Best BBQ cities not in Texas?

[CHIEF 5095]

Just look at the prices. When has a pork tenderloin cost even a quarter as much as a beef tenderloin? Beef brisket in Texas, at a prime joint is North of $15/lb., at least, I've seen as high as $22/lb. Why do people pay that? Because apparently supply and demand still exist. Is there any pork BBQ over $10/lb. besides baby backs?

CHIEF

 

[Underdog 28776]

Probably why pork is so popular down south due to the price point, plus it's fucking delicious.  

[PantsTent 2002]

Is he the guy that was on the same series with Tootsie from Snow's?

Yes but it’s Rodney Scott.

[956 Worldwide 34787]

9 hours ago, Underdog said:

Probably why pork is so popular down south due to the price point, plus it's fucking delicious.  

Well, it’s history too.  Beef demand far outstripped supply in the U.S until the establishment of the Texas cattle industry.  With no refrigeration, cuts of fresh beef were a luxury and most of it was stores cured or smoked because getting it from the hoof to market was a huge challenge. Deep South agriculture was all tied up in cash crops because you made far more money that way than as cow pasture. But every farm had hog pens and a chicken coop.  So pork and chicken were on hand and a big social event where you feed lots of people, you cook a whole hog. 
 

In Texas west of the timber line, free range cattle were everywhere and less intensive to take care of than even hogs. For a social event, you kill one and roast/barbecue the meat over an open pit fire cowboy or vaquero style. Then Germans and Bohemians come and take their experience smoking meat for curing and apply it to beef. Someone discovers how much better it is hot off the pit and presto... Texas barbecue. 

[Al_4_ISU 12491]

12 hours ago, Underdog said:

Probably why pork is so popular down south due to the price point, plus it's fucking delicious.  

Exactly.  I tend to smoke pork butts over brisket because it's cheaper, easier to do, and fucking delicious.

[Ollie Slatt 289]

On 4/1/2021 at 7:51 AM, Al_4_ISU said:

Rarely does Texas Exceptionalism get as eye rolling to non-Texans as BBQ discussion. 

As a non-Texan living in Texas, I could not disagree more.  Texans think they live in one of the most physically beautiful places on earth.  They will not shut up about whataburger.  They think there is something special about Texans as people -- a notion that five minutes inside a Buckeys should disabuse any sane person of.  Of all the many examples of Texas exceptionalism, bbq may be the thing Texans are most right about.    

[Al_4_ISU 12491]

26 minutes ago, Ollie Slatt said:

As a non-Texan living in Texas, I could not disagree more.  Texans think they live in one of the most physically beautiful places on earth.  They will not shut up about whataburger.  They think there is something special about Texans as people -- a notion that five minutes inside a Buckeys should disabuse any sane person of.  Of all the many examples of Texas exceptionalism, bbq may be the thing Texans are most right about.    

I don't know that I've heard this one, actually.

I think Texas bbq is awesome, I just think this attitude of "we're the best and that's a fact" is nauseating.  There are several places that have the exact same attitude.  It reminds me of religions saying "but we're the right one and you're going to hell if you go to that other church!".

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

How about all y’all Yankees, carpetbaggers and bitch made non Texan bitches shut the fuck up.

[C-Man 27274]

16 hours ago, DDD Dad said:

Is he the guy that was on the same series with Tootsie from Snow's?

Yes, I believe so. I've only watched Tootsie's and the second one, which was beyond amazing what that guy is doing. Believe Rodney's was the third one. I actually met Rodney when we went to the one in Charleston 4-5 years ago. Good dude.

[Carl Spackler 3504]

On 4/1/2021 at 8:37 AM, C-Man said:

Fuck -- not sure what I was smoking yesterday.

Too much of this?  

[Kyrie Eleison 9312]

On 3/30/2021 at 8:46 PM, lmao said:

In your opinion, what are some of the best BBQ cities that aren't in Texas?

 

 

[C-Man 27274]

4 hours ago, Ollie Slatt said:

As a non-Texan living in Texas, I could not disagree more.  Texans think they live in one of the most physically beautiful places on earth.  They will not shut up about whataburger.  They think there is something special about Texans as people -- a notion that five minutes inside a Buckeys should disabuse any sane person of.  Of all the many examples of Texas exceptionalism, bbq may be the thing Texans are most right about.    

The reverance for Whataburger is simply amazing. I like it but I don't put it on a pedestal, that's for sure. Terrible customer service and mediocre fast food. Now it's owned by a Chicago company. However, when it comes to BBQ and Tex-Mex, ain't nobody in the world doing it as well as it's done in Texas. That said, there are places that are great outside of this state but it's incredibly rare.

