Next
week in BBQ world! (cue news ticker!)
Starting tomorrow is Texas BBQ Week (July
12-18), celebrating Texas BBQ for a good cause.
Check it out for details on where @tmbbq.com:
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Friday, July 10, 2015
Updated
Review of FullHouse BBQ (Austin, TX)
A new update for the
Fullhouse review (found here).
I hate indecision.
So it bothered me that I was on the fence whether or not FullHouse was worth a
trip. (For those of you wondering who haven’t checked out our FAQs: Worth a
trip means you are willing to drive 60 miles or more one way JUST for the BBQ.
No side stops, other errands, etc. To use an example, a trip for me is driving
from my home in Georgetown out to Cooper’s in Llano.) But to see if I could
commit, I went back today. They had baby-back pork ribs today (a
Friday-Saturday special), so I order ½ pound of them and a chopped beef
sandwich.
Chopped Beef Sandwich: Let’s be honest. In most
places chopped beef is mostly about the sauce. They take their lean brisket (or
a brisket they didn’t cook as well as they liked), add a ton of sauce, and
serve it up. Not here. I’d say this has less than half the sauce you’d find in
most chopped beef. And I think that’s a good thing. I can actually taste the
smoke in the brisket. The sauce is serving as a complement (much like mustard
or ketchup on a burger) rather than the dominant flavor. This is one of the
better chopped beef sandwiches I’ve had. 9.0/10.
Baby-back ribs: Robert (Owner and Pit master)
warns me ahead of time that he uses a wet rub on his ribs, and that he knows
some people don’t like that. My problem with wet rubs (which he mentions as
well) is that it all too often results in poor cooking. Either the meat is
over/undercooked, or the sauce is burned. It is also often used less as a rub
and more as a “saucing in the later part of cooking”, meaning that they dry
cook the ribs, and only add the sauce in the later stages. This results in less
flavor getting into the meat (and a potentially dry rib if they aren’t paying
attention. The bottom line: when using a wet rub you have to pay a lot more
attention to your meat. Robert clearly does. The ribs are juicy and tender,
with a nice smoky flavor. You don’t get the crust that you do with a dry rub,
but there’s a wonderful sweetness that goes well with the smoke. Most
importantly, the flavor goes to the bone. These are nicely done. 9.5/10.
I said in my
previous review that to say a place is worth a trip I want at least three
scores of 8 or above. After today, Full House now has four: brisket, sausage,
chopped beef, and baby-back ribs. I can safely say they are worth a trip.
*Note: Robert indicated he’s getting a new smoker,
and once that happens he plans on having baby-backs and chicken every day in
addition to his current selection. So check his website/Facebook to see when
that happens. Until then, make note that the baby-backs are a Fri-Sat item
only.*
-Tom
Thursday, July 9, 2015
This
week in BBQ Myths! (cue the Theremin music!)
Interesting video/article on American
Barbecue and five myths about the cuisine (@TastingTable.com by Kat Kinsman):
Updated
Review of Stiles Switch House BBQ (Austin, TX)
Flashback
today on the reviewin'. We'd previously visited back in April (original review here), and had decided it was good and definitely worth a visit, but not quite
worth a trip because none of the trifecta made it into the 8+ range in score. I
stopped in there today for lunch and got a three meat plate (brisket, turkey,
pork loin).
Turkey: This is still excellent. Nice and
moist, a nice smoky flavor, and not too salty. Still a solid 10/10.
Pork: This is equally good. Just the right
amount of smoke. It's got a slightly spicy kick to it that compliments the
smoke nicely. I gave this a nine last time, and this batch is even better.
10/10.
Brisket: The brisket last time was good, but
not great. This shows the difference between lean and moist. This is juicy,
tender, has a nice smoky flavor, and a good bark. It melts in the mouth nicely.
I bought a little extra and passed it around to a few people and it is getting
compliments from them as well. 9/10.
Since there were
three previous scores of 8 or above, and one of the trifecta has now scored 8
or higher, I think I can safely say Stiles is worth a trip. Make sure you check
them out!
-Tom
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Review
of Fullhouse BBQ (@Morrow St., Georgetown, TX)
I’d heard comments
about the place from people in my neighborhood Nextdoor group, so decided to
check it out. FullHouse is a small trailer currently located on Morrow in
Georgetown. He’s been at this location since last August, and has plans to open
a full-scale restaurant at some point in the future.
The menu isn’t huge
– primarily sandwiches and plates. They serve sausage, brisket, chopped beef,
and beef spare ribs. It looks like they may have other offerings as specials on
occasion. I order a two-meat plate (brisket and sausage), and a half-pound of
beef ribs (3).
Beef ribs: The beef ribs have a nice crust and
good flavor. They are somewhat tough, but it’s been so long since I’ve had a
spare rib (usually I’m getting the brontosaur version) that this may be
somewhat subjective. 7/0/10.
Sausage: The sausage has a very nice smoky
flavor. It’s juicy, tender, and there’s a good snap in the casing. This is
really good. 8.0/10.
Brisket: The brisket is moist and tender.
There’s a nice smoky flavor to it. The bark is a little thin. I have a little
moist and a little lean, and even the lean is nice and tender. 8.0/10.
Are they worth a visit?
Absolutely. I’d definitely check them out for lunch, and would not be at all
worried about taking a friend.
Are they worth a trip? I’m
honestly on the fence on this one. I usually want three scores of 8 or higher
to say yes here, but I only tried three of four items, and two of those three
make the cut. I’m going to have to go back when they have a special to make a
final call.
Trailers have been
impressing me lately, and Fullhouse has done nothing to discourage that trend.
They are definitely a solid entry in the BBQ camp.
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