BBQ State of Mind: Recent Episodes
Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle barbecue columnist J.C. Reid, restaurant critic Alison Cook and food editor Greg Morago – discuss the favors, personalities and barbecue culture in Houston, across Texas and anywhere the pit smoke leads them.
A lot of things went away in our daily lives since the coronavirus pandemic took hold. A craving for barbecue was not among them. Smoked meat fans have been thinking about their favorite barbecue joints since we’ve been living stay-at-home lives – hungry for fatty brisket, pull-apart pork ribs and slick, peppery sausage. J.C. Reid and Greg Morago talk about the struggles of barbecue operators during the pandemic. We also touch on rising beef prices and what that means for your two-meat plate; vacuum-sealed barbecue to-go; and how barbecue dining will change as Texas moves to reopen restaurants.
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In the realm of Mexican-infused Texas barbecue, JQ’s Tex Mex BBQ has managed to make a name for itself, even without an official brick and mortar location. The pop-up restaurant run by pitmaster/taquero Joseph Quellar and his partner Cindy Conde has distinguished itself by the depth of flavor and authentic technique they bring to dishes such as pork carnitas, brisket, barbacoa, costra tacos, arroz con pollo and carne guisada.
Hosts J.C. Reid, Alison Cook and Greg Morago discuss the JQ’s Tex Mex BBQ game plan.
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Barbecue teams from across the globe provide international flair and stature to the Houston Rodeo's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. The crew sat down with smokers from Australia, Canada and England to talk about barbecue culture in their respective countries, the growing international interest in U.S. barbecue traditions, and their own barbecue traditions and foodways.
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Houston Chronicle barbecue columnist J.C. Reid says there’s much to love about the new frontier of smoked meat that he’s calling, “the capital of creative ‘cue.” In just two years the craft barbecue movement has found fertile ground in Katy and Richmond, that has quickly grown into a hotbed of creative Texas craft barbecue.
We’re talking about dishes such as smoked brisket and smoked turkey enchiladas as well as smoked bone marrow at Brett’s BBQ Shop in Katy. And smoked brisket lasagna from Daddy Duncan’s BBQ in Katy. And smoked octopus and smoked duck from Harlem Road Texas BBQ in Richmond.
Chris, Greg and Alison join Chef Ara Malekian of Harlem Road, chef Randy Duncan of Daddy Duncan’s, and pitmaster Brett Jackson of Brett’s BBQ – as they talk ‘cue over an abundant table at Harlem Road set out with Malekian’s superlative smoked meats.
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With apologies to Fats Domino, they've got a crazy way of BBQ'ing there. Chris and Greg chat with Tyler Harp, who is Kansas City’s premier (and perhaps only professional) practitioner of Central Texas-style barbecue. He made pilgrimages to places like Franklin and Snow’s and taught himself how to smoke brisket.
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Chris and Alison sit down with Buffalo Bayou Brewery owner Rassul Zarinfar and chef Arash Kharat to discuss how they infuse the flavors of Texas barbecue, and specifically Houston barbecue, into their beer and food menus.
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Pitmaster Eddie Ortiz details his story of an energy sector worker whose weekend barbecue passions turned into a regular gig. Founded in 2017, Eddie O’s is now a staple for craft barbecue aficionados and among the top-tier barbecue practitioners in Houston’s growing craft barbecue movement. He’s known as much for his brisket, ribs and sausage as he is for his barbacoa tacos (on tortillas handmade by his grandmother) served with a side of his famous “magic beans.”
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Chef/owner of the El Topo food truck, Tony Luhrman, and Culinary Director Mike Serva chat with Chris and Greg in about how the duo moved into the Houston food truck scene having met while working at P.F. Chang's in San Antonio. The conversation turns to The Butcher's Ball, a charity event benefitting Urban Harvest. (October 20th, y'all.) Tony was the Golden Cleaver winner last year serving El Topo's signature barbacoa taco. The pair are opening a restaurant of the same name in December.
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Third-generation North Carolina barbecue pitmaster Sam Jones preaches the whole hog gospel; his family’s Skylight Inn is one of America’s great heritage barbecue institutions. Jones was among the pitmasters and chefs invited to cook at the 2019 Southern Smoke food festival, his second time appearing at Chris Shepherd’s culinary extravaganza featuring smoked, wood-fired and Southern-infused foods, where he joined Chris and Greg for a chat.
