Merry Christmas from the Texas BBQ Posse

We've been busy since 4pm Wednesday smoking Christmas briskets and hanging with Posse pitmaster Marshall Cooper. Best holiday wishes to you and yours and we hope to see you all on the BBQ trails of Texas in coming year!!!!

Photo by Chris Wilkins

Pit Talk: Butcher paper wrapped brisket - Pitmaster Marshall Cooper shows you how

Our recent Central Texas 5-Star Anniversary BBQ Tour yielded an unexpected discovery as we talked technique with Aaron Franklin, owner of Franklin Barbecue in Austin. Several Texas BBQ Posse members are backyard pitmasters, so we are always pestering BBQ joint pit bosses for their tricks of the trade.

This one stopped us in our tracks though, when Aaron casually mentioned that he wraps his award-winning brisket in butcher paper, rather than foil, during the cooking process. What was that? Butcher paper wrapped brisket? Pitmaster Marshall Cooper had never heard of this either, he's been cooking on smokers for over 25 years. Much to our surprise, we also saw butcher paper wrapping being used several other times later in the tour, at both Prause Meat Market and Taylor Cafe, at various parts of the cooking process.

Could this be the process that vaults Franklin's brisket to the top? When discussing what makes the their brisket so great, we kept coming back to the subject of "texture" of the meat. Snow's brisket is a very close second for the Posse and they wrap with foil midway through cooking. The Snow's bark isn't quite as crusty as Franklin's, which is in contrast to the equally juicy slices of brisket offered by both BBQ joints.

Marshall is no fan of foil wrapping for back yard BBQ, telling me numerous times that it makes the meat soggy and the bark less crusty. He's gone back and forth over the years, trying to balance the need for great smoke and crust with the necessity of keeping the brisket moist and juicy.

"Face it, you are braising & probably steaming the meat by foil wrapping it for too long during your process," he writes. "Many backyard BBQ’ers, including myself, competition teams and small BBQ joints use foiling to keep the meats from drying out and becoming too smokey, also to speed up the cooking process."

"If you keep the barbecue wrapped too long during the process you could end up with over steamed but very tender stew meat, with a grey tint, having lost all the texture and color that true wood fired pit barbecue should have."

Marshall began his butcher paper research as soon as we got back from the tour and is getting close to developing a technique that works well. After four test cooks, he likes what he sees.

One of the initial problems was literally how to wrap the brisket. After his first attempt turned out far too smokey, he realized the brisket needed to be wrapped more heavily and tightly to let in less smoke. He headed to his local butcher, who showed him how to wrap tightly and efficiently, ending up with three layers of butcher paper encasing the meat. Pictured above is Marshall's step-by-step technique of butcher paper wrapping.

Marshall has been cooking the briskets, usually in the 12-15 lb. range, cooking time is around 1.5- 2 hours per pound. He smokes unwrapped for several hours, then wraps with butcher paper for the last 3-4. The ideal smoker temperature is around 225-250 degrees. After cooking, the brown paper will be very oily, yet has the ability to hold in the juices of the brisket. He also cautions the paper can burn if your smoker gets over 375-400 degrees.

Here are some notes Marshall sent after our Christmas brisket cook on Wednesday.

He writes, "The recent discovery of butcher paper on our central Texas tour has me back on the prowl of eliminating foil from my smoking process. Lately I've been smoking up a storm to learn the new process. You could probably confirm it from my kind and tolerant neighbors! The major end result is a better texture of barbecue, very moist and tender but unsteamed. The butcher paper seems to breath, keeping the brisket or ribs from drying out while shielding the meat from too much smoke."

"I'm no expert at this point, having using butcher paper for a little more than a month. Also, many champion BBQ pitmasters use foil in their cooking process and have the expertise and touch to use foil and turn out perfect meat," Marshall says.

"But for those of us that don’t have that expertise and end up with steamed brisket, try the butcher paper alternative to see if you like the results. I’m sure I will find a place for using foil in many of my future smokes, but wanted to share some thoughts and experiences with others to let them know about this new-found alternative for smoking meat."

