Best BBQ Show

Flores Barbecue in Whitney is one of the top barbecue destinations in the state, according to Texas Monthly, which named it to its “Top 50 Best Barbecue Joints in Texas” list. "I cook my food the way I like it and it seems like a lot of people like it that way," owner Michael Wyont said. "We do put a lot of work into it,” Wyont said. “We make all of our salads from scratch, we make our brisket it smokes from 12 to 14 hours.” The owner knows the secret isn’t in the sauce. Instead, he says, it’s the pickles. “They will come back and they'll say ‘your brisket was really good, but man those pickles were amazing.’” If you're a real #meatman you know that sides are just as important as the food that these masters cook! Michael, who has been cooking barbecue since he was 11, said one of his major barbecue influences has been Roy Perez at Kreuz Market. His dad and uncle would mess around with a smoker on the weekends, but, Michael said, “I knew there was more to it than what they were doing.” A stint at the Texas Culinary Academy put him on track toward opening his own place where he smokes with the same wood Perez uses: post oak. It provides a sweet kiss of smoke on the prime-grade briskets. The tender slices were peppery with just enough salt. And, despite the forty-degree temperatures and a slight breeze when I visited recently, the meat stayed juicy. The same can be said for the mound of pulled pork I ordered. Moist and pleasantly fatty, each strand had some smoky bark clinging to it. A dip in the sauce, a dead-ringer for the orange nectar from City Market in Luling, was unnecessary, but I couldn’t stop. Nor could I with the excellent housemade dill pickles. Louie's BBQ is located on south Congress Ave in Austin, TX. You can find it just south of the 290 Highway in a sea of food trucks. This isn't his first location but Luis Vasquez has been getting a ton of acclaim since he opened. One of my favorite reviews is on his facebook page from a guy named Chris Higgins, "The brisket! Oh my, the brisket! It’s like eating cake. So good. And the Sleeper. The Sleeper will hurt you. You have got to get to Louie’s. By far the best brisket I’ve ever had. Highly recommended. Get there early because they sell out daily." Like most BBQ in Austin you gotta get it early if you want to get any. Luis is humble about his skills and truly takes on the duty of a Texas pit master. He also has great shady seating where you can smell that delicious que cooking while you have yours. His sides are not to be missed as well. The mac and cheese is smooooth and his cole slaw has a little lime and cilantro that truly cuts all the heaviness of the meat on your plate. Good sides give your stomach a break from the grease so that you can eat even more. His street corn is classic with a few of his own twists and not to be missed. Most importantly he has Topo Chico. Not just the regular kind but the twist of lime as well. I know I can't get too far into a plate of BBQ without a little Topo. Both of these #meatmen were great guests on the show and I am grateful for all their hard work. They truly put in the time it takes to keep the BBQ scene alive. Sometimes when you're sitting in line or waiting for your lunch break to start you forget that these pit masters are slaving away, every day, to cook you great food. Thank them an extra time today. Write them a 5 star review and leave a comment reminding them that all the hard work is worth it. I'm thankful for BBQ. I'm not sure what I would do without it.

Enjoy this wide ranging conversation we had with Rec Tec Grills Marketing Director Jody Flanagan. Jody was part of the team that cooked with The Shed and the 1st place wings at Memphis in May were cooked on a Rec Tec grill. They also made a ton of food all weekend including a huge tomahawk steak roast! Get on our Facebook or Youtube and see the interview yourself! You’ve tried it all: gas with no flavor, charcoal that doesn’t stay lit, a combination of the two that contributed to your cooking issues, and the solution you were looking for simply wasn’t available. No one likes to “settle” and thanks to REC TEC, you don’t have to. You no longer have to endure a labor-intensive cook, flavorless meals, or caveman technology. The REC TEC grill takes the worry out of cooking, allowing you the flexibility to walk away and never babysit your grill again, while still achieving the enhanced flavor of cooking with real wood. Whether you’re a newbie or an experienced pit-master, they have you covered. As soon as you turn on your REC TEC Wood Pellet Grill, the Smart Grill processor goes to work by energizing the igniter rod located in the grill’s fire pot and adding just enough fuel to your fire pot to start the fire without smothering the flames. After a few minutes you see and smell the smoke coming from your grill. Then the thick smoke from the lighting sequence clears and the thin clean smoke starts to roll. At this time your Smart Grill processor starts adding more pellet fuel and your temperature starts to climb toward your selected temperature. As the grill temperature closes in on your set point temperature, the Smart Grill processor analyzes the grill’s temperature data and calculates the proper pellet feed rate needed to reach temperature and hold steady while you cook. When you open your grill lid to add food or check your progress heat will escape. When this happens the Smart Grill processor will start adding pellets and recalculating the necessary fuel to bring your temperature back to your set point. Additionally, as your food increases in temperature or the outdoor weather changes your Smart Grill processor will compensate for these changes to maintain the exact temperature you selected.

