North Texas BBQ Tour - 5 joints in 8 hours

Here's a sneak peak at our North Texas BBQ Tour this Saturday, the first five-stops-in-one-day tour for the Texas BBQ Posse. The itinerary was as follows:
11am Clark's Outpost, Hwy. 377, Tioga
1:30pm Smokehouse Barbecue, E. Hwy 82, Lindsay
3:00pm Big Ronnie's Texas Pit Bar-B-Que, Hwy. 377 north of Whitesboro
3:30pm Horseshoes and beer break at Cedar Mills Marina on Lake Texoma
6:00pm The Bone on the Grill BBQ, Hwy. 82 west of Sherman
7:00pm OO Smokehouse, 200 S. Montgomery, Sherman


The posse lines up outside of Clark's Outpost in Tioga, waiting for the doors to open at 11am. We had 14 folks join at the first tour stop.

Clark's co-owner James Hilliard gave a tour of the smoker room, where he opend the door on row after row of brisket, which smokes for an amazing three days before serving.

On the way to Cedar Mills Marina for a break, we discovered Big Ronnie's Texas Pit Bar-B-Que north of Whitesboro on Hwy. 377. The joint operates out of a converted horse trailer on the side of the road, producing really good ribs and giving the posse our first of two unexpected stops.

Nine posse members were still standing when the tour ended at OO Smokehouse in downtown Sherman, the fifth stop of the day. Of course, we'll follow up with a tour story in The Dallas Morning News, combined with slideshow and video.

(Photos by Chris Wilkins)

Cooking the perfect brisket - Louie Mueller style

Several of the posse members, including me, have purchased smokers in the past month. We're trying to get as good at smoking meat as we are at eating it, with mixed results so far. The pork butt is pretty easy to get right, but the flawless brisket is another story.

Original posse member Gary Barber passed along the link to a great new web video today, where Wayne Mueller shows how to cook the perfect brisket. We met Wayne during our Central Texas BBQ Tour last November, pictured above. He's the co-owner of legendary Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, started by his grandfather in 1949.

Wayne shares his tips with Andrea Valdez of Texas Monthly in a recently-released web video, titled "How to smoke the perfect brisket." It's 13 minutes long and worth every minute of viewing.

Some basic tips from Wayne, as we search for the ultimate technique:

"The less skill, the more fat."

"Never flip a brisket"

"Be quite liberal with your rub."

I can't wait to fire up the smoker again in the early morning this weekend, forever in search of smoking the perfect brisket.

(Photo by Gary Barber)

The G Man comes up short again

Gary Barber, the Texas BBQ Posse's biggest eater, caught flak during the Marshall Cooper BBQ fest for once again coming up short in the end. Gary, aka G, started building his legend on our first BBQ tour to central Texas, as described by Dallas Morning News writer and posse founding member Gary Jacobson.

"Think of the fullest you have ever been at a Thanksgiving meal, then multiply by two," Barber said, after eating five more-than-full meals in 24 hours.

After a strong performance again on the East Texas BBQ tour, Gary B. faded during the Fort Worth BBW Tour, where Gary J. wrote, "Even our biggest eater, Gary Barber, couldn't keep pace." He could only nurse his brisket sandwich at Smokey's, our last stop.

Here's a recent email trail, as posse members give Gary grief for leaving half a brisket sandwich on the table at Marshall Cooper's.

Email headline: This photo sums up our friend G at the Marshall Cooper BBQ throw down

Chris W: One pound brisket sandwich leftover on G's plate, BRUUUUUUTAL.........

Irwin: Damn dude, what up G?

Gary J.: To paraphrase Ahna, it's sad...

Gary B.: After 2 sandwiches and half a dozen ribs on the first plate. I would have never put it down if it weren't for the fine homemade pecan pie that was put in my face. What a fine day.

Chris W.: You know i HAD to dog you my friend!

Gary B.: I wouldn't expect anything less, but sometimes the photo doesn't tell the whole story. I dish enough out, so I can take it.

Irwin: You let dessert get in the way of BBQ? Was it BBQ pecan pie?

Gary B.:It was one of the best pieces of pecan pie I have ever had. The ice cream was starting to melt. The choice was clear. I had to act fast, regardless of the ridicule I knew I would endure over not finishing my third sandwich.

(Photos by Mike Gibson & Chris Wilkins)

Posse favorites: Clark's french fried corn on the cob

Clark's Outpost BBQ in Tioga offers a unique side dish to go with your ribs and brisket. And no, we aren't talking about their world-famous lamb fries, aka the cowboy's favorite.

We took a road trip to Clark's last month, to do our posse duty of sampling various smoked meats while passing on the sides. Our waitress mentioned we should try their french fried corn on the cob, it was something special. We gave up without a fight and ordered one each.

The deep-fried corn cob arrives at your table warm and covered with butter. It has the texture of perfectly grilled corn but melts in your mouth. I'm pretty sure it's the best corn on the cob I've ever tasted.

We're planning a small tour of north Texas joints next month, starting at Clark's. The "no sides" BBQ tour rule will have to be tossed aside so everyone can sample a true Posse favorite.

Clark's Outpost BBQ, 101 Hwy. 377 at Gene Autry Drive, Tioga, Texas. Open Mon-Thurs 11 am- 9 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am-9:30 pm, Sun 11 am-8:30 pm.

Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse

The secret is out: It’s Yum Yum wood

Every pit master has secrets. Eddie Brown at Off The Bone in Forest Hill, the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s top-ranked barbecue joint, is no different.

What kind of wood do you use in your smoker, we asked Brown on our recent Tarrant County tour.

“Yum Yum,” he said.

What’s that?

“Can’t tell you, it’s a secret,” he said. “But it starts with a ‘P.’”

Pecan.

Brown smiled and nodded his head.

He said he mixes pecan with oak. And he kept that proportion to himself.

Off the Bone BBQ, 5144 Mansfield Hwy, Forest Hill. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

(Photo by Chris Wilkins)

Hangin' with Mr. Cooper

Texas BBQ Posse members were treated to a special stop on the barbeque trail on Saturday afternoon. Expert backyard pitmaster Marshall Cooper invited us to join his family and friends for an incredible spread of smoked meats and sides.

Marshall began following our BBQ tours through Gary Jacobson's stories in The Dallas Morning News.

He wrote Gary, "I would like nothing more than to include you and your entourage at my next backyard BBQ. I will slow smoke beef brisket, pork ribs and pork shoulder and make sure there is enough for everybody to eat until they are stuffed! Just let me know if you guys could handle it."

Marshall started his dueling smokers the night before, loading them with over 100 pounds of meat. Eighteen hours later the feast for 25 folks began, topped off by pecan pie baked by his wife Sheilagh, from a four-generation Marshall family recipe.

He has learned many lessons since he bought his first smoker in 1987, most importantly that cooking great meat demands time and patience. The proof was in the brisket, pork and ribs, some of the best we've had in Dallas.

(Photos by Chris Wilkins & Tom Fox)