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The proliferation of food halls in Houston is being framed as a new phenomenon. But, as food writer David Leftwich told Chris and Greg, innovative culinary enterprises — flavored by immigrant cultures —have marked downtown Houston since the Allen brothers first pitched their tent on the bayou. Leftwich, who is president of the advisory board for Foodways Texas, also talks about how dining halls, butchers and barbecue have tended to become synonymous with emerging urban marketplaces.
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The owners of Roegels Barbecue recently went on a pilgrimage in the American South seeking knowledge about cooking whole hogs. They share their favorite spots from the trip with Chris and Alison – and their plan to offer whole-hog specials at their Houston barbecue joint.
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Galveston island may not be known as a craft barbecue hotbed. But the opening of Buck’s Barbeque Co. – a Central Texas-style barbecue joint from a pitmaster who has built a considerable fan base in Houston -- may change that view.
Housed in the former Farley Girls Café on the east end of the Island, Buck’s is the culmination of Jim Buchanan’s quest to land his own brick-and-mortar restaurant after years of pop-ups and running food services out of someone else’s kitchen.
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H-E-B’s director of culinary development, Randy Evans, and director of restaurants, Kristin Irvin, discuss how the beloved Texas supermarket chain developed its in-store barbecue business with Chris and Greg.
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Jamie and Karen Fain, owners of beloved Meyerland barbecue joint Fainmous, talk with Chris and Greg about their Tennessee-style smoked meats (a rarity in Texas!) and how a slow-and-steady business plan has led them to a new project in Sawyer Yards opening this fall.
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Dr. Stephen Pustilnik’s desire for better autopsy knives led to a side career as a knifemaker whose customers include top chefs and Texas pitmasters — and members of his own medical community.
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Steve and Sherice Garner tell Chris and Greg how they built their business from a small trailer to two brick and mortar restaurants in a few short years.
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Chris and Greg turn the tables on the host of Kevin's BBQ Joints podcasts and YouTube interviews, going deep into the country's growing appreciation of smoked meats.
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Pitmasters Jim Buchanan of Buck's Barbeque Co., Arash Kharat of Beaver's and Ara Malekian of Harlem Road Texas BBQ discuss pairing barbecue and wine with Alison, Chris and Chronicle wine columnist Dale Robertson.
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With solid restaurant experience and a hard-earned degree from University of Houston’s Hilton College, Randy Duncan decided to go all in on his own business. He got his start tent catering, feeding wrestling fans in Katy and now he’s about to build a big new barbecue joint. He shares his story with Chris, Alison and Greg.
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Brett’s Barbecue Shop has Katy all fired up.Chris, Alison and Greg chat with owner and pit boss Brett Jackson about his newfound barbecue stardom, and his path that includes a rare apprenticeship at the famed Louie Mueller Barbecue.
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The competition route is how a good number of amateur barbecue enthusiasts wind up smoking meat for a living. Joey Victorian is among those who made that transition. He shares his story with Chris, Alison and Greg.
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Brothers Robin and Terry Wong, with partner Quy Hoang, grew a following by smoking meat at a karaoke bar. Now they’re opening their own restaurant. In the new Bellaire digs, the trio discusses their path with Chris and Greg.
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Chris, Alison and Greg are back, and ventured one (big) block away from the office to interview David and Kurt Craig at one of the longest-running smoked meat operations in Houston. Part saloon and part barbecue joint, Luling City Market was birthed during a 1980's oil boom and continues to thrive thanks to a loyal clientele, an overall interest in Texas barbecue, and an adherence to a simple menu based on the barbecue trinity and key sides.
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Owner-pitmaster Wayne Mueller continues his conversation with Chris, Alison and Greg, delving into the history of Louie Mueller Barbecue and Texas barbecue at large; brisket technology; his time in Houston, including what he learned from working with Jim "Mattress Mac" McIngvale; and his plans to open a Louie Mueller Barbecue outpost outside of Taylor.
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Originally posted Aug. 4, 2017 — Texas barbecue royalty and third-generation owner-pitmaster Wayne Mueller joins Chris, Alison and Greg in the studio. A fount of knowledge about Texas barbecue and its history, Wayne talks about improvements he’s making at Louie Mueller, his siblings, why he doesn’t like the term pitmaster, and the weight of taking over the “cathedral of smoke.”
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The Chronicle crew hit the road last year to chat with chef/pitmaster Ronnie Killen. From the dining room at his acclaimed Killen's Barbecue in Pearland, he shares his thoughts about Texas Monthly's best barbecue joints list (hint: he wasn't thrilled about not making the top 10), cooking perfect brisket and possible expansion plans.
We hope you enjoy this replay. Chris, Alison and Greg will be back together in a couple weeks.
