Texas is a mighty big place with distinct regions, a growing cultural diversity and a food scene that holds its own with any in the country. Of course if you had to choose just one thing that exemplifies that which Texas is renowned for it would have to be Central Texas style barbecue and specifically beef brisket. That said when one talks regionally there are distinct styles of barbecue that draw their traditions from other influences outside of the Central Texas region.
In my Taco Chronicles series, for instance, I write about the strong Tex-Mex influence on South Texas barbecue that takes on the style developed in Mexican cooking. Known as the champions of fajitas and barbacoa, open fire grilling and slow roasting in earthen ovens are the hallmarks and influencers of their style.
In East Texas, influences from the deep south with attention to pork and pork products tend to downplay, and in some cases ignore, classic beef cuts like brisket. Sausages tend to be made from all pork products and are quite fatty. They really need an acquired taste to appreciate. Whole hog and pulled pork might be the predominating choices on the menu rather than low and slow beef products.
But as stated, when one thinks of Texas barbecue, the real star is Central Texas low and slow smoked meats with beef being the predominant protein of choice. This region draws its style from German and Czech immigrants who, starting in 1831, were some of the first settlers to the vast Stephen F. Austin colony land grants. They brought with them European sausage making traditions and tendencies to smoke meat as a preservative measure. Beef of course became king with the opposite tendency, like that found in East Texas, to downplay the role of pork.
Fast forward to the 21st century and the explosion of barbecue all over the world. With that the old guard, traditional German style pit barbecue joints that dot the Hill Country have had to ramp up operations to keep up with the high demand for the ever growing popularity of their products. Unfortunately, as with a lot of large scale operations that have enjoyed years of success, what used to be attention to detail and emphasis on local customers have grown to become somewhat complacent, run of the mill tourist destinations.
To counter that and meet the ever growing demand, a series of younger pit masters have come to the forefront and have revived Central Texas style barbecue on a smaller scale. With that the labor of love, passion and attention to craftsmanship are also being revived, and in many cases exceeding that of many of the old guard establishments. They tend to come from backyard cooks, to local pop ups, to food trailers and eventually small to medium size brick and mortar restaurants. Emphasis can also be seen not just on the meat products, but in all things on the menu. Dynamic new sides as well as fusion type dishes that marry Central Texas barbecue with other cultural cuisines have upped their game.
So how does the small, southeastern Texas City of Beaumont, steeped in traditional East Texas style of barbecue, home grow a true Central Texas style barbecue joint? All one has to do is visit 1701 Calder Avenue to find out. That’s where you will find Blue Broussard, along with his sidekicks Travis Cox and Derek Ray, doing not only a great job of presenting true Central Texas barbecue, but holding their own against some of the best (more on that in a moment). Blue is a prototypical example of a guy who is largely self-taught, cooked in his backyard for family and friends, owned a trailer operation for a time and now finds himself serving great food from a family owned building all in the span of about 10 years.
So how good is their ‘cue? Well in a recent meat-up in Rockdale where many of us got to taste some of the best of the best the Hill Country has to offer (including Snow’s, Louie Mueller’s and the Lockhart trinity), we tested one of 1701’s briskets against that of one obtained from Snow’s. In a blind taste test among eight or so folks lucky enough to be there, Snow’s seem to edge out 1701’s by just a hair. Considering 1701’s was a re-heated, couple of day old example, versus a fresh offering from the competition, being that close in flavor and tenderness was really nothing short of remarkable. The final verdict was both briskets were excellent with the smoother, less peppery bark of Snow’s being the deciding factor.
With that I knew I was going to be in Beaumont on business so I called upon one of my new traveling barbecue friends, 58limited to meet me at 1701 to get the full local treatment. I found Travis cutting up the day’s fresh briskets after waiting in a 15 or 20-minute line and introduced myself. They were very accommodating, offering me a few extras from the menu to go along with a large tray full of goodies I chose for myself.
The brisket, to start with, was super moist and perfectly rendered with that trade mark peppery bark that I tend to like. I did ask for a half pound cut from the point end which produced the best quality of meat but unfortunately had a thick layer of decal fat to go along with it. It didn’t distract from the unctuousness of the beef but did yield a little less meat than I would have expected for $13 per half pound. That said, the meat itself was absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked.