[TwiceHorn 31539]

You might think there's an enclave of Germans with a supply of beef that do a credible job with brisket, here but not Texas, or in Germany, or elsewhere.

[lmao 178]

9 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I don't know that I've heard this one, actually.

I think Texas bbq is awesome, I just think this attitude of "we're the best and that's a fact" is nauseating.  There are several places that have the exact same attitude.  It reminds me of religions saying "but we're the right one and you're going to hell if you go to that other church!".

It's impossible to learn how to put a brisket on a smoker outside of the state line. No one else can do it!

[Al_4_ISU 12491]

It's impossible to learn how to put a brisket on a smoker outside of the state line. No one else can do it!

I like this guy.

[Landomatic 3813]

21 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I don't know that I've heard this one, actually.

I think Texas bbq is awesome, I just think this attitude of "we're the best and that's a fact" is nauseating.  There are several places that have the exact same attitude.  It reminds me of religions saying "but we're the right one and you're going to hell if you go to that other church!".

Religion is so much more subjective than BBQ...it’s not even in the same ballpark.  For someone who, otherwise, comes off as a fairly intelligent person, you sure are dumb as a brick about this shit.  Or you’re just a troll.  Either way, your little act about all of this is growing tiresome.

[lmao 178]

1 hour ago, Landomatic said:

Religion is so much more subjective than BBQ...it’s not even in the same ballpark.  For someone who, otherwise, comes off as a fairly intelligent person, you sure are dumb as a brick about this shit.  Or you’re just a troll.  Either way, your little act about all of this is growing tiresome.

Do you think people outside of the state line do not know how to smoke a brisket? 

[CHIEF 5095]

30 minutes ago, lmao said:

Do you think people outside of the state line do not know how to smoke a brisket? 

Most don't, since their brisket is ground into hamburger meat, and they don't have access to post oak and mesquite. It is only a recent phenomenon that briskets are getting as expensive as ground beef. Cheap brisket was/is a Texas centric cut of beef. You rarely see it outside the state borders. Texas grocers are just doing us a favor.

CHIEF

Edited April 3, 2021 by CHIEF

[C-Man 27274]

42 minutes ago, CHIEF said:

Most don't, since their brisket is ground into hamburger meat, and they don't have access to post oak and mesquite. It is only a recent phenomenon that briskets are getting as expensive as ground beef. Cheap brisket was/is a Texas centric cut of beef. You rarely see it outside the state borders. Texas grocers are just doing us a favor.

CHIEF

Exactly this. I'm in quite a few different FB BBQ groups and there aren't many places in the country, much less around the world, where you can walk into a grocery store and even get a full packer brisket. Are there great one-off places making killer Texas-style 'cue around the country? Absolutely. Is there a backyard cook in New Jersey who is every bit as good as Aaron Franklin cooking just a single brisket on a small off-set? I'm sure there is. You might need to travel 500 miles to find it in other states. Chances are every single one of us on this board (if you're in Texas) has a guy on their street that can do that -- if the poster can't himself.

[TonyTexas 10531]

Most don't, since their brisket is ground into hamburger meat, and they don't have access to post oak and mesquite. It is only a recent phenomenon that briskets are getting as expensive as ground beef. Cheap brisket was/is a Texas centric cut of beef. You rarely see it outside the state borders. Texas grocers are just doing us a favor.
CHIEF

I call bullshit on most of this post. Post Oak grows throughout the east and southeast. Mesquite is throughout the southwest. Brisket has been corned and made into pastrami since Texas was nothing but Indians and Mexicans. I would guess that more brisket is eaten by Jews on Passover than is barbecued in Texas.

[CHIEF 5095]

15 minutes ago, C-Man said:

Exactly this. I'm in quite a few different FB BBQ groups and there aren't many places in the country, much less around the world, where you can walk into a grocery store and even get a full packer brisket. Are there great one-off places making killer Texas-style 'cue around the country? Absolutely. Is there a backyard cook in New Jersey who is every bit as good as Aaron Franklin cooking just a single brisket on a small off-set? I'm sure there is. You might need to travel 500 miles to find it in other states. Chances are every single one of us on this board (if you're in Texas) has a guy on their street that can do that -- if the poster can't himself.

I'm the guy for our neighborhood. I would sell 18 preordered briskets in my subdivision once a month when my parents still owned their house with a big pit that would hold all 18. I'm gonna build one that holds 24 in the next few months, and probably step up to biweekly. We have shitty Que around here. At $50 profit on each one, that's $1200 , and just do it on a cash only basis. It makes for a nice little slush fund.