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For nearly 18 years, Tin Roof BBQ has been a stronghold for barbecue in north Houston. Owner/pitmaster Ronnie Webber, a 31-year Houston Police Department veteran, and his protégé son, Brek, discuss risk and longevity with Alison, Chris and Greg.
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Willow Villarreal had many friends in both his professional (working for Fox Sports) and personal life (as a promoter and booker of punk and heavy metal music). But he found a new community – just as caring, equally passionate – when he decided to switch careers to pursue barbecue.
The proof is the people’s choice Golden Cleaver award he’s snared twice in a row at the Butcher’s Ball, the festival that showcases local farmers and ranchers who uphold ethical and sustainable practices and the chefs and pitmasters who use those products.
Villarreal’s got a new barbecue food truck – Willow’s Texas BBQ -- and is making his home at Shady Acres Saloon, 1115 W. 19th, a rambling bar and backyard party space that fits well with his casual barbecue menu he executes with his fiancée, Jasmine Barela.
Houston Chronicle BBQ State of Mind hosts (barbecue columnist J.C. “Chris” Reid, restaurant critic Alison Cook and food editor Greg Morago) talk to Villarreal about his quick, determined rise in the Houston barbecue community.
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The veteran owner/pitmaster at Roegels Barbecue Co. discusses the trials and tribulations of his barbecue career with Chris, Alison and Greg.
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Vaughn, one of the most prominent barbecue voices in America, discusses the problem with plant-based “meat,” Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants list and other Texas barbecue matters with Chris, Greg and Alison.
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The Brooklyn barbecue king and Tennessee whole hog master, in Houston for the star-studded Southern Smoke fundraiser, have stories for Chris and Greg.
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year: barbecue festival season! Chris (who organizes a festival himself)and Greg discuss upcoming events with Will and Nichole Buckman of CorkScrew BBQ, who promise a surprise.
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Lance and Boo Eaker worked in IT consulting and fashion design respectively, but now they’re trying to make a go of it in the barbecue world. They join Chris and Greg in the studio to discuss food-truck life and their mesquite-smoked dreams.
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In two short years, The Pit Room in Houston has become one of Texas’ top barbecue joints. Owner Michael Sambrooks tells Chris and Greg how he did it.
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Committee chairman David Stone and division chairman Jimmy Shuford join Chris, Alison and Greg to shed light on what makes one of the country’s biggest barbecue cook-offs tick. They also share details about what will change for the 2019 event.
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Chris and Greg travel to Henderson & Kane, a general store in Houston’s most historic neighborhood, to visit with owners John and Veronica Avila. The Avilas are known for the craft barbecue they serve at a food hall downtown; now they’re adding a second outlet.
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Ray Busch and Herb Taylor, owners of the old-school Third Ward barbecue joint, share their story – and their new seafood sausage – with Chris, Alison and Greg.
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What goes into producing a barbecue event that 2,300 smoked-meat lovers attend? Chris, and his Houston Barbecue Festival co-founder Michael Fulmer, discuss the details with Alison and Greg.
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CorkScrew owners Will and Nichole Buckman tell Chris and Greg how they took their business in Spring from cult trailer truck to brick-and-mortar in the elite realm of top Texas barbecue joints.
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How does the barbecue operation work at Minute Maid Park, home of the World Series-winning Houston Astros? Chris, Alison and Greg sit down with the crew of Jackson Street BBQ to find out what it takes to bring one of the city’s best barbecue experiences to the ballpark.
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Gatlin’s BBQ in Houston puts its name on airport dining as IAH opens Q, a first-of-its-kind barbecue restaurant in Terminal E. World-class barbecue takes flight at George Bush International Airport. Gatlin talks about Q ‘cue with BBQ State of Mind hosts J.C. Reid, restaurant critic Alison Cook and food editor Greg Morago during a busy afternoon at Gatlin's Ella Blvd. location.
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The co-owner of Caboose BBQ in Alvin, Texas, discusses the role of women in barbecue with Chris and Greg. Timmons is a former pitmaster who has spent many nights tending a firebox, but now creates new dishes at the barbecue joint she co-owns.
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Hurricane Harvey hit on the exact day Jim Buchanan was set to start serving his barbecue to customers at Lucky’s Pub in the Heights. Lucky’s wound up taking on 15 feet of water, and Jim had to recalibrate. Chris and Greg chat with him about Harvey, his Central Texas-style barbecue and how he got into smoking meats, from backyard warrior to competition cooker to pop-up pitmaster to, hopefully one day, opening his own joint.
