Amber and I spent a weekend in Houston to hang out with our friends, Sean and Kaylie. We tried Ronnie Killen's new burger place for lunch that Saturday. We enjoyed the burgers. The girls split off to go shopping, but my eating adventure was just beginning. Sean happily tagged along, I think? We had to stop at Killen's Barbecue while we were in Pearland for some dessert because I have never tried his banana pudding. Decadent. I did not want to wait in line for any smoked meats there, but I was not going to waste a trip to Houston without getting some good BBQ. Pappa Charlies Barbeque recently moved into a brick and mortar location close to Minute Maid Park. Congrats to owner/pitmaster Wes Jurena and crew on the new place! We stopped by to check it out.
With my stomach still pretty full, I took it easy and just ordered some pork ribs and 44 Farms boneless short rib burnt ends. I should have ordered a rack of the pork ribs because I could have eaten a dozen of them. I am pretty sure these are my favorite pork ribs to date. I like them sweet and spicy, and Wes' pork ribs are right up my alley. The bold finish with the tender meat makes you keep coming back for more. The burnt ends are pricey but worth every penny. You get a more even marbling by using short ribs instead of the point of a brisket. The result is a rich and more flavorful bite. You just cannot have one or two or three... Well you get the point.
I wish we lived in Houston sometimes. I am kind of tired of Austin barbecue because I eat it so much. I just want some change or something new/different. My only issue with Houston BBQ is the good places are all spread out across town. I have access to eight great places from my work within 10 miles. I guess I cannot have it all. Pappa Charlies does do a smoked meatloaf that I would love to try someday. They are also doing brunch on Sundays now too. It is also a great spot to drop in before or after a baseball/soccer game for some good 'cue and a brew. Sadly there was no dessert on the menu for me to try out. We made a detour to Roegels Barbecue Co to grab some of Misty's infamous bourbon banana pudding on the way to meet up with the girls. Damn.
Amber was doing the Whole30 diet for the month of June. I wanted to support her throughout the month so I participated. Basically you can only eat meat, fruits, and vegetables. Nothing processed. I even made smoked pork belly for breakfast. You know I love barbecue. It was going to be tough, but it worked out fine as long as you take the time to research and plan everything out. I could not have BBQ sauce, but I typically do not use sauce anyways. Here is what my BBQ eating looked like in June:
I stopped in at Schmidt Family Barbecue the first day of the month. I ordered brisket and chicken. Salt, pepper, and smoke. Simple. I stayed away from the ribs because there was sugar in the rub, and I had no idea what went into sausage they get from Kreuz Market. I made a rookie mistake. I ate pickles. The store bought pickles have a preservative in them, and that's a no-no. I fudged up on day one of the diet.
My blogged turned three on June 10th so I celebrated by going back to the place that got my blog off the ground. I wrote a review of Micklethwait Craft Meats early on, and Daniel Vaughn shared it to the world. I went with brisket, a pork rib, smoked strip loin, barbacoa (beef cheek), pulled pork, and sliced lamb shoulder. Tom Micklethwait uses a simple rub of salt and pepper so I was able to eat most of the menu. The sausage of the day had cheese in it so I stayed away. The homemade pickles were an added bonus.
I was writing a piece for Eater on Lockhart barbecue so I needed to get some newer shots of Chisholm Trail Bar-B-Que. I was able to order the Texas Trinity with no issues. You can get the pork ribs without a glaze. The sausage is seasoned with basic ingredients so I was happy with that. The pickles are only for show in this picture.
For one of my Sunday Project Smoke Days, I wanted to cook up some pork ribs. I seasoned the baby backs with just salt and pepper. I could not use a BBQ sauce or sugar for a sweet glaze so I had to find a way to add a touch of sweetness. I decided threw a third of a pineapple and a jalapeño in the Vitamix. Glazed the ribs an hour before they were done. The ribs turned out well. The meat was smoky, juicy, sweet, and spicy. A nice balance.
