Kevin's BBQ Joints

I’ve learned from Tom Porter from Big Butz BBQ Sauce that there isn’t a lot of choices for BBQ joints in Wisconsin. So I became extremely interested when I read in the Green Bay Gazette about Joe’s Texas BBQ, a new BBQ joint located in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

From the article by Thomas Rozwadoski, “Joe’s Texas BBQ is cash and carryout only, though summer’s arrival will bring a few picnic tables out in the parking lot. Otherwise, what you see is what you get from the small counter and simplified menu that boasts brisket (sliced or chopped), pulled pork, Texas pork spare ribs, rib tips, hot links (smoked sausages) and baby backs.”

Photo courtesy of Evan Siegle/Press-Gazette

“For sandwiches, it’s onions, pickles and sauce slapped on generic white bread. Sides are potato salad and cole slaw, the possible addition of hot potatoes coming, Lopez said. He also imports a Waco-made soda called Big Red – best described as a combination of red and cream soda – that “has its own unique taste perfect for pairing with barbecue.””

Photo courtesy of Evan Siegle/Press-Gazette

I’m going to try and get some additional information about this joint, but if you’ve been, please let me know what you thought.

You can find Joe’s Texas BBQ here:

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The Meyer’s Elgin Smokehouse BBQ Giveaway ends this Saturday (the 30th) at midnight which you can enter daily (see this link for original giveaway), but Meyers has decided to up the ante! Here are two trivia questions about Meyers Elgin Smokehouse of which the answers can be found on their website HERE.

Simply provide answers for the two questions below and you’ll double your entry for the day and be put in the running for (3) bottles of their new 3 Mistake Chili. That’s a total of (7) prizes being given away by Meyers Elgin Smokehouse! Note the more clever your answer the better your odds for this extra prize.

TRIVIA QUESTIONS:
1 – What year did Meyer’s invent the first sausage flavored cereal(we didn’t say it was perfected yet)?

2 – What is the official language of Cuetopia, Texas?

Good luck and thanks for entering!

So the first stop on my Gnarly Head Wines Los Angeles BBQ adventure with Holly (from Gnarly Head) to promote their Rippin Ribs Tour 2011 was at Smoke City Market in Sherman Oaks, CA. We knew that we would be having a great meal here, but didn’t realize the FEAST that was going to be put in front of us.

The four Gnarly Head Wines we had for the pairing were:
2009 Old Vine Zinfandel
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Pinot Noir
2009 Chardonnay

Here is the meat platter that included Brisket (moist and lean), Beef Ribs, Pork Ribs, Chicken, Pastrami, Beef Link Sausage, and Jalapeno Cheese Sausage.

Here are the sides: Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Tomato and Cucumbers, Texas Caviar, Beans, and Macaroni and Cheese.

After pairing all of the wines with each item and side, these are my suggestions as to what wine we would pair with each item.

2009 Old Vine Zinfandel
Their flagship Zin is easily the most approachable and paired well with all BBQ items; Brisket (moist and lean), Beef Ribs, Pork Ribs, Chicken, Pastrami, Beef Link Sausage, and Jalapeno Cheese Sausage. As for sides, the ones that worked best were Potato Salad, Texas Caviar, Beans, and Macaroni and Cheese.

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
Their Cab is very drinkable and not one of the over the top tannin heavy Cabs that are out there. Because it is more bold it went great with Brisket (moist and lean), Beef Ribs, Pastrami, and Jalapeno Cheese Sausage. The sides with the strongest flavor profile went best with this wine. They were the Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Texas Caviar, and Beans.

2009 Pinot Noir
Pinots tend to be on the lighter side and this one from Gnarly Head was no exception. Because of this, we felt the Pork Ribs and Chicken went best. Sides that melded well were the Potato Salad, Tomato and Cucumbers, and Macaroni and Cheese.

2009 Chardonnay
What I liked best about their Chardonnay was that it wasn’t on the buttery side (which some California Chards lean towards). Because of this light crispness, I felt the Chicken and Pork Ribs paired best. As for sides, we liked the Potato Salad, Macaroni and Cheese, and Texas Caviar best with this wine.

Below are additional photos of our visit:

Brisket:

Pastrami:

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I had gotten a couple of emails from people asking about Pearl & Johnny B’s opened February 5th, but hadn’t read anything yet until this review from the Houston Press.

