out decent barbecue using the same fuel that powers forklifts, Zambonis, and hot air balloons?

I guess it is.

Is it possible to turn out world-class barbecue on a gasser? Divinely inspired barbecue? Smoky, flavorful, perfectly crafted barbecue? The kind that conjures up daily lines at the doors of Franklin, La Barbecue, Pecan Lodge and Hutchins? The kind that devotees gladly drive hundreds of miles to enjoy at Snow’s in Lexington, or Louie Mueller in Taylor, or Miller’s Smokehouse in Belton?

If so, I’ve yet to find it. Until I do, I remain as militant as ever.

In the meantime, I’ll regard my friend Gary’s lapse in judgment as evidence that sometimes even brilliant people can be spectacularly wrong. (Want more evidence? Check out this video.)

Zip Code 78702 -- East Austin -- the center of the Texas BBQ universe

Tom Micklethwait, pitmaster & owner of Micklethwait Craft Meats. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Last spring we wrote that Austin had replaced Lockhart as the new barbecue capital of Texas.

Now, with La Barbecue moving east of I-35, we're prepared to be even more specific.

East Austin, specifically Zip Code 78702, is the undisputed center of the Texas barbecue universe.

La Barbecue, with pit boss John Lewis, opens this week in its new location at the corner of East 6th Street and Waller.

According to Google, that puts La Barbecue about a half-mile (a 9-minute walk) from Franklin Barbecue on East 11th Street, about six-tenths of a mile (an 11-minute walk) from Micklethwait Craft Meats on Rosewood Ave., and about a mile from John Mueller Meat Co. on East 6th.

All are in the same Zip Code.

When we made our Austin tour earlier this year, Micklethwait had run out of meat by the time we arrived. We remedied that -- partially anyway -- two days after Thanksgiving. Posse member Mike Gagne ordered brisket to go from Micklethwait and we ate it a few minutes later at his East Austin home.

It was delicious, rivaling the brisket at Franklin and La Barbecue, we both thought. And the line at about 1 p.m. that Saturday was short. Only a couple of people were ahead of us.

Short lines and great barbecue. At the Posse, that's our holiday wish.

Locations of the joints:

• La Barbecue, E. 6th St. and Waller.
• Franklin Barbecue, 900 E. 11th St.
• Micklethwait Craft Meats, 1309 Rosewood Ave.
• John Mueller Meat Co., 2500 E. 6th St.

John Lewis, pitmaster at La Barbecue in Austin. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse

Making the most of the 'golden hour' at Texas Monthly's BBQ Fest

Pitmaster Justin Fourton of Pecan Lodge in Dallas shows off his brisket at the 2013 Texas Monthly BBQ Festival.

Note: Posse members Libby and Mike Gagne, who live in Austin, attended Sunday's Texas Monthly BBQ Festival (TMBBQ Fest 2013), which brings together many of the best joints in the state. Libby and Mike were guests of Phil Winters of FoodyDirect, an Internet food site that advertises on this blog. Here is Libby's report from the event.

We queued up at about 11 a.m. and were admitted to the festival at noon, and enjoyed a “Golden Hour” of reduced lines and access to 21 of the best BBQ places in Texas. During our wait in line, we formulated a strategy to maximize our hour before the doors opened to general admission at 1 p.m. Three places were at the top of our collective lists because at least one of us had not tried them yet: Opie’s BBQ, Pecan Lodge, and La Barbeque Cuisine Texicana.

“It’s like speed dating but with food,” Phil said.

A definite festival find was Opie's (Spicewood), which delivered on brisket, sausage, and turkey.  It was the only participant rated 4.5 or higher by Texas Monthly that all three of us had not previously tried and it's good to know it's practically in Austin's backyard.  We each got fattier pieces of brisket, which were moist, with good texture and good smoke.  Phil was lucky enough to get an end piece and couldn't believe how moist it was.

There was some good heat on the jalapeno cheese sausage, although no noticeable snap.  But it definitely delivered on taste and texture, so it was two out of three and was among the top sausages of the day. Turkey is an often overlooked or minimized protein, maybe because when it's bad, it can be very bad. But I really appreciate when it's done right.  Opie's did it right and offered up turkey with a tasty rub that was still moist and had a very good overall texture.

