Tales From The Pits, A Texas Bbq Podcast

It's taken us three years of making sausage before we felt like we could truly speak on the art of craft sausage. A number of people have asked us to do an episode similar to our Ribs 101 and so here it is - Tales From the Pits Sausage 101. This is a crash course in the basics of making fresh cooked sausage; from what equipment to buy, to the best tips we've learned, and finally we provide a base recipe for you to enhance. Mentioned in the episode and a great resource is the A&M Creative Sausage Making class. Here is a link to the class in 2018 that Bryan attended: https://meat.tamu.edu/2018/01/22/2018-creative-sausage-making-course-tamu/ The class is usually held in the second week of January and while not available to register at the time of this episode, the link will be available from here: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/ A&M also hosts other valuable courses such as Beef 101 and Pork 101, plus the immensely popular Brisket Camp and Barbecue Camp events which are held in conjunction wit

After an enlightening visit to Lockhart and Taylor BBQ joints, Robert Lerma moved to Texas. While holding down a full time job his passion for capturing the essence of Texas barbecue in the people, restaurants, and food launched a photography business that has set him apart as one of the top in the segment. While still maintaining his weekly job his photography gig has taken him across the world. He has built a special bond with those he chooses to work with and has been able to capture moments that are unique and connect with his audience. Not only have his photos been published in national magazines and elsewhere, you can also see his work hanging in many barbecue joints such as Brotherton's Black Iron Barbecue in Pflugerville and Corkscrew Barbecue in Spring.  You can purchase directly from his website at http://www.robertjacoblerma.com/online-store/images Contact: http://www.robertjacoblerma.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertjacoblerma/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertjacobler

Bradley “Chud” Robinson is one of the most talented people in barbecue. As one of the pitmasters at the great LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, he helps produce some of the best fire cooked meats in Texas. As if that full-time job wasn’t enough, Bradley also builds BBQ pits. LeRoy and Lewis cook a lot of their food on pits he’s built or modified. Chud BBQ Pits are custom built to order and Bradley currently offers offset backyard smokers, 250 gallon propane tank based pits, and his Chud Box direct heat pits. One of the unique benefits of Chud BBQ Pits is that it gives the consumer the opportunity to purchase a pit from a builder who’s also a working pitmaster and designs his pits with years of cooking experience to draw from. Contact Bradley via Instagram if you’re looking to order a Chud BBQ Pit. Instagram: @chudsbbq  

In this episode: - Recap of a 9 stop BBQ run with 3 top 10 BBQ joints - Upcoming BBQ fests - Listener Questions In the heat of the summer it can be uncomfortable downing brisket at every stop of a barbecue run, especially if you like the moist side of the brisket like we do. The rich, fatty meat can drag you down if you don't pace yourself. We came up with the idea to do another run focused on pork steak with some sausage thrown in. First time BBQ run buddies Tom Weldin and Derek Wedel joined us along with longtime friend and veteran of multiple runs Terry Osborn who drove in from San Antonio. Cory Gregg met us at Snow's, our first stop for some early morning shenanigans. We did chow down on some brisket during the trip at each of the three Texas Monthly Top 10 joints we stopped at, we just couldn't avoid it altogether. Itinerary: Snow's BBQ: Pork Steak, Brisket, Ribs, Chicken City Meat Market (Giddings): Pork Steak, Sausage Prause Meat Market: Sausage City Market (Schulenberg): Sausage Kolacny Bar-B-Q a

Dustin Pustka, a classically trained chef who'd worked in professional kitchens for years, had grown tired of that aspect of the food world and began gravitating towards a less fussy, more comfort style of cuisine. Having grown up cooking barbecue with his family, it was a natural progression for him to return to those roots. Dustin and his father launched their BBQ food truck north of Austin in the small town of Hutto, Texas in October, 2017. While the early days were a struggle, people soon began to take notice of the quality food being produced by Pustka. Praise within the barbecue community and accolades from media would soon follow.   Pustka Family Barbeque has grown since those early days, as have their crowds. They've recently had a larger pit built to eventually help them increase capacity, and a brick and mortar location should be coming sooner than later. Open six days a week, they're an easy stop just outside the big city and the future is bright for Pustka.     https://www.facebook.com/pustkafami

