The Leader • Saturday, February 15, 2020 • Page 1B
Texas BBQ stands out with beef as king By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com
When it comes to barbecue in Texas, patrons are willing to stand in line for it, sometimes for hours. Barbecue has surpassed being just a dining option. It has its own culture in the Lone Star State. What really sets Texas apart from other regions in America is that we love our beef. “Texas barbecue is defined by what we call the Texas Trinity: brisket, ribs and sausage,” said Grant Pinkerton of Pinkerton’s BBQ, 1504 Airline Dr. “Those are the gold-standard meats of the Texas barbecue plate. Texas barbecue leans heavily on beef and thus the brisket’s popularity.” In other states, such as Alabama or South Carolina, pork takes center stage. Pinkerton said some areas are known for smoking whole hogs, while others are known for butts and shoulders. “(Other regions) all have one thing in common: barbecue, traditionally, to them is slow-smoked pork,” Pinkerton said. “We love our ribs here, but pulled pork takes a back seat to brisket. Brisket is king in Texas.” Which meats are most popular in each region is usu-
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File photo by Adam Zuvanich Dishes like the ribs and brisket at Gatlin’s BBQ is part of what gives Texas barbecue its own culture.
ally determined by what drives the agriculture, said Greg Gatlin of Gatlin’s BBQ, 3510 Ella Blvd. And Texas has a lot of cows. The culture of barbecue in Texas goes beyond the beef. It’s become a big part of building a sense of community. “Barbecue in Texas is way of life,” Gatlin said. “It’s usual-
ly a part of a lot of family functions. It doesn’t matter if it’s your birthday, a christening, a holiday, a graduation party. Whatever it is, a lot of people here in Texas will think about doing a barbecue as a thing, just like how in Louisiana it’s a gumbo or crawfish boil.” Cooking processes also differ in different regions, includ-
ing different regions within Texas. Pinkerton said some areas cook over direct heat with a bed of coals from hardwood, while others rely on offset smokers that carry heat and smoke from a firebox through the main chamber with meat and up through a smoke stack.
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By Zarah Parker
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Photo by Zarah Parker Shown here is the delectable two-meat plate with pork ribs and sausage at Truth BBQ at 110 S. Heights Blvd.
les I’ve had before. But they’re good. The seating space was large, and even with a continuous line out the door well into the lunch hour, there was always enough seating. The creamy dressing was mild on the crunchy strings of vegetables in the coleslaw, and made an easy-to-do-wrong side enjoyable. But my favorite of the two sides was the baked beans. Mixed with small chunks
of pork and sliced onions, the warm beans were sweet and savory all at the same time. I finished the small paper boat of the baked beans before I even moved on to the meat. While the turkey, sliced about a centimeter wide, was good, I think it makes a better sandwich option than a twomeat plate option. The brisket, however, was like a small slab of fatty meat. Smoky and tender, I didn’t add any sauce to the brisket.
The bark was blackened and packed a nice flavor that made the meat even tastier. The sliced sausage was on the subtle side, with just a light peppery spice mixed with the smokiness that is typical at most barbecue joints. What really knocked me off my feet were the two pork ribs resting on my tray. Sliding right off the bone, the tender meat had a hint of bacon-y flavor, but just about melted in my mouth with different spices. To be honest, while my lunch companion and I were splitting the meat, I didn’t actually share the pork ribs. If you’re looking for beef ribs, Truth has them on Saturdays only. Truth may be open from 11 a.m.–5 p.m., but I hear they sell out before closing time and the line can take an hour to get through. So it’s best to arrive early. Truth BBQ Address: 110 S. Heights Blvd. Hours: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday – Sunday Pricing: $12 - $20 Kid-friendly: Yes Alcohol: Yes Health options: No Star of the show: Pork ribs
Making chili is a spicy adventure Zarah Parker Managing Editor
Chili is one of those dishes that I’ve learned incites some Texans to dust off their pitch forks if someone has a different opinion about how to make it. Especially when deciding whether or not beans belong. Making chili for the first time also seems like a rite of passage, so after 26 years on this earth, I finally decided it was time. Just keep in mind, I’m always the first to admit that I am more of a baker than a cooker. A quick search on the internet would have given me plenty of chili recipes claiming to be the best, but I figured if I was going to make chili, I might as well make a recipe loved by people I actually know. When family friend Julia Johnson shared her recipe with me, I decided to have a go at it when I read that one of her instructions is to toast the chili powder in a dry skillet before using it. And, of course, because other people mentioned how much they loved her chili. I first browned the meat along with onion and garlic. I used half chili meat, half ground
Photo by Zarah Parker Creating homemade chili and skillet cornbread proved challenging.
beef, both bought from B & W Meat Company, 4801 N. Shepherd Dr. The recipe I was using actually called for ground beef and pork sausage, so that is a change I made. Before I get to the rest of the ingredients, I also quickly learned that chili is all about taste preference and eyeballing how much spice you throw in the pot. Julia gave me some loose guidelines on what to add in the chili, but it was really up to me how much of each ingredient to add. At first, I didn’t like this idea, but once I got cooking and tasting, I found my own little groove and enjoyed cooking much more than following a strict recipe. After the meat was ready, I threw in one chopped-up pob-
lano pepper (and later wished I’d added more) and tomatoes. The seasoning per pound is about 1/4 cup chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp paprika. Then I added a small can of tomato sauce per pound of meat. And yes, I also added beans. In my defense, I did not make “Texas chili,” and I like beans in my chili. This is a pretty thick chili, which I prefer, but adding water will make it soupier. Julia said the most important part is the chili powder, which has to be 100 percent chili peppers. I never knew how hard this was to find until I spent almost 20 minutes in the spice aisle at H-E-B looking for one. I eventually found an an-
cho chili powder. In the process of toasting the chili powder, the seasoning will get dark and smoky. “You will think you’ve ruined your chili powder, but I promise that’s the key,” Julia said. “When you set off your smoke alarm, that’s how you know it’s legit.” Julia said she usually does this part outside on her grill, but keeping the fan above my stove on kept the smoke contained. Because of the chili powder toasting, the chili also came out pretty dark and gave it a rich flavor. After everything was combined and the taste to my preference, I let the chili simmer while I made skillet cornbread. The recipe I used can be found here: https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/skilletcornbread/. The recipe utilizes cornmeal, flour, shortening, salt, baking soda, baking powder, buttermilk and milk. I cooked it on the stove for one minute before popping it in the oven, which I think gave the edges a really nice crispiness. I enjoyed both the making and the eating of the chili and cornbread. If I could change one thing it would be the use of the chili meat, which is more of a tougher meat than ground beef.
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Truth is, this BBQ is good zarah@theleadernews.com
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REVIEW:
It was just a little chilly outside, but when the door opened at Truth BBQ, the smell of cooked meats filtered outside and I felt warm. But I wasn’t inside the restaurant quite yet. Only 15 minutes after Truth’s 11 a.m. opening, the line was out the door. Once inside, the line still weaved around a row of boxes of ice filled with bottled sodas and various beers. Brisket, turkey, pork ribs, pulled pork and sausage were the meat options. I couldn’t make up my mind, so I made my lunch companion get the two-meat plate of brisket and turkey while I got the pork ribs and sausage. Then we split up the meat. On the side I chose baked beans and coleslaw. At the end of the line I was asked if I wanted a slice of bread, onions and pickles. If you go and want none of those to go with your meal, I still recommend at least trying the pickles. They are a cross between cucumber and pickle and must have been marinated in some special juice, because they don’t taste like any pick-
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