Pecan Lodge (Dallas) was popular from the beginning of the festival, and immediately drew a line of people. Only Franklin Barbecue (Austin) had a more consistently long line, which deterred us, for fear of wasting the precious golden hour on one place that we have been to many times before.  Justin Fourton was slicing the Pecan Lodge brisket for each visitor and offering up smiles as well as some delicious smoked meats.  The sausage had a great snap and spicy flavor.  The smoke was more pronounced on the brisket, which the Posse appreciates, but the meat was not as falling-apart moist as some other places.

We tried to visit Lockhart Smokehouse (Dallas) at this point as well but they were not yet serving food so we moved on down the line.

Pitmaster John Lewis of La Barbecue in Austin cuts brisket.

The brisket from La Barbecue (Austin) put the other briskets that we tasted in perspective.  (Remember, we avoided Franklin because of the long lines.) It set the gold standard for us - perfect texture and fantastic smoke.  Plus, pitmaster John Lewis offered up the best sausage of the day with excellent snap, possibly the most important element to us when it comes to sausage.  It was less spicy than most of the others we tried, but still had a lot of flavor.  It was so good several of us went back for seconds, and even thirds.  We had the opportunity to meet LeAnn Mueller, co-owner of the joint.

According to one yearly festival attendee, Snow’s (Lexington) brisket has not traveled well in the past or lived up to expectation in this setting.  But this year it more than redeemed itself and arguably served one of the top three briskets we had all day.  The sausage had good snap but not a lot of flavor compared to others.

Stanley’s (Tyler) consistently has one of the best ribs and this year was no exception.  Absolutely fantastic.

Overall, the festival had a great layout with the higher-ranked places situated at the end of each segment of tents, and the lines directed away from the middle walkway and seating area.

Oh, we do have another suggestion about how to make the most out of the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest. At one point, we made a crucial custard run across the street to Sandy's Hamburgers. Although the festival had some good looking pie, that custard really hit the spot. And the walk freed up some space for a few additional barbecue samples when we got back. It was the cherry on top of a very delicious Sunday.

Pitmaster Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue in Austin works the serving line.

Left to right, Kerry Bexley & Tootsie Tomanez of Snow's BBQ with Libby Gagne & Phil Winters

Brisket, turkey & sausage from Opie's BBQ in Spicewood.

Brisket & jalapeno beef sausage from Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor. 

Left to right, Mike Gagne, Libby Gagne and Phil Winters at the 2013 Texas Monthly BBQ Festival.

The Barbecue Chronicles: Austin is the new Lockhart BBQ Tour

       The Texas BBQ Posse dives into a spread of sausage, brisket, ribs and turkey at La Barbecue in Austin. 

(Photo by Tom Fox/DMN)     

Story by Gary Jacobson

It would be easy to get carried away by what’s happening in Austin barbecue.

Amid a fertile startup environment, young pitmasters are creating a smoked-meat renaissance, using only wood-fired pits and adopting old-school ways to cook for a new generation. A case could even be made that Austin has replaced Lockhart as the capital of Texas barbecue.

We’ll leave that big-think stuff for another time. This is a story about barbecue tourism.

The Texas BBQ Posse has been riding since 2009, and the mission on its most recent tour was to sample as much of that good Austin barbecue as possible during a day trip from Dallas, covering 400 miles in 13 hours.

The five places we visited were all located within a 5-mile radius of the state Capitol building.

Video: The Texas BBQ Posse talks about their Austin BBQ Tour

Here's our latest barbecue tour video, shot and produced by Dallas Morning News photojournalist Nathan Hunsinger.

Is Austin rapidly becoming the the new Texas BBQ capital, replacing Lockhart? Some of our readers wholeheartedly agree, while some consider such statements as blasphemy. Yes, barbecue is a highly emotional issue.

Click here to read our Austin BBQ Tour story and see the tour slideshow on dallasnews.com.

You can join us for an online chat about the Austin BBQ Tour at 1pm-2pm on Monday, April 29th. Click here for the link to the chat on dallasnews.com.

Today in the Dallas Morning News: The BBQ Posse's Austin BBQ Tour

Here's a look at our Austin BBQ Tour story in today's Dallas Morning News travel section. This is the Posse's second installment from the Texas BBQ trail in the DMN this year. Our Best of Texas BBQ project was published in early March.

The tour grew out of a growing suspicion that Austin might be quickly replacing Lockhart as the state's barbecue capital. And nothing we experienced on that day disproved the theory, every stop on the tour was nothing short of sensational.

Click here to see the story, slideshow and video links on the DMN Travel section of dallasnews.com.

Also, you can join us for an online chat about the Austin BBQ Tour at 1pm-2pm on Monday, April 29th. Click here for the link to the chat on dallasnews.com.