CHIEF

[CHIEF 5095]

11 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

I call bullshit on most of this post. Post Oak grows throughout the east and southeast. Mesquite is throughout the southwest. Brisket has been corned and made into pastrami since Texas was nothing but Indians and Mexicans. I would guess that more brisket is eaten by Jews on Passover than is barbecued in Texas.

It's not as much as no access to good wood. I live in a 4200 acre Pecan orchard. It's just that you don't find many packer briskets outside of Texas. They are made into other cuts, corned, or made into pastrami. I worked O&G in the Midwest for a short stint, you couldn't get a brisket in the stores, it was all ground into hamburger because it was worth more.

CHIEF

[Al_4_ISU 12491]

Religion is so much more subjective than BBQ...it’s not even in the same ballpark.  For someone who, otherwise, comes off as a fairly intelligent person, you sure are dumb as a brick about this shit.  Or you’re just a troll.  Either way, your little act about all of this is growing tiresome.

A lot of it is just getting a kick out of the reaction. I’ll show myself out.

[956 Worldwide 34787]

1 hour ago, TonyTexas said:

I call bullshit on most of this post. Post Oak grows throughout the east and southeast. Mesquite is throughout the southwest. Brisket has been corned and made into pastrami since Texas was nothing but Indians and Mexicans. I would guess that more brisket is eaten by Jews on Passover than is barbecued in Texas.

Yeah, and that’s how a LOT of beef was consumed outside of some expensive steaks and roasts for the wealthy.  Corned beef was a commodity before refrigeration. It was in Texas where there were a lot of cattle around for the taking, and not a lot of people that barbecuing beef became a way to feed a crowd. 

[CBT 1285]

Here’s Normans contribution:

[jimmyjazz 46189]

On 4/3/2021 at 8:23 AM, Landomatic said:

Religion is so much more subjective than BBQ...it’s not even in the same ballpark.  For someone who, otherwise, comes off as a fairly intelligent person, you sure are dumb as a brick about this shit.  Or you’re just a troll.

No, he's not.  He's dead fucking right.  BBQ is historically a regional cuisine that has existed for century(s) outside of Texas.  It ain't chili, which was fucking INVENTED here.  It's a completely different animal.

You don't have to like Carolina or Georgia or Memphis or KC BBQ (which fucking sucks), but that doesn't render those forms automatically invalid.  You're the most ignorant poster on this thread, or at least in the top 3.

[futureman 22550]

On 4/1/2021 at 3:40 PM, hornmpa96 said:

Were you on your way to Marble Arch Station and did you find that English girl?

she supposed to be on the third floor. 

[billfromlaketravis 11524]

Katz’s Deli in New York smokes their pastrami and it slams hard. Is it bbq? 
 

https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/how-katz-deli-makes-their-best-pastrami.html

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

On 4/2/2021 at 4:11 PM, C-Man said:

The reverance for Whataburger is simply amazing. I like it but I don't put it on a pedestal, that's for sure. Terrible customer service and mediocre fast food. Now it's owned by a Chicago company. However, when it comes to BBQ and Tex-Mex, ain't nobody in the world doing it as well as it's done in Texas. That said, there are places that are great outside of this state but it's incredibly rare.

I don't get it either. Travelled thru Texas 2 years ago with the son moving to Vegas. We ate a couple different Whataburgers, and they were about as mediocre a fast food burger as I've had.  Nothing special. 5 guys beats it pretty easily, and they aren't anything that special.  

For a state that puts beef, and pork on a pedestal like y'all do you really need a better burger joint as the state symbol of the end all be all of burgers.  BBQ on the other hand is some of the best I've had anywhere.

[CHIEF 5095]

16 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Katz’s Deli in New York smokes their pastrami and it slams hard. Is it bbq? 
 

https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/how-katz-deli-makes-their-best-pastrami.html

God no. It is brined and cured, then smoked. Is beef jerky steak? What a fucking question.
 

CHIEF

[JerrysJheriCurl 977]

On 4/1/2021 at 3:29 PM, BonzoMontreaux said:

Agree with Carolina pulled pork... not too bad.  

Company I worked for a few years back flew us from Austin to HQ in Raleigh.  Half the Austin office headed to a place called 'The Pit'.  Guy working behind the counter got wind we were from Texas and basically said, "You will not like our brisket... might I suggest the following...".  Had some great fried chicken that night. 

