When Robert Lerma initially mentioned his idea of a multi-state BBQ trip in June, I was hooked. After meeting Matt Gross soon after and hitting it off, I suggested to Robert that we invite him. This bolstered our number whilst adding a dynamic skill set. Robert being a studious photographer, knowledgeable Matt having an inquisitive interviewing style complete with pen and pad and I, with a knack for getting personable with folks which often is the easiest way making them feel comfortable. Many Pitmasters are secretive and inverts upon initial impression but what we discovered by the time we left each visit, we were treated much like family.
The trip consisting of four days and three nights through East Texas, Arkansas, Memphis, Mississippi, New Orleans and back to Austin had been widdled down slowly over the couple weeks leading up to departure. The end result would be two days and one night covering Texas Monthly Top 50 joints and whatever else we could get our hands on in East Texas (ETX). It was clear, concise and more focused on which we all agreed would be the most successful way of accomplishing what we needed.
We set the bar high on the Wednesday evening prior to leaving by plowing through plates full of meat with Pitmaster Evan Leroy at Freedmen's Bar in Austin. None of us could imagine any joints in ETX measuring up to such wonderfully cooked BBQ. Evan would be to blame for possibly setting us up for failure. After spending that afternoon before dinner drinking beers at the pool, we were cashed. It was time to call it a night. The following Thursday morning would be arriving soon and consisting of many miles.
Bennie and Kirby.
Our first stop took us to Whup's Boomerang Bar-B-Que in Marlin, TX. Located among old and decrepit homes along sparsely populated Bennett Street, the cliché "off the beaten path" most likely pertains to this little green shack. Here you will find Pitmaster Bennie Washington manning the smokers and family handling the ordering. "I'm pretty busy cooking right now", he first responded when we approached him to hang out. It didn't take long after before he took us in and we found ourselves shooting basketball on an all dirt court near his woodpile with his Grandson.
.jpeg)
His story isn't complicated or mysterious but similar to many other Pitmaster's stories we would soon be hearing along our way. His father worked for the railroad and cooked when Bennie was a child frequently roasting kid goat known as Cabrito. Bennie worked for Pepsi as a sales and delivery man and while doing so found himself cooking for various company gatherings. He had previously attempted cooking commercially and finally located to his current location in 1999.
Taking a rule of thumb from Pepsi with product consistency, Bennie strives for this the three days a week he is open putting out close to 1,000 lbs. of brisket, ribs, sausage and chicken. For 12-15 hours a day he uses a mix of mesquite, hickory, or pecan or "whatever is closest". His hot links come from Waco, TX based H&B packing Company under the name "Farmer Jones", while the sausage is straight from Eckermann's Meat Market in Elgin, TX. All in all, we were pleased with what we tried with the chicken being particularly good. The visit alone was well worth the trip and the plate of food an added bonus.
Up the two-lane stretch of road north of Marlin is a town named Mexia - the location of Kirby's Barbeque. There you can find Kirby Hyden not only working the pits but stationed at the cutting board also. Food tickets hang a bit higher than eye-level in the kitchen beside the ordering window in this downhome country interior. As family history goes, Kirby's father owned Hyden's Barbecue located south of Mexia in the town known as Groesbeck. This operation began in the 1970s with Kirby joining his father in 1980. In 1991, he took over the restaurant his Grandfather established in the 1960s known as Holloway's. This became Kirby's and he eventually moved a bit south of town into a newer facility in 2008 off the highway.
.jpeg)
Kirby is a humble and friendly gentleman but when Marine One would land at the small regional airport located across the highway, he was the man chosen to barbecue for then President George W. Bush. This claim isn't for purposes of being a braggart but a self-homage to the blood and sweat put into his business.
Green post oak and a bit of hickory is the wood of choice for his food and unfortunately, you will only have the opportunity of tasting the ribs on Friday and Saturday. We were one day shy. The brisket had the ring and bark though lacking a bit of smoke. Sadly they covered part of the brisket and all of the sausage in sauce. There is a second location under the name Hyden Family Barbeque found in Teague, TX which is operated by his brother using the same family recipes.
Kirby grew up in Central Texas within a long-line of family owned restaurants, around pits with smoke running through his veins. Before we left, his modesty came in the form of two sentences he quietly uttered."My pits ain't nothing fancy. Nothing fancy about this place."
Sweet Baby J...and the dismal ETX taste.
Time found us early in the afternoon and Robert called an audible when he decided to call the owner and Pitmaster of Baby J's Bar-B-Que and Fish, Preacher Jeremiah McKenzie. Making the transition from Central Texas to ETX...This 2008 Texas Monthly Top 50 winner located in Palestine seemed like a good Segway. What we found was Baby J in despair.
Since being on the 2008 list and participating at the Texas Monthly BBQ Competition in 2011, he briefly uprooted to South Texas then came back home. The only problem was when he returned his customer base did not. He found that the method which had been so successful in winning competitions and landing him in publications didn't resonate well with the locals. He altered his cooking and lowered the overall taste quality. When asked, Robert politely replied to Baby J that "it didn't live up to his last visit."
.jpeg)
Jeremiah was open to suggestions. I wanted to narrow it down to the beginning of where he went wrong. It was an easy answer. For one, he left. When the face of a restaurant leaves more likely than not...the customer base will too. Out of sight, out of mind. Secondly, he altered his winning methods of cooking for customers thus lowering his standard. Third was a simple solution. It may be time to start over, where locals and tourists alike would appreciate his original style.
As Matt commented on Tweeter "East TX BBQ joints are at a disadvantage. The locals have palates less refined than an average 3 year old. What sells is not the best BBQ." This caused a minor commotion with a couple of ETX homers who eventually made it clear that they had no clue what they were tweeting about.
In ETX, the majority do not appreciate the flavorful fat and bark provided thus two-thirds of the joints we visited would automatically trim everything with no questions asked. It was hard watching beautiful burnt ends wind up in the trash. On the other hand, owners such as Stephen Joseph of Joseph's Riverport Bar-B-Que located in Jefferson, TX and Nick Pencis of Stanley's Famous Pit in Tyler, TX make it their way and serve it their way. Will they compromise to a customers request and trim? Sure they will. But they at least provide their salacious meat up to their standard first. No cutting corners for appeasement.
As of last week, Baby J's building is for sell at $315,000. Included is the historical old stone and log cabin attached which was built in the early 1930's as a general store. Also "Big Baby", his massive smoker with a steeple-like smokestack will stay. We wished him success with whatever decision he chose but his comment, "I'm outta here and starting new," completed the somber visit.
Coming next - Finding history in Jefferson and Blues and Booze in Tyler.
No comments:
Post a Comment