Lance Kirkpatrick didn’t grow up cooking barbecue. He didn’t come from a long line of barbecue cooks, but at the age of thirty-one he answered the most important newspaper ad of his life. Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Texas was looking for someone to help at the restaurant. Lance got the job which set him on the path to learn barbecue from the best – Bobby Mueller. Stiles Switch has already made the Texas Monthly Top 50, and recently has been named the fourth (http://www.fedmanwalking.com/content/austin-bbq-top-10) and sixth (http://www.mystatesman.com/news/entertainment/dining/the-best-barbecue-in-austin-according-to-matthew-o/nfzW4/?icmp=statesman_internallink_textlink_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesman_launch#194b81f2.3620358.735375) best barbecue joint in Austin in two recent Top 10 lists. But Kirkpatrick doesn’t like words like better or best when talking about barbecue. He prefers the word favorite, and he’d like Stiles Switch to be your favorite. The Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew team is lead by Taylor, Texas native and owner Shane Stiles along with lead pitmaster Lance Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick brings over fifteen years of industry experience and an impressive resume to the establishment. Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew, named after the historic 1800s I. & G. N. railroad stop Stiles Switch, Texas, is also namesake of the owner Shane Stiles. Shane’s inspiration for Stiles Switch BBQ is derived from his admiration of the Texas BBQ Legends he was raised on growing up in Central Texas.  

Wayne Mueller is an internationally-recognized and awarded pitmaster specializing in Central Texas Style Barbecue. Wayne began his BBQ education at the age of 8 while working with his father (Bobby Mueller) in the family restaurant (Louie Mueller Barbecue). He apprenticed with Bobby for 11 years before attending college and pursuing careers in professional sports (corporate marketing) and advertising. In late 2006 at his father’s request, Wayne returned to the family business in late 2006 and in 2008 became the 3rd generation owner/pitmaster of the Texas barbecue icon Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, TX, a James Beard Award recipient (America’s Classics) in 2006. A BBQ pitmaster, operator, spokesman, lecturer, instructor, demonstrator, guest chef and trainer, Wayne has appeared in countless books and articles and has made appearances on the Food Network, The Travel Channel, The Cooking Channel, CBS and PBS. In late 2015 he was featured in two debut film documentaries on Central Texas BBQ (‘Central Texas BBQ’ and ‘For The Love of Meat’). Internationally, Wayne has made television appearances in Canada, France and Japan, China and Taiwan. He has traveled to Milan, Tokyo, London and Paris acting as a culinary ambassador (on behalf of the US State Dept) and BBQ missionary educating his audiences on Texas culture (Texas barbecue culture/ history in particular) while introducing authentic Central Texas Style barbecue to new Asian and European audiences. In 2015 and 2016, Wayne guided Louie Mueller Barbecue to several honors including: “Top Pick” Top 50 BBQ of the South | Southern Living; Best BBQ in the World | Foodie Hub; Tastiest Dish in the World| Foodie Hub (65 countries/275 cities); #1 Ribs in America | The Daily Meal, Best Bite of the Year | James Beard Editor’s “15 Best Bites of the Year” Awards and #4 America’s Most Influential BBQ Pitmasters and Personalities | Fox News Online, #2 Best Ribs in America | Top 5 Restaurant/Food Network.

Enjoy this episode where we talk about and taste some delicious Texas wines! Mark Black is the owner of Terry Black's BBQ in Austin Texas. He comes from Lockhart which is one of the capitols of Texas BBQ. Him and his brother have been serving the best BBQ in Texas since 2014. Jason Hisaw is an advanced sommelier based out of Kansas City. His passion for wine is only slightly overshadowed by his passion for BBQ. Thank you for listening and follow us on social media!