Austin Smoke Works have been building some of the barbecue world’s most sought after smokers for years. With a pit design that includes an insulated firebox and efficient draw of smoke through the cook chamber, some of the best Texas barbecue has come off of Austin Smoke Works pits over the last several years.  Jimbo Glass, who has been building pits with Austin Smoke Works since its early days alongside founders John Lewis Sr. And John Lewis Jr. recently took over the company from the Lewis family. Glass along with his team of Jason Lind and Mike Dailey have begun producing pits at a faster pace and have a reconfigured pricing structure that is comparable to the other major pit builders in the industry. At the time of this recording (July 2019) Austin Smoke Works has a much shorter wait time than has become commonplace in the BBQ pit retail world and can currently deliver pits within two months of purchase. If a new offset smoker is in your plans Austin Smoke Works is a great option. Contact Austin Smoke

WOW One of the largest food events of the year is held every July in Chicago. Windy City Smokeout brings together some of the biggest names in BBQ and country music. We were fortunate to have had the opportunity to join the Feges BBQ team this year to help prepare and serve their menu to the festival goers. The logistics of preparing, cooking, and serving this volume of food for a three day event is incredible, and we learned a lot about just how much work it takes to put together an operation of this magnitude. We cannot thank Patrick and Erin from Feges BBQ enough for letting us be part of their crew for the weekend.  We learned a lot and our respect for those in the barbecue world just keeps growing as we continue to see the tireless work ethic displayed by so many during this epic festival. Tune in for a recap of the festivities and a truly unforgettable experience for us. The 2020 Windy City Smokeout will be held July 10-12 For more information and to see just how big this event is, visit https://ww

First year growth To say the first year in business for Helberg Barbecue was eventful would be a massive understatement. From the early beginnings in their small trailer to multiple accolades, personal and professional growth, and now a brick and mortar building in addition to their food trailer, Phillip and Yvette Helberg have gone on quite the ride. We sat down with several members of the Helberg team to discuss the journey so far, each person's role in the business, and the future for this talented crew that has an unwavering commitment to quality. Listen in as Phil, Yvette, The Doc, Chef Matt, and Chance fill us in on the new restaurant, menu items, and each of their paths to get where they are now.   Previous Episodes Catch our original two part interview Episodes 55 and 56   Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helbergranch/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/helbergranch                Food Trailer https://www.instagram.com/helbergonaustin/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelbergRanch Website: h

Road Trips that maximize the stops within short timelines In the second installment of our BBQ road trip tips we provide sample itineraries for the hardcore BBQ fan trying to sample as many restaurants as possible in a short amount of time. We give tips on what to order, timing of each stop, and various other pieces of advice to maximize your time in order to get in as many stops as possible in both Austin and Houston. We also discuss which Dallas/Fort Worth stops should be on your list. The Top Ten Challenge At the end of the episode we lay out a guide to eat at every BBQ joint in the Texas Monthly Top Ten in only a few days. We've had multiple people asked if it could be done, so we share our thoughts on how one could pull off such a feat, though we highly recommend spacing out your great BBQ stops so that you can enjoy them!    Subscribe to The Smoke Sheet! This week's episode is brought to you by our buddies Sean and Ryan at The Smoke Sheet The Smoke Sheet brings you weekly news, events, recipes and mo

Chris Magallanes and Ernest Morales are longtime friends who grew up cooking backyard barbecue and eventually foraying into competition cooking. Trips to places like the former John Mueller Meat Co. inspired them to start cooking more Central Texas style retail barbecue, and they soon began to envision a food truck business.   After honing their craft serving at bars, breweries, and wherever they could find to help grow their business, Chris and Ernie jumped at the opportunity to set up at Republic Bar in Fort Worth, which was the original home of Heim Barbecue in their food truck days.   With items like pork belly burnt end jalapeño poppers and brisket loaded elotes, Panther City has built a strong following with unique menu options combined with barbecue menu essentials. Construction is underway and nearing completion on patio seating for their customers and additional pits are on the way, which means Panther City will be able to offer an expanded menu with lunch and dinner hours in the near future.   Panth

