It turns out, based on conversations that I had with others at the event, that we were not alone in not knowing what exactly to expect. Leading up to the event we thought it sounded like a good time, but didn’t know what to expect. These were my favorite links, most all of them served with rice dressing.On Saturday, I attended the Tomah Rotary Beer and Sausage Fest in Tomah, Wisconsin with a group of friends. They were all open like nothing had ever happened. I braced for stories of loss, but every single pitmaster had rebounded. I headed down to the “Land of Links” a couple weeks after Hurricane Harvey to check on the dozen or so joints still making these iconic links. The beef links of Southeast Texas are some of the unsung heroes of the state’s barbecue’s heritage. I’d stop in here just for a bowl of the greens, and you better believe I’d tip the bowl to drink the broth. I loved the brisket and ribs, but the sides are what I crave. There’s nothing bad on this menu, be it barbecue or sides. Texas Ranch BBQ, Austin Photograph by Daniel VaughnĬollard greens at Texas Ranch BBQ, Austin They’re made even better with juicy slices of excellent smoked brisket like you’ll find at the new Tender Smokehouse. I’m a sucker for sandwiches on Texas toast. Smoked brisket sandwich at Tender Smokehouse, Celina Ask for “dry” sausage and add a little yellow mustard and barbecue sauce. Southside has been smoking sausage for over a century. There’s little else that’s more comforting than a simple sausage wrap. Sausage wrap at Southside Market Barbecue, Elgin I found the ultimate combination by substituting the pastrami in the grilled cheese. They’ve got plenty of sandwiches to choose from, including a pastrami melt and a brisket grilled cheese. I eat lunch here more often than just about any other barbecue joint. Pastrami grilled cheese at One 90 Smoked Meats, Dallas One 90 Smoked Meats, Dallas Photograph by Daniel Vaughn They’re like a cousin of the pork steak, which also comes from the pork shoulder, and they smoke them to juicy tenderness at Big D BBQ. Pork country ribs at Big D BBQ, Mansfield I call it the Platonic ideal of Texas pastrami. There’s also no steaming because it spends all its cooking time in the smoker. Instead of beef navel like they use in New York, Mum Foods makes its pastrami with brisket. Mum Foods, Austin Photograph by Daniel Vaughn Just about anyone can make a great slice of fatty brisket, but the lean beef here was some of the best I ate this year. This food truck is off the beaten path, but the brisket makes it worth the trip. It’s a double-cut beauty with a halo of golden fat and a coat of black pepper, and unlike most smoked pork chops, this one isn’t overcooked. You never know what’s going to be on the menu at LeRoy & Lewis, but if you see the smoked pork chop on the lineup, get it. Smoked pork chop at LeRoy & Lewis BBQ, Austin It’s smoked, deep fried, and glazed to create one of the most perfect bites I enjoyed last year. The pork belly at Killen’s STQ is a mix of chef and pitmaster techniques. Killen’s STQ, Houston Photograph by Daniel Vaughn I especially loved the enormous pork spare ribs simply seasoned with salt and pepper. They still have limited hours out of a food truck, but all the smoked meats are worth the effort. Pork spare ribs at Guess Family Barbecue, Waco John Mueller is back to cooking his famous peppery beef ribs out of a food truck-this time in downtown Georgetown-and they’re as good as they’ve ever been. Black Box Barbecue, Georgetown Photograph by Daniel Vaughnīeef ribs at Black Box Barbecue, Georgetown What you will find is some of the best barbecue bites from around Texas. Sadly, a few have closed since my visits, so you won’t be seeing the spare ribs from Pappa Charlie’s Barbeque in Houston or the brisket from the short-lived Short Line BBQ in Maypearl. My fifteen best bites of 2017, which follow below, could have easily come from those visits alone, so I have decided to include only those joints not on the Top 50 list. Our Food Editor, Patricia Sharpe, and I visited about twenty spots together to determine our Top 10. In compiling the list, which was released in the June issue, I ate plenty of great barbecue. We released a new Top 50 barbecue list, and we welcomed 30 of those highly regarded joints to our eighth annual barbecue festival in November. It was a big year for barbecue at Texas Monthly.
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