Our family can't wait to sit down to Christmas dinner, where we'll be dining on two butcher paper wrapped briskets from Marshall's pits. That's what I call a happy holiday feast!

Photos by Chris Wilkins

Prause Meat Market in La Grange - Four generations of BBQ greatness

Our sixth stop on the Central Texas 5-Star Anniversary BBQ Tour took us back in time to Prause Meat Market, a fourth generation meat market in the small town of La Grange.

We had begun day two of the tour with breakfast at Snow's BBQ in Lexington, which set the bar for BBQ excellence for the day. La Grange is 39 miles south of Lexington on US Hwy. 77, a route that passes directly by City Meat Market in Giddings, one the the best BBQ joints in Texas.

Gary Prause met us at the counter and basically gave us the VIP tour of the place. He runs the business with other family members, going back four generations in his family. He showed family photos and explained the history of the meat market, which started in another location on the old town square in La Grange in 1904.

Gary also took us on a tour of the smokers and introduced us to pitmaster Monroe Schubert, who has cooked at Prause Meat Market for the past 42 years. We dined on sausage and pork and soaked in the surroundings. This is a world-class BBQ joint and it's easy to see why BBQ Snob Daniel Vaughn has it as one of his 15 five-star joints in the state.

Texas BBQ Posse member and our pitmaster Marshall Cooper gives his thoughts on the visit. "Prause Meat Market was a great place chalked full of memorabilia, the decor is classic small town Texas. The sausage was excellent, seasoned perfectly to enhance the beef and pork flavors that subtly imparted spice flavors in the finish," Marshall writes. "Prause is a definite winner and a must to see for folks who are serious about their BBQ."

Marshall's wife Sheilagh, also a Posse member adds, "I wonder if these BBQ “originals” are a dying breed. As the newer BBQ restaurants open and expand to meet demand, can the art of the pit BBQ be replicated? There is something to be said for the history of a place and its’ people."

If you are a student of Texas barbecue history and planning a BBQ tour, Prause Meat Market is a must stop on your itinerary. If it's not too busy, ask Gary for a quick tour and review of Prause Market's history. If barbecue heaven exists, you are definitely in the neighborhood when you visit Prause Meat Market in La Grange.

Prause Meat Market, 253 W. Travis, La Grange, 979-968-3259. Open Mon-Wed & Fri 6am-5:30pm, Thurs 6am-1pm, Sat 5:30am-1pm.

Photos ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse

Birth of a BBQ Joint - Mama Faye's in Deep Ellum

We had the rare opportunity to try a new BBQ joint on its second day of operation today. Plans were set into motion when Texas BBQ Posse member Gary Barber spotted a big smoker at the corner of Commerce and Walton Streets while at lunch in Deep Ellum the day before.

Ernest and Francine Williams opened Mama Faye's BBQ at 2933 Commerce on Thursday. The joint is named after Francine's mother Faye, who supplied the sauce recipe, a family secret that dates back to the 1900s. They are already known in Deep Ellum for their mobile operation, selling sandwiches in front of several clubs on the weekend.

Ernest is cooking off his smoker until his permanent wood-burning pit is built, construction starts next week. No gas-fed commercial smoker for Mama Faye's, Ernest does not believe in it. "The hard way to do it is with wood," he says, "but that's the best way."

When we arrived shortly before noon, there was one other customer eating in the space that has housed several restaurants in the past few years, most recently Po-Bill's Cafe. The restaurant still shows signs of Po-Bill's and will be remodeled in January. The place should be all Mama Faye's within a month or so.

Five of us ordered and we were all reasonably impressed, especially once we learned this was their second day of business. What was great was the smoke in the meat, strong yet not overwhelming. Ernest uses a rare mix of pecan, hickory and pear wood, an interesting combo that leads to a unique taste. Some of the meat was a tad dry, but taste more than made up for it. I had the combo plate of ribs, brisket and hot links and thought this place has some serious promise.

The speed of service was slow, but you have to give them time to get their workflow down. Ernest says the have bugs have to be worked out of their operation, but they'll get there.