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Chris, Alison and Greg hit the road to visit with the co-owner of the highly regarded business that’s an unlikely merger of chocolate shop and barbecue joint. They discuss some of the inventive menu items (barbecue soups!) coming out of the Tejas kitchen, and Moore’s new Moberg smoker, “The Dude.”
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Chris, Alison and Greg continue their conversation about their year in barbecue, exploring up-and-coming pitmasters and restaurants in Austin and Houston – and the burgeoning “underground” scene in Los Angeles.
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It’s been a blockbuster year for Texas barbecue, and Houston is staking its claim as a smoked-meat mecca. Alison, Chris and Greg discuss the highs and lows.
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Ryan Zboril of Pitts & Spitts, one of Texas’ leading makers of custom smokers and grills, schools Chris and Greg on pellet smokers. Pitts & Spitts is rolling out next-gen high-tech pellet smokers that will appeal to backyard barbecue warriors’ mad scientist side.
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Chris and Greg visit with the young owner of Pinkerton’s Barbecue, a Texas Monthly Top 50 barbecue joint. Pinkerton, who cut his teeth as a weekend cook-off warrior (including smoking meats in his parents’ driveway), discusses how he cooked for and fed nearby residents and first responders during Hurricane Harvey; his pits and mesquite wood; and why he won’t serve a baked potato, among other topics.
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Chris, Alison and Greg talk about the influence of the Pappas restaurants in Houston, especially the brand that started it all: Pappas Bar-B-Q. Pappas chef Michael Verlardi and beverage concept director join them in the studio.
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One smokes the best Central Texas-style brisket on Planet Earth. The other is the country's foremost practitioner of whole hog barbecue. Both deal with fire, day through night. And, wouldn't you know it, they're buddies who were in Houston recently to cook up their respective specialties at Southern Smoke to raise money for hospitality industry workers affected by Hurricane Harvey.
Austin-based brisket king Aaron Franklin and South Carolina's pulled pork superstar Rodney Scottreally need no introduction, but there you go. On this week's episode of BBQ State of Mind, recorded at Underbelly restaurant, they shoot the breeze with Chronicle crew J.C. Reid, Alison Cook and Greg Morago in a wide-ranging conversation that kicks off with Franklin cracking a beer and wraps up with geeky chatter about different types of wood. In between they discuss the silver lining of having your barbecue joint burn down, what music they listen to while they work and other pressing subjects. Bonus: In a second episode, Southern Smoke founder and James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd joins the party.
Give it a listen by using the player above, or even better search for "BBQ State of Mind" on Apple Podcasts and click subscribe. You can find us on Stitcher, too.
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Before Southern Smoke in Houston, which gathers some of America’s best chefs and pitmasters, event founder/James Beard Award winner Shepherd sits down at his Underbelly restaurant with the Chronicle crew and his visiting barbecue pals from Austin and South Carolina to discuss what’s on tap in 2017, the hurricane and their bromance.
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Jim Goode was an avid backyard barbecue enthusiast before he got the chance in 1977 to be an honest-to-goodness pitmaster when he purchased the former Red Barn on Kirby. From those humble beginnings he fashioned a culinary legacy that has spawned some of Houston’s most beloved culinary brands. Today Jim’s son, Levi Goode, oversees the Goode Company restaurants that include Goode Co. Taqueria, Goode Co. Seafood, Armadillo Palace, and his new baby, Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina. But it all began with Goode Co. But it all began with Goode Co. Barbecue on Kirby.
Hear Levi Goode reminisce about the barbecue business with J.C. Reid, Greg Morago and Alison Cook on this week’s episode of BBQ State of Mind. And if you ever wondered how the company achieves the distinctive smoke flavor you might be surprised to learn mesquite – specifically green mesquite – is responsible for a unique taste that for many in Houston is as Goode as barbecue gets.
Give it a listen by using the player above, or even better search for "BBQ State of Mind" on Apple Podcasts and click subscribe. You can find us on Stitcher, too.
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Wesley Jurena, who worked the barbecue competition circuit before opening his Pappa Charlies Barbeque near downtown Houston, joins Chris, Greg and Alison in the studio. He also discusses his plans to relocate his restaurant.
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One of the last of Houston’s old-school barbecue barons, Felix Powell talks about the Southeast Texas-style barbecue he smokes at Powell Bar-B-Q in Sunnyside, where you can still get the iconic, heavily spiced, fat-dripping beef sausages he grew up with in Beaumont, Texas.
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Live from Beaver’s on Westheimer, which since it opened earlier this year has been making waves in Houston’s craft barbecue scene. Chef/pitmaster Arash Kharat joins Greg and Alison to chat about his background, barbecue techniques and his plans for the original Beaver’s location, set to reopen soon.