Enjoy this round table with a 2 meatmen and a world famous meatwoman Jess Pryles. Australian by birth, Texan by choice, Jess Pryles is a world famous authority on Texas- and competition-style barbecue. She is the cofounder of the Australasian Barbecue Alliance, the creator of the Award and BBQ competition winning Hardcore Carnivore line of meat and steak seasonings, and the designer of an eponymous model of the Pitts & Spitts smoker. In addition to sharing her expertise at events sponsored by such institutions as Texas A&M University, the American Meat Science Association, and the Texas Beef Council, she has been featured on the Food Network and Today and in such publications as Parade, Food & Wine, and the Austin Chronicle. Adam Rosenberg is a marketer with experience in public relations, advertising, influencer engagement, events, social media and creative production. He leads the content development team for Kingsford brands and products. This includes driving strategy, creation and execution of all earned, owned and paid content programming for Kingsford brands. He's the kind of guy you want at a BBQ whether it's to win championships or just have a good time. George Shore is one of the founders of Pitmaker. Pitmaker was founded to pursue true "BBQ Innovation", taking the cumulative knowledge and experience from a combined 30 years in the BBQ Pit industry as well as our love for competition BBQ cooking to bring truly superior products to market in every way. At Pitmaker, they have a dedicated passion and philosophy of bringing the best BBQ Pits to the consumer by virtue of applied technology, innovation, and craftsmanship. They create tried and true designs that have been developed from doing competition BBQ cooking ourselves, and from our experience and innovations from the metal fabrication industry. They say that when you choose to work in the area that you love and have a passion for what you do, that you will be successful. All anyone has to do is take a close, hard look at Pitmaker products and compare them to anyone in the industry. Apples to apples, from the quality of materials that they use--to the dedicated labor-intensive craftsmanship that goes into their bbq pits and bbq trailers, you will see they have a passion and love for what they do. Everyone takes pride in their work at Pitmaker. And it shows.

Mia Khalifa joins us at Terry Black's BBQ for a great spread and a great conversation. There are many things that Mia Khalifa enjoys. One of the major ones is food. You can find her at restaurants all over the world trying different delicacies or just trying some delicious local BBQ in Austin. She doesn't stop there, if you're one of the millions of people that follow her on social media you'll see all kids of elaborate meals that she cooks. When she's not cooking Mia loves to watch sports. Hockey, soccer, whatever is on! She is an avid fan and her teams are hers for life. We want to have more to say here but honestly, she knows more about sports than all the men we know combined. So we'll just say she likes sports, a lot. You can find her by googling Mia Khalifa. She's on every social media and she has an insane amount of followers. Enjoy this conversation with a true personality. Follow us online at: www.instagram.com/bestbarbecue www.twitter.com/bestbarbecue www.bestbarbecueshow.com

Operation BBQ Relief was founded in May 2011 in response to a need for relief efforts in tornado-stricken Joplin, Missouri, a community of about 50,000 residents. Volunteers from competition BBQ teams from eight states answered the need to help feed displaced families, police, fire, National Guard and emergency personnel. We were able to serve over 120,000 meals over 13 days. Food was delivered to shelters, hospitals, senior living communities and the Humane Society. Volunteers loaded food into vehicles and delivered directly to families in the impacted areas. The operation was made possible by all who contributed food and supplies and funding from across the country. Operation BBQ Relief continues to respond to natural disasters and other situations to help feed displaced residents and emergency personnel. Will Cleaver went to school in southeast KS at Pitt State University in Pittsburg, KS (about 30 minutes from Joplin)  on the night of the tornado him and his wife were listening to a police scanner hoping it wasn’t as bad as it sounded on the scanner. They had a lot of memories and friends in and around Joplin.  When they woke up in the morning the news showed the devastation. He went online and found Operation BBQ Relief for Joplin on Facebook.  Will knew Stan and Jeff but only from competing against them.  He remembers talking to his wife and her looking at him like “Why are you still standing here?”   Will reached out to Stan and was soon on his way to help. "I have looked for different ways I could possibly make a difference in this world, with OBR I feel like my talents and convictions can best be used to help others in times of need." -Will Cleaver https://operationbbqrelief.org/volunteer/ Follow us online at: www.instagram.com/bestbarbecue www.twitter.com/bestbarbecue www.bestbarbecueshow.com

Operation BBQ Relief was founded in May 2011 in response to a need for relief efforts in tornado-stricken Joplin, Missouri, a community of about 50,000 residents. Volunteers from competition BBQ teams from eight states answered the need to help feed displaced families, police, fire, National Guard and emergency personnel. They were able to serve over 120,000 meals over 13 days. Food was delivered to shelters, hospitals, senior living communities and the Humane Society. Volunteers loaded food into vehicles and delivered directly to families in the impacted areas. The operation was made possible by all who contributed food and supplies and funding from across the country. Since then they have served almost 2 million meals in 24 states helping 44 communities. They've deployed all over the country, but they still need a ton of help to keep doing this amazing work. Sign up to volunteer with them at the link below! https://operationbbqrelief.org/volunteer/ Follow us online at: www.instagram.com/bestbarbecue www.twitter.com/bestbarbecue www.bestbarbecueshow.com

