Friday at Freedmen's Bar

 
After leaving Millers Smokehouse we took a cab down down to a classic old brick bar for yes...more brisket, sausage, and ribs!

Although not on the classic infamous Smokehouse circuit in and around Austin, we were seriously impressed.  In a short summary...we all felt the ribs were excellent.  Moist, pleasantly rubbed, meaty and tender...perfect on the bone. And slightly smaller than the monsters at Millers.

The house sausage was a little overpowered by a bit too much black pepper.  A much coarser grind than Millers, and a bit drier.  Good flavor, good smoke, but too much black pepper.

The brisket was the best surprise.  Gorgeously crusted with a tasty savory black bark, and tender, moist, and kissed with nice oak smoke.  Maybe a generous late nite portion, but there was easily enough brisket for the three of us on this sampler platter!

Coupled with the Whiskey of the Month, $5 Makers 46, we found Freedmen's to be the perfect late nite stop for a night cap of Texas Barbecue!

 

 

 

 

Virgins in Texas.

So we pulled into Millers Smokehouse in Belton Texas for our virgin ribs, brisket, and sausage experience on the BBQ Tour.  We knew we had another stop later, but were overwhelmed with the need to eat!

We got the last rack of ribs of the day, thanks to Dustin Miller sneaking back behind his Dad Dirk to save the last rack as we arrived.

A rack turned out to be about 4 pounds of meat!  The largest meatiest pork ribs we have ever seen!  Bones the size of a small child's forearm.  Meaty, moist and kissed PERFECTLY with smoke.  A mellow nice rub,served dry no sauce as they should and they were FANTASTIC.

The jalepeno smoked sausage was next.  Again perfect!  Smooth grind, nice kick, not spicy, and very savory and smokey.  A solid win.

The brisket, albeit our first to try on the Tour...was a little disappointing.  Was moist enough, not dry...flavorful, but not really smokey.  Admittedly, we all like a little more "bark" on our brisket, and this was lacking.  Some of the flavor was missing, and the smoke was hard to detect.

With two home runs on ribs and sausage, we still left pleased and would highly recommend a visit!  The family was fun, friendly, generous, and great hosts.  The vibe and atmosphere of live music was welcome, and a sampling of a local Waco phenom Balcones Brimstone Whiskey made for a perfect virgin visit.

We left with tshirts and a lot lighter in the wallet!?  Not at all disappointed.

Quick update - Millers Smokehouse Belton Tx

Just a quick peek at roadie pics.....details coming.  Awesome introduction to Texas.  We are already out of money, and ate too much...and we haven't even started yet!!  :)

  

  

Texas Barbecue Extravaganza!

Tomorrow, Friday March 21st, Matt Abbott and Mike Cournoyer and I are taking off for a four day Texas Barbecue Brisket and Ribs personal tour!

Mike and I have fancied ourselves as qualified backyard pitmasters for a few years now tackling ribs, smoked pulled pork, even the challenging beef brisket, among other smoked and grilled fare.   But as anyone in Texas will point out, and they like to do that, you have not had smoked barbecue until you've been to Texas!  And with Franklins Barbecue getting hot national press in Food and Wine, Bon Apetite and  more...we had to see for ourselves.

Well a little research led to a lot of research!  We even discovered the Texas BBQ Posse!!!  With the help of former fellow Minnesotan Gary Jacobson, and his fellow Texas Posse member friends...they steered us to more and more information, reviews, maps, and commentary on the BEST that Texas barbecue has to offer.  See their blog at http://texasbbqposse.blogspot.com   Its amazing!!

Together with advice from the Posse, a bunch of personal research, and the fine folks at Texas Monthly Magazine with their huge review of the Best BBQ in Texas....we have a plan that will make any grown man moo.

Of course our eyes and stomachs, and eager appetites are probably outsized to begin with, but we have a plan to hit some of the finest Pitmasters in Texas for a taste test and comparison of ribs, brisket, and the famous smoked sausage of Texas.  Most of these joints are centered around Austin, Lockhart, and Lexington, Texas.  Our plan is to fly into Dallas on Friday night, pick up a car and head south!

First stop will be Millers Smokehouse, in Belton Texas.  www.wildmillers.com  This will be a quick stop on our way to Austin, and an evening of fine cocktails and smoked BBQ at Freedmen's Bar in downtown Austin Friday night!!  http://www.freedmensbar.com/

Watch and check back for live updates!  Feel free to add comments, contact us, or add your two cents worth.  But for now...we are the Minnesota Golden Gopher BBQ Posse coming to see what Texas has to offer!!

In the meantime, sit back, smell the smoke, sip a craft bourbon, and browse the gorgeous furniture at the Granary WoodShops www.granarywoodshops.com

Ever get yelled at by your sister?

OK...so I got yelled at by my sister for having no blog entries since 2009. What's with that? :)

I used to think this blogging about the farm and what I am working on would be cool...but I nobody ever read them, commented, or seemed to care. When a ground swell over whelms me, and I come to learn the general public wants to hang on my every word about what the chickens and goats are up to, and my latest cuts and bruises in the WoodShop...maybe I'll start up!

Keep them cards and letters coming!!!

Deed is done.

Well, the trap and having a heart thing did not quite work out.  At least not for the rodent.

I freshened up the greens in the trap, and walked out quietly to peek in the barn door this am.  My heart skipped a small beat when through the crack in the door, down the dark barn alley I could see the trap door clanged shut tight!

I opened the big cross buck door and walked into the dark barn.  As I approached the trap, I could see it was indeed closed but nothing...no woodchuck.  I assumed he was sniffing around the edges trying to maybe sneak a snack through the cage wall and accidentally sprung the door.  I reset it, but in my mind I was feeling defeated.  It's been 10 days and nothing.

I repeated my habit of piling the dirt back in his hole, and with frustrating regularity, he would clean it out and escape on me again.  So now it was time for war.

Just as in the battle with moles in my yard, there simply is not the same satisfaction waiting and watching an idle trap.  For moles I keep pushing down their tunnels, all during the day, until I know that there is a mole in a specific tunnel because he keeps on pushing the tunnel up.  So I wait him out with a sharp pitchfork in hand and when I see the earth moving along the tunnel road...pow!  He's mine.

So today I decided to keep filling in the hole, and keep an eye on it for activity.  And sure enough, within a half hour he was opening it back up.  Woodchucks are active around 10:00 am I have learned from seeing them around the farm.  So I filled and checked at 10:00am.  By 10:30 it was open.  I re-filled it again, and came out at 10:50 and pulled up a lawn chair in the barn about 40 feet away with a sniper's view of the hole.

I am here to report that as of 10:57am Central Standard Time, the Woodchuck living in the barn at the Granary WoodShops is no more.  May he rest in peace.  I am assuming you all are not interested in pictures of the evidence!

And may I get back work!   Gee...I wonder what's next?! :)

Lazy Hunter

OK.  I apologize.

Its been a week and no progress or update.  Its a combination of I have been out of town up in Hayward for 5 days, and the fact that my fresh broccoli carrot salad mix stinks now and the woodchuck is not interested!!

SO, tomorrow, I am going to fill in and pack down his hole.  More or less just to piss him off probably, but also just for good measure.  A fresh stock of delectables will be added to the trap and a round two of trying to lure him in will begin.

I sort of secretly hope to spot the little furry-pawed rodent just so I can justify sitting out in the barn with my .22 and waiting for him to show his face!

I'll keep you posted.