Photo courtesy of Katharine Shilcutt

From the article by Katharine Shilcut, “Thompson runs Pearl & Johnny B’s BBQ, a little gem out of my fondest slow-smoked dreams, that’s just off the main food court inside the the hulking Kim Hung supermarket on St. Emanuel at McKinney. It goes without saying that it’s the last place you’d expect to find a barbecue joint. That it’s the descendant of a famous barbecue legacy is even more fantastical.”

Photo courtesy of Katharine Shilcutt

“Pearlie’s brother Robert runs Thompson’s BBQ in Crockett, a little East Texas town that was named after Davy Crockett himself. Thompson’s is well known in ‘cue circles and even earned a spot on Texas Monthly’s comprehensive list of the 50 best barbecue joints in Texas. Robert Thompson has always been an avid proponent of using pecan to smoke his brisket and other meats, and Pearlie has brought that determination to her Houston outpost as well.” Read the rest here.

Have you been to Pearl & Johnny B’s yet? What are you thoughts?

You can find it here:

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I’m a sucker for first hand video shot for a BBQ joint. Of course my goal is to visit every BBQ joint in the country (and Canada), but since I haven’t been to every one yet, I have to live vicariously through videos. Here’s one of the iconic Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Texas courtesy of BootsOnTheGroundTX.

What do you think? I’d say if you haven’t been there you feel like you sort of have now.

Photo of Louie Mueller Barbecue courtesy of LeAnn Mueller Photography

Have you been? What are your thoughts of your overall experience at Louie Mueller Barbecue?

From CBS 59, “Eight months after Mitchell and Sara Matzek triumphed on “24 Hour Restaurant Battle,” a Food Network show that tasks aspiring restaurateurs to create an eatery in a single day, the Eastern Panhandle couple has a new smash hit: a one-of-kind barbecue shack here on South Queen Street.” Read the entire piece here.

I don’t watch the show as I’m getting a little tired of the endless supply of food competitions on the Food Network as well as main stream TV, but I’m interested in any new BBQ Joint cropping up across the country and it does appear that the reviews are very positive for The Q Company in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Let me know if you’ve been there and I’ll be adding pics to this blog write up as soon as they have a chance to send me them.

Check out The Q Company yourself here:

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On Wednesday I was lucky enough to meet up with Holly from Gnarly Heads Wine for trips to two BBQ joints in Los Angeles to pair four of their wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay) with BBQ. She was in town to promote the Gnarly Head Rippin’ Ribs Tour 2011.

Below are some initial photos from the two stops. I will be putting together a complete post shortly with the wine pairing results, details on all of the BBQ we ate, as well as additional photos and video.

Our first stop was late lunch at Smoke City Market in Sherman Oaks.

Our ‘moist’ brisket:

The huge meat feast Billy (the pitmaster) put together for us:

Another view of the BBQ we were about to tackle:

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There’s something special about going to Meyer’s Elgin Smokehouse in Elgin, Texas. Maybe it’s the history or perhaps it’s the amazing Meyer family that is so welcoming each time you visit or more than likely it’s the fact that Meyer’s has been making great BBQ (especially high quality sausage) for over 75 years over four generations. I’d say it’s a combination of the there, but one thing I do know is that I am extremely lucky to be able to have them team up for an amazing giveaway.

For the Meyer’s Elgin Smokehouse / Kevin’s BBQ Joints giveaway there will be four different winners who each get their own unique prize. Here are the prize packages:

The first person drawn will receive the BBQ Cookout (which feeds 10-12 people)
1 smoked brisket (4-6 lbs.)
3 lbs. beef sausage
16 oz. bottle Meyer’s Original BBQ Sauce
6 oz. bottle Meyer’s Bean Seasoning
7 oz. bottle Meyer’s BBQ Rub.

The second person drawn will receive the Deluxe Sausage Sampler (1 lb package each):
Original, Garlic, Hot, Beef, Sage, Tejano, Original summer sausage and Jalapeno summer sausage.


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Here’s a quick preview photo of my visit with Holly from Gnarly Head Wines to Smoke City Market in Sherman Oaks, CA which ended an hour ago:

More photos and blog post to come.

Here’s some pic of incredible BBQ from across the country:

Blue Ribbon BBQ – Newton, MA

Gonzales Food Market – Gonzales, TX

Willy’s BBQ – Agoura, CA

Two Bros. BBQ Market – San Antonio, TX via Man Up: Tales of Texas BBQ

Lillie’s Q – Chicago, IL