Next the beef sausage. Made in house (since once again the fatty pork sausage made locally just won’t do), it was one of the stars of the show. I’m a sausage fanatic. I love Hill Country sausage along with Louisiana style boudain, and fill my freezer with the stuff every chance I get. So finding a true beef sausage in all places like Beaumont, was a real treat. I loved the coarser grind of the meat along with the perfect balance of seasonings and the kiss of smoke that put my link over the top.
The pork ribs were definitely top notch, the second best thing I had that day. Mopped while cooking, they had a bite through finish without being mushy or over cooked. They retained a smoky flavor without the sweetness often associated with pork rib glazing. The meat simply melted in my mouth, the smooth fattiness of the pork producing a delightful after taste. I’ve been known to cook some pretty mean ribs, but these were a cut above.
The turkey, which I’m not normally a fan of, was very good. Moist and smoky once again, it didn’t have the sawdust dry consistency you get in many barbecue joints.
But the real star of the show, the true king of beef barbecue in my opinion, were the big, bad beefy ribs. These were not the monster ribs associated with ribs 5-7 of the animal but were smaller, probably cut from the chuck. Regardless, they were cooked to absolute perfection. The rib I had blew away anything else I tried that day. As always it had a rich, peppery bark followed closely underneath by a nice thick red smoke ring. Now to put this in proper perspective, everything I ate that day was either with my fingers or with a small, obligatory plastic fork. That fork was able to peel away bite size pieces of the rib meat with little or no effort. Picture butter smooth in your mind’s eye. The texture appeared to be that of mom’s pot roast, but trust me these were not over cooked and pot roast like in flavor. As with the brisket, there was a big, bold beefiness to the melt in your mouth rib meat. Interspersed within that meat was a perfectly rendered fattiness that felt like velvet curtains within my mouth. Beef ribs are not that difficult to cook, but to know when they are at their peak of deliciousness takes skill and a sense of timing. These guys definitely know what they are doing.
I’ve been to literally dozens of barbecue restaurants in Texas. Some knock it out of the park and some would be better suited to turn their establishments into a Denny’s. In all cases it’s not very often that I find a place that does traditional Hill Country barbecue with excellence across the menu board. In the small, East Texas City of Beaumont I found such a place, and it’s located at 1701 Calder Avenue. I will be going back there soon to visit a real hidden gem and some of the young guns of true, Central Texas Hill Country style barbecue.
In my Taco Chronicles series, for instance, I write about the strong Tex-Mex influence on South Texas barbecue that takes on the style developed in Mexican cooking. Known as the champions of fajitas and barbacoa, open fire grilling and slow roasting in earthen ovens are the hallmarks and influencers of their style.
In East Texas, influences from the deep south with attention to pork and pork products tend to downplay, and in some cases ignore, classic beef cuts like brisket. Sausages tend to be made from all pork products and are quite fatty. They really need an acquired taste to appreciate. Whole hog and pulled pork might be the predominating choices on the menu rather than low and slow beef products.
But as stated, when one thinks of Texas barbecue, the real star is Central Texas low and slow smoked meats with beef being the predominant protein of choice. This region draws its style from German and Czech immigrants who, starting in 1831, were some of the first settlers to the vast Stephen F. Austin colony land grants. They brought with them European sausage making traditions and tendencies to smoke meat as a preservative measure. Beef of course became king with the opposite tendency, like that found in East Texas, to downplay the role of pork.
Fast forward to the 21st century and the explosion of barbecue all over the world. With that the old guard, traditional German style pit barbecue joints that dot the Hill Country have had to ramp up operations to keep up with the high demand for the ever growing popularity of their products. Unfortunately, as with a lot of large scale operations that have enjoyed years of success, what used to be attention to detail and emphasis on local customers have grown to become somewhat complacent, run of the mill tourist destinations.
To counter that and meet the ever growing demand, a series of younger pit masters have come to the forefront and have revived Central Texas style barbecue on a smaller scale. With that the labor of love, passion and attention to craftsmanship are also being revived, and in many cases exceeding that of many of the old guard establishments. They tend to come from backyard cooks, to local pop ups, to food trailers and eventually small to medium size brick and mortar restaurants. Emphasis can also be seen not just on the meat products, but in all things on the menu. Dynamic new sides as well as fusion type dishes that marry Central Texas barbecue with other cultural cuisines have upped their game.