I had not been to Terry Black's Barbecue in a while. I also had never gotten a beef rib from there neither. Because I was limited to what I could eat, I knew I could finish the beef rib easily. Ordered a slice of moist brisket as well. Both were cooked perfectly. The beef rib had a nice crust and was super tender. Once again pickles were for decorative purposes.
Another Sunday, another smoke project. This time I decided to smoke chicken thighs and drumsticks. Once the chicken was close to being done, I covered them in a mango habanero (one mango/one habanero) purée. These were wonderful. Just enough sweetness with a good kick.
I am working on an updated review of Freedmen's Bar so I dropped in on a Friday. I ordered brisket, pulled pork, and sausage with grilled coleslaw. I checked with pitmaster Evan LeRoy ahead of time. He was very accommodating and helpful. The pulled pork has a finishing sauce that was not Whole30 approved so I asked for it not to be added. The sausage has pink salt. When I Googled pink salt, Himalayan pink salt was returned which was fine on the diet. Pink salt is actually a nitrate which is a preservative I found out later after the fact. Doh! The menu listed what was in the coleslaw (cider vinegar, caraway seed, cilantro), but it left out honey. The menu now says honey on it. The pickled vegetables added a nice change of pace.
My parents came to town and wanted to eat barbecue because they read my article on Eater. Hay's County BBQ is good, quick, and painless so I took them there. Amber and I ate the brisket, pork ribs, turkey, pork chop, and avocado. My parents ate that and everything else (also a ring of jalapeño and cheese sausage not pictured). Hay's has one of Amber's favorite briskets. My parents said it was the best barbecue they ever had. They have had bad experiences with BBQ in the past so do not eat it very often.
I lost 10 pounds in the month of June so you can definitely eat barbecue on a diet. I did miss not being able to eat the sides, banana pudding, and the homemade bread from Micklethwait and focaccia from Freedmen's. I only messed up twice on the diet. Both happened to be while I was eating barbecue out. With some careful planning, Whole30 and BBQ can coexist.
When we visited CorkScrew Barbecue for the first time, Amber was not happy with me. It was hot and humid, and she did not know it was a trailer at the time. We waited about an hour and a half outside in the heat. Since then, CorkScrew has moved into a brick and mortar in Old Town Spring. On this particular Saturday, we got up early and arrived 30 minutes before they opened. There is a number system which lets you hangout wherever, inside or outside, without waiting in a line. We bought a couple of beers and hung out in the air conditioning.
Beef ribs are only available on Saturdays so we had to order one. They charge 20 bucks per bone instead of per pound. This allows for faster service plus it comes out cheaper for the customer. I ordered some brisket and pork ribs with mac and cheese as well. Amber got some brisket tacos and cherry cobbler. Everything was great. The meats were seasoned well and cooked to the ideal texture. They have two Oyler smokers that do all of the heavy lifting and provided a good amount of smoke. A lot of people say CorkScrew is their favorite brisket in Houston, and I could see why with the silky, tender beef. The beef rib did not disappoint. The peppery bark made love with the rich meat and was divine to eat. The pork ribs were no slouch either. The meaty rib did not give up much fight as I bite into it. I definitely ordered too much and could not eat it all. I did not order any sausage assuming it was the same old commercial sausage I had last time. It was not. I ended up tasting it at the Houston BBQ Festival the next day. It is a new recipe that the Buckmans came up with that is made for them off-site. It had a good flavor and a nice spice to it.
Husband and wife duo Will and Nichole Buckman are killing it in the northern parts of Houston. It is a drive to CorkScrew, and the anticipation and excitement builds as every mile passes. With the first bite into the smoky meat, you know it is worth it. I will try to make it there more often, but with the Houston barbecue scene the way it is, it can be tough. The Buckman and company sell out later on Saturdays and basically every day they are open now at the new location. Plan ahead and make the trek up there after the lunch rush. Just pay attention to their social media accounts for updates.
