Smoked Pork Belly

I said it once and I will say it again. I am a sucker for pork belly. If I see it on the menu, there is a 99% chance I will order it. Amber was doing the Whole30 diet the month of June. I wanted to support her and chose to participate as well. The diet only lets you eat meat, fruits, and vegetables. Basically we could not eat anything processed, sugar, dairy, bread, legumes, nor drink alcohol. Lame. Not being able to eat bacon for breakfast was going to be an issue. You can buy uncured bacon, but it is hard to find ones without sugar. If you do find it, you pay a premium for it. I recently saw that Costco sold slabs of pork belly. I took this opportunity to smoke my own pork belly.

The slab from Costco weighed over nine pounds, and there was no skin. I did not have to remove the skin, but then I could not make cracklings. Catch-22. I did not have time to cure the belly plus it adds a lot of salt. I rubbed the meat down with coarse black pepper and Hawaiian sea salt for added color. The next time I am smoking a pork belly, I will be more liberal with the seasoning. Probably apply the rub until I see nothing but black. I asked and looked around to see what the finishing internal temperature should be. It ranged from 160 degrees to over 200. I did not want to risk having pulled pork if I went too high. My goal was to hit 175. The meat was in an oak smoke bath for eight hours.

I let the belly rest for about 30 minutes before I cut into it. Once I started cutting, I could not stop eating. It was so tasty. The meat was rich and smoky. I finally stopped eating long enough to section the slab into 3 pieces. One was for breakfast. Another for the next part of this post. The other? No idea? Any suggestions? I sliced the section for breakfast thin. They were easy to crisp up in a frying pan and was great every morning I ate them. I thought this smoking adventure was a success.

I love me some bacon burnt ends from Heim Barbecue. I also saw that Pappa Charlies was doing char sui pork belly as specials. I decided to combine both ideas into one. I grew up eating a lot of Chinese BBQ and well you know my affinity for Texas BBQ. The perfect combo. You can find char sui sauce at your local Asian market. The one I bought was from Lee Kum Kee and came in an eight ounce jar. I cubed up about three pounds of the cold smoked pork belly and covered it with the sauce. I gave it about two hours worth of smoke to get the internal temperature to 195 degrees.

Damn. The pieces were fantastic. They were sweet, sticky, and smoky. There was a ton of flavor. I ate them with a bowl of rice and was happy as a clam. I would make those again for sure. I might play with different flavors first, the next time I do bacon burnt ends.

Until next time, happy smoking...

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Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q (First Impression)

At last, I have come to the final stop of the day on my East Texas barbecue tour. I started at Bodacious and continued to Joseph's Riverport. I actually stopped at Country Tavern in Kilgore but only got the baby back ribs. They were saucy and were not bad at all. I was by myself and was extremely full after that. I checked into my hotel in Tyler and hung out for a little bit. I headed to Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q around 6:30 for dinner. There was a short wait.

When I arrived at the front of the line, I ordered the Four Meat Sampler Plate. I got moist brisket, baby back pork ribs, pulled pork, and turkey. The turkey was one of the better ones I have eaten. It had a nice flavor and was very juicy. I could not resist the sweet and saucy baby back pork ribs. With every bite, I wanted more. The tender, moist rib meat came away nicely from the bone. I probably should have ordered a half rack of them and called it a day. The pulled pork was fine. It was a little dry and lackluster in flavor though. I received lean brisket instead of moist. I could not eat it. It was dry as a desert. I went back to the counter and asked for moist. It was a little bit better. I am chalking up the quality to me being there later in the day. Before the Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival the next day, I came back to get the Mother Clucker. It is a spiked and smoked chicken thigh filet with spicy BBQ mayo, cheddar cheese, topped with an over easy fried egg and served on toasted jalapeno cheese sourdough. I upgraded mine with house-made guacamole and candied bacon and made it a Cadillac Clucker. Holy hell! It was delicious. I ate all of it at the expense of my Red Dirt experience. The depth of flavors, the textures... Man o man.

Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q is on the Texas Monthly Top 50 list. They must be doing something right. I guess I just went at the wrong time for brisket. I need to come back during lunch time. It is hard because I want to go back to Bodacious and Joseph's Riverport as well. The ribs, turkey, and the Mother Clucker were outstanding. They have quite a few good things going. Until next year. Grade: N/A

Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 525 S Beckham Ave, Tyler, TX 75702
Phone: 903.593.0311
Website: http://stanleysfamous.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stanleysfamous
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stanleysfamous

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Evie Mae's Pit Barbecue (Revisit)

My wife's family lives in Lubbock, and I dread that trip every time we go. There is no good barbecue in the area until recently. I think I am more excited to go to Lubbock than my wife now. Evie Mae's Pit Barbecue moved into a brick and mortar location a few months ago. They were having their grand opening celebration over the July 4th weekend which we were invited to. We were due for a trip to see Amber's family, and the timing could not be more perfect. Here are some pictures of the new location and from the event:

Congratulations to one of the nicest couple you will ever meet. They are also planning to expand into the space next door for more seating and opening a bakery. About 300 people showed up to the grand opening event. It was a good time, and there was a lot of tasty barbecue to eat. They smoked four whole pigs for it. Thanks to Arnis and Mallory Robbins for having Amber and me. I wish them good luck. I will be sure to stop in every time we are in town.

Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 217 Highway 62, Wolfforth, TX 79382
Phone: (806) 782-2281
Website: http://www.eviemaesbbq.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EvieMaesBarbecue
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eviemaesbbq

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Joesph's Riverport Bar-B-Que

I headed to East Texas a day before the 2016 Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festivalto explore the barbecue in the region. I was off to a good start with a stop at Bodacious Bar-B-Q. The second destination of the day was at Joesph's Riverport Bar-B-Que up in Jefferson. The Texas Monthly Top 50 currently includes Riverport so I was excited to see what was in store for me. Pitmaster/owner Stephen Joseph has been there since 1991 and took over the business in 1993. An electrical fire gutted the building in 2012. Stephen had to get a new Bewley smoker and build the place back up from its ashes.

I did not go crazy at Bodacious so I had plenty of stomach space to spare. I went with a three-meat plate and ordered brisket, pork ribs, and pulled pork with Cajun fries and potato salad on the side. When I received my meal, I was like what?! All this for 13 bucks?! I felt like I was stealing. The tender, smoky brisket was easy to eat. I was pleasantly surprised. The bark was seasoned by salt and pepper and also cayenne and garlic. It had a good flavor to it. The meaty pork ribs were no joke. The juicy meat came away from the bone easy and had a sweet finish to them. I wanted to eat more than one but needed to pace myself. The trend of good smoked meats continued on to the pulled pork. My mouth enjoyed the succulent bites of pork. It had a nice texture and taste to it. All the sides are house-made. They even cut their own fries. The potato salad was solid. The fries were wonderful. I ate all of the sides. Stupid mistake. Stephen brought me out a half order of the Swamp Fries to try. It comes loaded with Cajun fries, cheese, onions, jalapeños, bacon, and topped with chopped beef. It is a meal in itself. I could not stop eating it and somehow ended up finishing it all. Tasty and fulfilling.

Although Jefferson is a ways off of I-20, it is worth going out of the way to check out Joesph's Riverport Bar-B-Que. The quality and value makes it a no-brainer. I will try to stop by again next year. I really want to do the Swamp Fries challenge. It is basically five pounds of meat and fries. No one has come close to completing it. If I attempt it, I would probably be useless the next day. Anyone want to come join me for moral support? Do yourself a favor and visit Stephen and company. He is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. East Texas BBQ was treating me well so far on this trip. Grade: B+

Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 201 N Polk St, Jefferson, TX 75657
Phone: (903) 665-2341
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riverportbbq/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ETXpitboss

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Bodacious Bar-B-Q (Longview- Mobberly)

I was headed to the 2016 Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival. The plan was to make the most of it and hit a few spots in East Texas the day before event. The original Bodacious Bar-B-Q opened up in 1968. Additional chain restaurants opened up later, but each one is individually and operated. The original location temporary closed when owner Roland Lindsey got ill. Lindsey's son-in-law Jordan Jackson had a culinary background and worked at Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q in Tyler. The restaurant is now open again with Jackson manning the pits and with Roland's health better. This was the first stop of my day.

I wanted to get to Bodacious by opening but ended up arriving right before noon. I was all alone on this four stop BBQ trip so I had to pace myself. I ordered a little bit of brisket, baby back pork ribs, and some homemade sausage. The brisket was... how would you describe it... stupendous. I have not been introduced to a good brisket in a while so it was a nice surprise. I could not stop myself from eating the tender beef. I kept reminding myself I had three more stops. The briskets are smoked for 20-22 hours!? They start in a mesquite smoke bath and finish with post oak. The bark and the well-rendered fat made for some good eating. The baby backs were pretty tasty. The sweet, smoky, and juicy meat did not give up a fight as it came away from the bone. Once again, my multiple stops day was putting a damper on things. I could have eaten a half rack easily if not a full one. The homemade sausage was a good effort. The brisket and pork shoulder blend had a good amount of fat, and the casing could barely hold everything together. I would have prefer a beefier sausage. Not pictured is the beans they give away. Although I only ate two bites, I thought they were on the better end of beans I have eaten.