So how does the small, southeastern Texas City of Beaumont, steeped in traditional East Texas style of barbecue, home grow a true Central Texas style barbecue joint? All one has to do is visit 1701 Calder Avenue to find out. That’s where you will find Blue Broussard, along with his sidekicks Travis Cox and Derek Ray, doing not only a great job of presenting true Central Texas barbecue, but holding their own against some of the best (more on that in a moment). Blue is a prototypical example of a guy who is largely self-taught, cooked in his backyard for family and friends, owned a trailer operation for a time and now finds himself serving great food from a family owned building all in the span of about 10 years.
So how good is their ‘cue? Well in a recent meat-up in Rockdale where many of us got to taste some of the best of the best the Hill Country has to offer (including Snow’s, Louie Mueller’s and the Lockhart trinity), we tested one of 1701’s briskets against that of one obtained from Snow’s. In a blind taste test among eight or so folks lucky enough to be there, Snow’s seem to edge out 1701’s by just a hair. Considering 1701’s was a re-heated, couple of day old example, versus a fresh offering from the competition, being that close in flavor and tenderness was really nothing short of remarkable. The final verdict was both briskets were excellent with the smoother, less peppery bark of Snow’s being the deciding factor.
With that I knew I was going to be in Beaumont on business so I called upon one of my new traveling barbecue friends, 58limited to meet me at 1701 to get the full local treatment. I found Travis cutting up the day’s fresh briskets after waiting in a 15 or 20-minute line and introduced myself. They were very accommodating, offering me a few extras from the menu to go along with a large tray full of goodies I chose for myself.
The brisket, to start with, was super moist and perfectly rendered with that trade mark peppery bark that I tend to like. I did ask for a half pound cut from the point end which produced the best quality of meat but unfortunately had a thick layer of decal fat to go along with it. It didn’t distract from the unctuousness of the beef but did yield a little less meat than I would have expected for $13 per half pound. That said, the meat itself was absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked.
Next the beef sausage. Made in house (since once again the fatty pork sausage made locally just won’t do), it was one of the stars of the show. I’m a sausage fanatic. I love Hill Country sausage along with Louisiana style boudain, and fill my freezer with the stuff every chance I get. So finding a true beef sausage in all places like Beaumont, was a real treat. I loved the coarser grind of the meat along with the perfect balance of seasonings and the kiss of smoke that put my link over the top.
The pork ribs were definitely top notch, the second best thing I had that day. Mopped while cooking, they had a bite through finish without being mushy or over cooked. They retained a smoky flavor without the sweetness often associated with pork rib glazing. The meat simply melted in my mouth, the smooth fattiness of the pork producing a delightful after taste. I’ve been known to cook some pretty mean ribs, but these were a cut above.
The turkey, which I’m not normally a fan of, was very good. Moist and smoky once again, it didn’t have the sawdust dry consistency you get in many barbecue joints.
But the real star of the show, the true king of beef barbecue in my opinion, were the big, bad beefy ribs. These were not the monster ribs associated with ribs 5-7 of the animal but were smaller, probably cut from the chuck. Regardless, they were cooked to absolute perfection. The rib I had blew away anything else I tried that day. As always it had a rich, peppery bark followed closely underneath by a nice thick red smoke ring. Now to put this in proper perspective, everything I ate that day was either with my fingers or with a small, obligatory plastic fork. That fork was able to peel away bite size pieces of the rib meat with little or no effort. Picture butter smooth in your mind’s eye. The texture appeared to be that of mom’s pot roast, but trust me these were not over cooked and pot roast like in flavor. As with the brisket, there was a big, bold beefiness to the melt in your mouth rib meat. Interspersed within that meat was a perfectly rendered fattiness that felt like velvet curtains within my mouth. Beef ribs are not that difficult to cook, but to know when they are at their peak of deliciousness takes skill and a sense of timing. These guys definitely know what they are doing.
I’ve been to literally dozens of barbecue restaurants in Texas. Some knock it out of the park and some would be better suited to turn their establishments into a Denny’s. In all cases it’s not very often that I find a place that does traditional Hill Country barbecue with excellence across the menu board. In the small, East Texas City of Beaumont I found such a place, and it’s located at 1701 Calder Avenue. I will be going back there soon to visit a real hidden gem and some of the young guns of true, Central Texas Hill Country style barbecue.
Comment