Big Green Craig is on a quest for all things live fire. Craig, from Georgia, talks with the Meatmen on this episode of the Best BBQ Show about cooking on a Big Green Egg, learning about the craft of live-fire cooking and competition BBQ. Craig has a passion for not just grilling traditional meats but all sorts of culinary adventures. He's even grilled sushi, with a reversed seared tri-tip sushi roll being a big hit. Big Green Craig owns five Big Green Eggs, a Kamado Joe, a Flo Kamado, a Rec Tec pellet smoker and a Weber Kettle. So you know he's a real Meatman. His motto is "there isn't anything I won't grill." Big Green Craig is a big fan of the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Memphis in May as well, which he talks about attending in the past. "For those who have been to an Eggfest, Memphis in May makes that look like a child's playground," Craig said in this episode. "It's the world's biggest BBQ party." Make sure to listen later this week and check our social media accounts for Yoni's adventures at Memphis in May. You're not going to want to miss it! #meatman Make sure to check out Big Green Craig online at: www.biggreencraig.com www.instagram.com/biggreencraig www.twitter.com/biggreencraig Follow us online at: www.instagram.com/bestbarbecue www.twitter.com/bestbarbecue www.bestbarbecueshow.com

What a feast! Yoni and Stover spent Traeger Day eating great food with great friends. In this episode we take a break from the BBQ to speak with Doug and Jen Scheiding from Rogue Cookers all about Traeger Grills, cooking tips, food science and more. When they roll up to your place,  you know you're in for a fun, tasty time. Traeger Day (May 12) is a celebration of wood-fired cooking, where Traeger Grills fans all over the world spent the day cooking with family and friends. You can find photos and celebrations from all the amazing cookouts by Traeger Nation by searching the hashtag #traegerday on social media. So much amazing food out there being smoked. Speaking of smoked, we put our Traeger Pro Series 34 to work on Traeger Day. We had briskets on overnight and during the day Doug Scheiding and his wife Jen led the show by putting together two portable Traeger Tailgaters and cooking up beef finger ribs, smoked queso blanco, pork ribs and a bourbon pecan pie. Along with Stover's brisket and Yoni's chicken wings, there were a lot of happy people at our studio on Traeger Day. Jay Tinney (Tinney Barbecue) and Hunger Stewart (Twisted X Brewing) also stopped by with enough Twisted X beer to power us through the long cook. Shoutout to Meatman "Sawx" for providing us with a bunch of great Scofflaw Brewing Co. IPA from Atlanta, Georgia. Beer and BBQ, what could be better? Send us your best #traegerday photos and video to our instagram at www.instagram.com/bestbarbecue. We want to see what you were cooking! Thanks for listening! #meatman Check out our guests online: www.traegergrills.com www.facebook.com/groups/roguecookers www.twitter.com/roguecookers www.instagram.com/roguecookers www.tinneybarbecue.com www.facebook.com/jay.tinney www.instagram.com/jaytinney www.twistedxbrewing.com www.instagram.com/twistedxbrewing ***  

This week we welcome Meatman Jay Tinney of Tinney Barbecue into the studio for a fun conversation on smoking meats, catering, competition bbq, knives and tailgating. Tinney and team won the Grand Champion honor this year at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Bar-B-Que Cook-Off (SABBQ). He's a passionate lover of cooking and a great guy. He even rolled up to the Meatman Studios in Austin with a huge smoker trailer in tow. This man is dedicated to his craft. Make sure you listen to when Jay, Yoni and Stover compare their knives (Yoni pulls his out of his boot). It was an awesome afternoon. Stover also plays a clip for Jay of the time he ate a pig's eyeball. Also in this episode we preview Traeger Day, coming up on May 12. It's a celebration of all things wood-fired cooking and Traeger Grills. We'll be cooking all day and posting to social media using the hashtag #traegerday. Join us online Saturday by using the same hashtag and tagging @bestbarbecue! We will share our favorite photos on social media. Stay tuned for more on our Traeger Day party next week. Learn more here: https://www.traegergrills.com/blog/what-is-traeger-day Find Jay Tinnney online at: www.tinneybarbecue.com www.instagram.com/jaytinney www.facebook.com/jay.tinney *** As always, thanks for listening to our food show. We strive to let you know about the best bbq so if you're ever wondering "what's the best bbq near me" look no further than the Meatmen. You can always message us on social media (@bestbarbecue) or email us at contact@bestbarbecueshow.com www.twitter.com/bestbarbecue www.instagram.com/bestbarbecue www.facebook.com/bestbarbecueshow www.bestbarbecueshow.com #meatman