The original Bodacious Bar-B-Q will be on my schedule every time I go to Red Dirt. The smoked meats were superb. I did not get to try the pulled pork but will definitely next time. Jackson and crew are doing great things. The locals do not know how good they have it. Some of them got turned off from other Bodacious locations and do not know what they are missing out. Grade: B+

Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 2227 Mobberly Ave, Longview, TX 75602
Phone: (903) 753-8409
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bodacious-Bar-B-Q/122487554438194
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebodaciousbbq

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Hometown Bar-B-Que (Revisit)

Our friend Amanda introduced us to the Hamilton musical back in August of last year. After a couple of listens, we were hooked and wanted to go to a show. Tickets were sold out through the middle of April! We found a Friday showing that worked for the three of us. It also split Amanda's and Amber's birthday. Perfect timing. I wanted to drop in at a couple of BBQ stops while we were in NYC as well. The first stop was Hometown Bar-B-Que. We went to Hometown back in December of 2014 and enjoyed it. I ditched the girls, had my subway/bus card ready to go, and headed to Red Hook. I had just missed owner/pitmaster Billy Durney when I got there.



I eat a ton of barbecue. Maybe not as much as some but definitely more than most people. Before getting there, I knew I wanted to try your not so average BBQ items. I ordered the pastrami bacon, Vietnamese hot wings, and the Chinese sticky ribs. Everything I got was smoked first then fried or grilled. I kept seeing the pastrami bacon plastered across social media and was jealous. I was finally getting to try it. It was wonderful. Bacon in general is already fantastic, but this took it to another level. My taste buds were very pleased. Each bite consisted of a smoky, rich, and tender meat. If you follow me on my social media accounts, you know I love Asian influences in barbecue. The Vietnamese hot wings surprised me in a good way. It was one of the better things I ate on that trip. There was a nice spice to it, and the cilantro ranch gave it nice balance. Eater even put up a video on to make the wings and the dip. Billy and crew uses baby back pork ribs for the Chinese sticky ribs. They were good and tasty. The meat was moist and easy to come off the bone. The sauce was on the sweeter side.

I wanted to check out the pits at their offsite location, a few blocks over but there was no one available. I wanted to see the pits that Aaron Franklin built for Billy. Maybe next time I am in NYC? It was a welcome change to eat something other than your Texas trinity. If you ever in the area, go check out Hometown Bar-B-Que. Get your traditional BBQ items or be adventurous and order the wings, tacos, and/or etc. Whatever it is, Billy and pit crew are doing great things in Red Hook/Brooklyn/NYC. He is also opening a fried chicken place soon.

Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 454 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Phone: (347) 294-4644
Website: http://www.hometownbarbque.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hometownbarbque
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HometownBarBQue

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FullHouse BBQ (First Impression)

We do not have a lot of reasons to go to Georgetown. I know we pass through it every time we go to Dallas, but that is about it. A friend of ours was having a get together at her parents' house in Georgetown so it was a good opportunity for me to stop in at FullHouse BBQ. Fullhouse has been on my list to visit for a few years now. They used to be more accessible to me when they were still at the GoodLife Food Park (home of La Barbecue for a little bit as well) in Austin. Robert Garrett and his trailer have been up in Georgetown since August 2014.

The baby back pork ribs special is only on Fridays and Saturdays. This particular weekend their meat supplier did not deliver any. I was a little bummed. I ordered a two-meat plate with moist brisket and homemade sausage. It came with potato salad and beans. I also got some brisket end pieces to try. The brisket was solid. It had a great flavor, the fat was rendered nicely, and the meat was moist and tender. I thought they could have done a better job with trimming the brisket prior to smoking it. The fat cap was about a half inch thick. I could not bring myself to eat it. The brisket end pieces were enjoyable. It gave me a better idea of the smoke profile. The homemade sausage was a welcome surprise. The beef sausage which comprised mostly of brisket had a nice depth of flavor. The casing was snappy, and the grind was coarse to my liking. Both homemade sides were delicious. The beans were one of the better beans I have eaten.

I ate everything in front of me. I would say my first visit to FullHouse BBQ was a success even if I did not get to try any pork products. I guess it gives me a reason to come back to do a full review. Go check out FullHouse BBQ in Georgetown. Grade: N/A
Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 402 W Morrow St, Georgetown, TX 78626
Phone: (512) 608-3803
Website: http://www.fullhousebbq.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FullhouseBBQ/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fullhousebbq

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