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Chris, Alison and Greg discuss how the Houston barbecue community helped feed the city in the aftermath of the storm. Ara Malekian of Harlem Road Texas BBQ in Richmond, who smoked meats for first responders and others, joins them in the studio.
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Barbecue fans have plenty to be happy about as barbecue festival season heats up. Starting in September Texas’ best ’cue festivals kick off with some of the state’s most popular pitmasters smoking up a storm.
BBQ State of Mind hosts J.C. (Chris) Reid and Greg Morago are joined by barbecue enthusiast Craig Hlavaty to run down the best fests for smoked meat aficionados.
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Owner-pitmaster Wayne Mueller continues his conversation with Chris, Alison and Greg, delving into the history of Louie Mueller Barbecue and Texas barbecue at large; brisket technology; his time in Houston, including what he learned from working with Jim "Mattress Mac" McIngvale; and his plans to open a Louie Mueller Barbecue outpost outside of Taylor.
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Texas barbecue royalty and third-generation owner-pitmaster Wayne Mueller joins Chris, Alison and Greg in the studio. A fount of knowledge about Texas barbecue and its history, Wayne talks about improvements he’s making at Louie Mueller, his siblings, why he doesn’t like the term pitmaster, and the weight of taking over the “cathedral of smoke.”
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With decades of experience between them, Alison, Chris and Greg trace the roots of the city’s barbecue scene, remembering their first encounters and some of the late, great local joints that whet their smoky tastebuds.
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Austin American-Statesman restaurant critic Matthew Odam calls in to chat with Chris and Alison. They discuss his recent skirmish with a Washington Post food writer who claims that a D.C. barbecue joint has better brisket than Austin’s revered Franklin Barbecue, and exciting smoked-meat happenings in Austin.
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Restaurateur Lee Ellis, owner of Cherry Pie Hospitality, is entering thebusy Houston barbecue scene with a new business, Ellis Brothers Barbecue.Operating first as a pop-up at his Lee's Fried Chicken & Donuts shop, thebarbecue soon will make its debut as a separate smoked meats menu atCherry Pie's State Fare Kitchen & Bar in Memorial. Ellis, a longtimefixture on the Houston restaurant scene and a lifelong barbecue fan, saidthe time was right to bring his brand of barbecue to the market. Can theman who has launched a number of popular Houston restaurants make it inthe competitive local barbecue landscape?In this week's podcast, Ellis discusses his plans with Chris, Greg and Chron.com¹er (and mediaman-about-town) Craig Hlavaty.Subscribe (it's free!) to BBQ State of Mind on the Apple Podcasts app, orlisten on Stitcher and houstonchronicle.com/podcasts.
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Chef/pitmaster Patrick Feges, previously of Southern Goods and Killen’s Barbecue, and his wife, classically trained chef and sommelier Erin Feges, join Chris and Greg in the studio to talk about their plans to open a barbecue joint. Feges explains how he got into whole-hog barbecue, and what’s involved in the process.
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Alison, Chris and Greg discuss their favorite barbecue sandwiches in Houston, from classic chopped beef varieties to newfangled, macho monstrosities.
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Chef Adam Dorris joins Chris, Alison and Greg in the studio. Over brisket sandwiches (and wine) from his Presidio restaurant, Adam shares how he makes smoked butter and his cult-hit nine-spice brisket. Conversation turns to his time as a hot tub salesman, “secret hot sauce” and smoked ice cream.
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The Chronicle crew hits the road to chat with chef/pitmaster Ronnie Killen. From the dining room at his acclaimed Killen’s Barbecue in Pearland, he shares his thoughts about Texas Monthly’s best barbecue joints list (hint: he wasn’t thrilled about not making the top 10), cooking perfect brisket and possible expansion plans.
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Fresh off a weekend at Texas A&M University participating in Foodways Texas’ sold-out Barbecue Summer Camp, Greg fills Alison and Chris in on what he learned, from anatomy and “harvesting” to rubs and cook-offs.
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Waiting in a long line for great barbecue – nuisance, or part of the fun? Are pitmasters rock stars? Why is being active on social media so crucial to a barbecue joint’s business? Chris, Alison and Greg delve into the zany world of present-day barbecue culture.
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Everyone seems to have an opinion about Texas Monthly’s 2017 list of “The Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas,” and members of the Houston Chronicle food team are no different. In their first podcast, Chris, Alison and Greg dissect the rankings, offering their own colorful takes – including Austin’s barbecue scene versus Houston’s.
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