Listen to part one of our episode with Todd David of Cattleack Barbeque to hear about his early days of cooking barbecue and starting the business.   In part two of our talk with Todd, we discuss the effect being named the third best BBQ joint in Texas by Texas Monthly has had on the business and the pressure to live up to such acclaim. Todd also talks about his whole hog cooking process, his desire to keep learning and tweaking his products, and the unrelenting commitment to making great barbecue that drives him. Location: 13628 Gamma Rd Dallas, TX 75244 Hours: Thursdays 10:30am – 2pm Fridays 10:30am – 2pm 1st Saturdays 10:30 am – 2pm Catch Cattleack Barbeque on the internet at: https://www.cattleackbbq.com/ https://www.instagram.com/cattleackbbq/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CattleackBarbeque Twitter: https://twitter.com/cattleackbbq @cattleackbbq

Todd David was a barbecue fan long before he owned a barbecue restaurant. He was grilling and smoking meats as a young man growing up in St. Louis, and that passion only grew once he moved to Dallas. It would be a long time, however, before BBQ would become a business for the David family. Toddn ahis wife Misty owned and operated a commercial cleaning and restoration company in Dallas for many years and would host monthly barbecue lunches for their customers. Over time the lunches grew in volume, and after a long and successful career they decided to sell their restoration company but continue catering for large events. The original plan for Cattleack Barbeque was to be mainly a catering operation, but that would quickly change as they'd serve lunches from their small storefront and word spread on the high level of quality being produced. The accolades would soon follow as local media and BBQ enthusiasts discovered what the Davids were producing. In May of 2017 they were named the third best BBQ joint in Te

A tradition of family cookouts in his youth was the inspiration for Joe Zavala to buy his first smoker when he and his wife Christan became homeowners. As Joe tinkered with his cooks and his brisket game grew stronger, he launched an ambitious (but not exactly profitable) plan to cook and deliver his barbecue to customers all over the Dallas and Fort Worth area.  With encouragement from Christan and longtime friends C.J. and Drew, Zavala’s Barbecue began serving in pop up form at a few events in the Grand Prairie area. Word was quickly spreading about the quality of food they were producing, and soon Zavala’s was serving their food every Saturday at The Brass Bean in Grand Prairie. As the buzz continued, Zavala’s would cook as much as their smokers could hold, but the sellout sign would still be posted within a few hours of opening as the locals couldn’t get enough of Joe and crew’s smoked meats. They began looking for a more permanent spot to be able to cook and serve, and eventually found an old building

Dayne's Craft Barbecue is another quality edition to the growing barbecue scene in Fort Worth, Texas. Early memories of his dad cooking ribs eventually lead to Dayne’s fiancée Ashley buying him his first smoker and learning the craft. Inspired by the underground barbecue scene of California, Dayne began hosting his own underground pop ups. As he continued honing his skills and building an audience, brewery pop ups would follow. Dayne's Craft Barbecue recently made the leap to building out a brick and mortar with an anticipated opening date of late summer 2019. For the time being keep an eye out for regular pop ups as the restaurant is built. With a menu of high quality meats, housemade sausages and scratch sides, Dayne is well on the way to making his mark in the Fort Worth scene. For more information catch Dayne's Craft Barbecue on the web at: https://daynescraftbarbecue.com/ Twitter: @daynetxbbq Instagram: daynetxbbq  

It had been too long since our last roadtrip up to DFW so we gassed up the BBQ wagon and set off to the metroplex. While we have a long list of locations we need to scout out we were able to squeeze in five on this trip. Starting with Cattleack we checked into the Pitmasters and Punch morning chat that Todd David hosts, followed by whole hog and as much of the menu as we could eat at Cattleack before checking out Zavala's, Panther City, Dayne's, and Finally Flores before getting back on I45 and making our way back south. We were very impressed with the barbecue scene and barbecue community that is really flourishing up that way. Round two will come later this summer with Goldees, Smiley's, Riscky's, Hurtado, Brix, Slow Bone, and Ferris Wheeler's on our check list of places we need to go visit. Who else should we put on our list? Let us know on Instagram: TalesFromthePits or Twitter: @BBQPodcast We apologize for the audio quality on this one, as even more than normal its not optimal. We continue to exp