1. Agreed with The Pit. Weekly flyer so the clients always want to take me to a Mexican or BBQ place ... to see if it’s legit or to try to impress.
The brisket there looked dry af. I had to chew a piece for about 5 mins to just to eat it. 
Fried chicken, Mac-N-Cheese and pulled pork were on point. NC uses mustard or vinegar based sauce, depending on the region of the state. 
2. Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse has some decent pork ribs. I could be wrong because we ate there before a NCAAB Regional Final and I was hammered. 
3. BBQ is what we do here. It’s like saying where is the best gelato outside of Italy? Or, where’s the best tequila that doesn’t come from Mexico? 
4. Like some have said...I make my own BBQ. And for me, I can tell when people use propane, liquid smoke or some other janky ass non-authentic technique. It’s wood (that I cut from my trees) and a firebox/pit. Hell, I don’t even use a thermometer. Just my hands and my eyes. 
5. Packer brisket. And don’t be trimming all the fat off. That’s the flavor. Don’t believe me? Ask @Vic Mackey. Was on sale at HEB this weekend for $1.67/lb. I loaded up. Take a friend and get 4. 

Eating brisket outside Texas... ? Pack a box of 500 toothpicks and new roll of dental floss. 

[956 Worldwide 34787]

4 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Katz’s Deli in New York smokes their pastrami and it slams hard. Is it bbq? 
 

https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/how-katz-deli-makes-their-best-pastrami.html

Hell no. It’s cured with nitrates and then smoked at low heat for over two days. Then they boil it to get it up to temperature. 
 

Awesome but not barbecue. 

[52-80 19259]

11 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Katz’s Deli in New York smokes their pastrami and it slams hard. Is it bbq? 
 

https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/how-katz-deli-makes-their-best-pastrami.html

its very tasty.  but its not bbq ,and its not as good as bbq brisket.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

3 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

its very tasty.  but its not bbq ,and its not as good as bbq brisket.

Deli, pastrami ?  Is there where we insert the obligatory the Jews did this meme ?

[52-80 19259]

2 minutes ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

Deli, pastrami ?  Is there where we insert the obligatory the Jews did this meme ?

Katz's' pastrami.  And 2nd Ave Deli's pastrami.  The rest of Jewish cuisine is pretty blech though.  (is that racist?)

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

11 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

Katz's' pastrami.  And 2nd Ave Deli's pastrami.  The rest of Jewish cuisine is pretty blech though.  (is that racist?)

Tastist maybe.

[Brisketexan 105383]

If we're defining BBQ as just "slow smoked meat, not including fish" (which I think is a fair definition), then sure, other places do good bbq.  It's not Texas BBQ, but it's still good.

There's nothing wrong with a Carolina whole-hog BBQ.  It's delicious.

There's nothing wrong with some good Memphis ribs.  Damned tasty.

And the Germans and other central Euros do some pretty good smoked sausages.

Is Montreal smoked meat BBQ?  I think not -- it's closer to pastrami than anything, which while smoked, just isn't "barbecue."  It's tasty, though.

I like all the BBQs, so long as they are done well.  Texas brisket will always be my touchstone, and favorite thing, but I'm not turning down any of the other styles I listed, which you can find in any number of cities (obviously, the best pork is in the SE US, the Memphis ribs are in memphis, the euro sausages are in Bavaria, Prague, etc.).

Edited April 5, 2021 by Brisketexan

[billfromlaketravis 11524]

I agree Katz's pastrami is not BBQ. BBQ isn't boiled. Please consider my question a thought provoking exercise. 

I would be interested to know how Roegel's on Voss prepares their famous pastrami. It's almost certainly brined, probably cured, and definitely smoked. 

Speaking of Roegel's, they occasionally smoke a whole hog. It looks to be a Saturday only thing once a month. The last social media post I saw about it was from August 2020. 

[Nivek 16987]

The reverance for Whataburger is simply amazing. I like it but I don't put it on a pedestal, that's for sure. Terrible customer service and mediocre fast food. Now it's owned by a Chicago company. However, when it comes to BBQ and Tex-Mex, ain't nobody in the world doing it as well as it's done in Texas. That said, there are places that are great outside of this state but it's incredibly rare.

Arizona.

[Nivek 16987]

The reverance for Whataburger is simply amazing. I like it but I don't put it on a pedestal, that's for sure. Terrible customer service and mediocre fast food. Now it's owned by a Chicago company. However, when it comes to BBQ and Tex-Mex, ain't nobody in the world doing it as well as it's done in Texas. That said, there are places that are great outside of this state but it's incredibly rare.

Arizona.