A few years ago we drove from Albuquerque, NM to Shreveport, LA and back, and made it a point to try four or five barbecue places along the way. We had some hits and some misses, but really, the misses weren't all that bad compared with what is available here in Seattle. Yesterday, we just returned from a trip to Kerrville and Austin, TX to visit the family and get a smoky taste of the homeland. The day we arrived we hit the original Rudy's BBQ in Leon Springs, TX outside of San Antonio, a solid and consistent #1 in my book for beef brisket. Later in the week, on our way from Kerrville over to Austin, we stopped in at Cooper's Pit Barbecue in Llano, TX. Cooper's is now the undisputed #1. At Cooper's, you line up with all the Llano regulars and tourists alike and wait to go to the side of the building where you pick the meat you want right out of the smoker (pictured above). Brisket, half chickens, pork ribs, sausage links -- its all there for the picking. You don't even know what the prices are or how much it will cost until you take your tray of meat inside and they weight it, and you don't care. Inside you buy side dishes and drinks, then sit down to picnic tables with loaves of white bread placed around and devour your meat. The brisket was excellent, fatty on top, super moist and full flavored with a pepper crust and just the right amount of smoke. Oh, and there is a big pot of pinto beans with jalapenos stewing next to the drink machine that you don't want to miss. The beans are free.
A few years ago we drove from Albuquerque, NM to Shreveport, LA and back, and made it a point to try four or five barbecue places along the way. We had some hits and some misses, but really, the misses weren't all that bad compared with what is available here in Seattle. Yesterday, we just returned from a trip to Kerrville and Austin, TX to visit the family and get a smoky taste of the homeland. The day we arrived we hit the original Rudy's BBQ in Leon Springs, TX outside of San Antonio, a solid and consistent #1 in my book for beef brisket. Later in the week, on our way from Kerrville over to Austin, we stopped in at Cooper's Pit Barbecue in Llano, TX. Cooper's is now the undisputed #1. At Cooper's, you line up with all the Llano regulars and tourists alike and wait to go to the side of the building where you pick the meat you want right out of the smoker (pictured above). Brisket, half chickens, pork ribs, sausage links -- its all there for the picking. You don't even know what the prices are or how much it will cost until you take your tray of meat inside and they weight it, and you don't care. Inside you buy side dishes and drinks, then sit down to picnic tables with loaves of white bread placed around and devour your meat. The brisket was excellent, fatty on top, super moist and full flavored with a pepper crust and just the right amount of smoke. Oh, and there is a big pot of pinto beans with jalapenos stewing next to the drink machine that you don't want to miss. The beans are free.
This was Spring Break week for UW, and since there was no money (or spousal consent) to spend the break in Cancun this year, a localized "mancation" was crafted. Two days of spring snowboarding, a WHL playoff hockey game, and a trip to the pantheon of cured meats in Seattle, Salumi, for a an epic sandwich. If only these days could last forever...