The barbecue world has long been seen as a largely male dominated industry, with womens’ contributions to the profession often being overlooked. But the truth about many BBQ operations is that they would not be what they are without the hard work and passion of a growing number of women in BBQ. There are female pitmasters, BBQ restaurant owner/ operators, managers, sausage makers, cooks, meat cutters, and a myriad of other jobs in the barbecue world.  In this episode we’re joined by three of the great women in barbecue: Misty Roegels, Owner/Operator at Roegels Barbecue Co., Mallory Robbins, Owner/Operator at Evie Mae’s Pit Barbeque, and Aubrie Hood, General Manager at Evie Mae’s. Please tune in as they discuss a wide range of topics from the difficulties of being a woman in what is perceived as a male dominated industry, raising a family while operating a restaurant, and more.  

We were privileged to sit down with some great people in the BBQ world during the Red Dirt BBQ and Music Festival. The Red Dirt Festival takes place every May in Tyler, Texas and is widely considered the can't-miss BBQ event in Texas. Some of the state's best BBQ joints serve up tasty bites and in the evening Tyler's downtown square turns into an even bigger party as prominent Red Dirt music acts take the stage for thousands of fans.   Tickets for Red Dirt sell out within hours, be ready for 2020 and make sure to keep up with info at: https://reddirtbbqfest.com/ https://twitter.com/reddirtbbqfest https://www.instagram.com/reddirtbbqfest/     This year we were joined by Jordan Jackson and Bryan Bingham of Bodacious Bar-B-Q, Dylan Taylor of Goldee's BBQ, and Cody Sperry of HooDoo Brown Barbeque in Ridgefield, Connecticut for a raucous and wide ranging roundtable. Topics for this episode include everyone's BBQ "a ha" moment, everyone's "Death Row last meal," and so much more.      

We've been traveling across Texas for years seeking out the best and most unique barbecue stops around the state. Through lots of research and plenty of trial and error we've had a lot of successful BBQ runs where we've been able to try a wide array of places in a single day or weekend. As Texas BBQ has become increasingly popular, we've had so many folks reach out to us asking for tips about which places to go and which routes to take. To help out our fellow smoked meat travelers, we're putting together some episodes to help plan out the best route options suitable for everyone's interests.   Part one of this series focuses on a few different groups: The Casual BBQ Fan, The Prospective Restaurateur, and The BBQ History Buff. Each type of BBQ traveler will want to plan their trip differently to suit their interests, so we've put together some thoughts and tips suited for each of these categories. Whether you're only looking to hit up a few spots over the course of a weekend, if you're looking to see differen

When Ronnie Webber was ready to retire from the Houston Police Department, he and his wife Nancy had their sites set on opening a barbecue restaurant. With no restaurant operation experience but a passion for cooking, the Webbers invested their savings into opening Tin Roof BBQ in June 2001. The then small restaurant was a success in its original location, but as they were ready to grow the business they knew a change was needed for an expansion of their operation. The Webber family moved their location and expanded it in Atascocita, a suburb north of Houston. Tin Roof BBQ immediately immersed themselves in the community, and the neighborhood embraced them as well. Tin Roof remains dedicated to giving back to their community and those in need, generously contributing their time towards raising awareness and funding for different worthy causes.   Ronnie and Nancy's son Brek grew up in the restaurant, went to school, and returned to help operate and continue to grow the family business. As the restaurant is ab

There’s quite a bit going on in the BBQ world these days with openings and closings and special events happening seemingly every week. We take some time in this episode to talk about what we’ve been up to in BBQ lately, what’s coming up this spring, and answer some listener questions. We have a lot planned for the spring and summer, but if there’s anything you think we need to add to our calendar, let us know! We’re also always taking listener questions, so DM us on social media or email us anytime.   Twitter: @bbqpodcast Instagram: @talesfromthepits Email: talesfromthepits@gmail.com