Here's a few comments from the Posse:

Gary Barber: "The sliced beef sandwich had a great smokey flavor, felt it was cut a little early and was a little too dry. I love that you can get peach cobbler as a side, nice veggie loophole. Don't let the Mastercard/Visa sign on the door fool you, bring cash."

Gary Jacobson: "There was a very nice smoke taste on all three meats — chopped brisket, pork ribs, sausage — that came with the combo plate. Everything was a little dry, but I’d love to go back when the place has worked out its serving kinks. If the chickens we saw are any indication, Ernest’s barbecue, fresh off the smoker, could be great."

Ahna Hubnik: "The pork ribs were meaty!! And for once, I forgot to say no sauce and it didn’t ruin the meat. The tangy, spicy sauce actually complimented the pork. And the simple choice of “Coke or water,” was great, Keep It Simple Silly."

David Woo: "The bark on the ribs was very tasty. Service was very slow, but they just opened. I'm sure things will pick up as they get their feet on the ground."

Mama Faye's BBQ, 2933 Commerce St, Dallas, TX, 214-486-9846. Open 7 days a week, 10am-10pm.




Photos by Gary Barber,top, & Chris Wilkins

Why we chose Snow's BBQ as the best joint in Texas

It was a tough call to name the best barbecue joint in Texas for our

2010 Best in Texas BBQ picks. After tallying the votes from Texas BBQ Posse members, we had three very strong contenders for the title.

First came Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor. This is truly a world-class BBQ joint, with smoke staining the walls and windows. The tradition is there, the food is great and the ambiance is extraordinary. Their beef ribs and beef sausage are among the best we've ever had.

The second contender was Snow's BBQ, situated in an old country feed store next to the live stockyards and grain silo located in "downtown" Lexington. We had been here before, it was the inaugural stop on our first barbecue tour in November 2009. Breakfast at Snow's set the bar for barbecue excellence and set us on a quest to find the best BBQ in Texas.

The third contender was a dark horse, Pat Gee's Barbecue, located in the piney woods east of Tyler. I've been going there since high school in the late 70s, so it's one of my favorite joints in the world by default. Posse member Gary Jacobson voted it the best joint, saying "It's the kind of place where you could spend an enjoyable afternoon just watching Pat's kids serve the wide variety of customers the place attracts." If you haven't been there, schedule a trip soon, it's one of the special stops on the Texas BBQ trail.

In the end, Snow's BBQ rose to the top. It's the combination of great food, a cool place and accessibility to the process of cooking cue. We almost feel like part of the Snow's family, as do thousands and thousands of visitors since Texas Monthly magazine put them on the map.

Here's some of the Posse feedback on Snow's:

David Woo: "Saturday morning at Snow’s BBQ in Lexington was heaven. I had fellow posse’s members tell me how great the meat was and by 8:30am I was having a great brisket sandwich for breakfast."

Marshall Cooper: "Smelling the sweet burning oak cook the BBQ sitting outdoors, under the old original tin metal shed right next to the wood burning BBQ pits, all while watching a couple of true pit masters cooking the BBQ. Is the the best ambiance to eat BBQ in Texas?"

Bruce Tomaso: "Snow’s was great. It’s the place I’d take out-of-town visitors for a Central Texas BBQ experience, but that has as much to do with the setting as anything.

Zach Woo: "I'd read up on this place quite a bit before beginning the journey and I certainly had high expectations. The brisket was very well cooked, quite possibly the best I've ever had. While in line, the lady cut off a piece of the pork and gave it to me as a sample, and I'd say that it would also be worth the trip independent of their other offerings. The atmosphere of the place early in the morning was convivial: everyone there woke up early on their weekend and drove a considerable distance just to procure quality barbeque and few seemed disappointed."







Photos ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse

Texas BBQ Posse - Follow us on Twitter!

We fought the Twitter thing for a couple of years, making fun of those who tweeted. But in the end, it's time for the Texas BBQ Posse to get aboard the Twitter revolution.

"Son, if you can't beat'em, join'em," as my east Texas grandpa always said. Just a quick way to keep the Posse nation up to date with where we've been and what we're up to.

Click here to follow us on Twitter, we'll promise to keep it interesting. Thanks for your support and remember, always let the meat speak for itself!