The Meatmen are joined by a group of amazing Houston pitmasters (including some special appearances) for a fun, lively talk about all things fire cooking, drinking soju, opening a restaurant and more. Yoni and Stover sat down with Patrick Feges (Feges BBQ), Quy Hoang (Blood Bros. BBQ) and Jim Buchanan (Buck's Barbecue) at a tailgate before the HOUBBQ festival. They're a lot of fun to hang with, and of course they make some mean meat meals. "We're the three degenerates of the group," Patrick Feges joked. "They usually put us in the back," Quy Hoang said. "Every year they're trouble," Feges joked about the Blood Bros. crew. During the interview all three cooks talked about their unique menus for the festival. Blood Bros. cooked up pork belly burnt ends with a peanut butter sauce and papaya salad, Jim Buchanan served boudin bites with crawfish gravy and Patrick Feges stepped up the dessert game with a four-layer peanut butter and chocolate cake with thin layers of grape jelly. Don't forget Jim's Big Red Ice Cream, which was uber popular. We got hungry just talking about it. Special shoutouts to some of our favorite Meatmen: Joey Victorian who pops up on this episode to talk about his upcoming brick-and-mortar in Houston's East End, as well as the fine gentlemen hosts of Tales from the Pits. Find our guests online at: www.instagram.com/bucksbbqco www.instagram.com/fegesbbq www.instagram.com/bloodbrosbbq You can find us online at: www.instagram.com/bestbarbecue www.twitter.com/bestbarbecue www.instagram.com/yonilevin www.instagram.com/stoveriii www.bestbarbecueshow.com

From a young age, Grant Pinkerton dreamed of BBQ. Now his smoky dreams are a reality for the well-regarded Houston, Texas, pitmaster. Hard work pays off. In this episode, Pinkerton talks about his low-and-slow barbecue, his life before BBQ and the care he puts into his job day-in and day-out. The Houston native has jumped from grilling hobbyist to food cart operator to owner of a great brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Heights. "All of a sudden I was making more money just cooking for my buddies than I was in my regular job," Pinkerton said about starting to sell BBQ for the first time. So he jumped in and took the risk. "There's no better time to be broke than now," he said about taking the risk to sell BBQ for a living. And it paid off. Pinkerton's catering work led to his dream of opening a BBQ place become a reality. He decided it on a whim but it took 18 months to do it right. Grant Pinkerton's attention to detail pays off in his menu, which is both traditional and modern, and his restaurant Pinkerton's Barbecue. Check them out in Houston, near downtown. Thanks for listening! Let the pitmasters we feature on the show know you heard them on the Best BBQ Show! *** Find Pinkerton's Barbecue online at: www.pinkertonsbarbecue.com www.facebook.com/pinkertonsbarbecue www.twitter.com/pinkertonsbbq www.instagram.com/pinkertonsbbq *** Find the Best BBQ Show online at: www.instagram.com/bestbarbecue www.twitter.com/bestbarbecue www.facebook.com/bestbarbecueshow www.bestbarbecueshow.com contact@bestbarbecueshow.com www.instagram.com/yonilevin www.instagram.com/stoveriii  

The Meat Men partied with some of best pitmasters in Texas (or anywhere) the night before the Houston Barbecue Festival and you know it got wild. Food, drinks and hilarity ensued that night. During the party Yoni and Stover sat down for a chat with Russell and Misty Roegels (Roegels Barbecue, Houston, TX) and John Brotherton (Brotherton's Black Iron Barbecue, Pflugerville, TX) to talk about their love of cooking, the BBQ family in Houston and beyond, and more fun. "Spreading the love of barbecue is what this event is all about," Russell Roegels said about the HOUBBQ fest. During the pre-festival party there was all sorts of food being cooked and consumed: gumbo, egg rolls, tacos and more. Pitmasters know how to throw a tailgate party. Speaking of party make sure you listen to the end to hear a special appearance by the Tales from the Pits hosts who bombard our recording with shots of Evan Williams whiskey. There's even a special appearance by a Meatman you'll hear more about in the future on this show, Patrick Feges. As you can hear the night was a blast. Check out the guests on this week's episode with these links: Roegels Barbecue: www.roegelsbarbecue.com Brotherton's Black Iron Barbecue: www.facebook.com/pftxbbq Tales from the Pits: www.bryannorton.podbean.com *** FInd us online at: www.bestbarbecueshow.com www.instagram.com/bestbarbecue www.twitter.com/bestbarbecue contact@bestbarbecueshow.com Thanks for listening! Please review the show so we can be found by more people! #meatman