Duke vs. Kentucky

[ricks68]

Never been to the Pecan Lodge, but I've had a lot of experience with Texas 'que. I would strongly recommend the beef brisket, the sausage or the ribs (especially the beef ribs). I'd pass on the pulled pork -- not that it's bad, but you can get better pulled pork in North Carolina. If you're traveling all the way to Texas, get something they do better than us.

Of course, if you are from the north or Kentucky and can't get decent pulled pork where you live, I withdraw my comments.

And, I repeat, I'm making a general observation about Texas 'cue, not a specific comment about this place.

I have never seen a Texas BBQ joint that had pulled pork, let alone tried it there. Doesn't mean it is not possible, but pulled pork is not Texas BBQ, so I have to agree with you on the pass if it appears on the menu. Don't need no stinkin' sauce on Texas BBQ, just maybe some heat.

ricks

[mattman91]

I have never seen a Texas BBQ joint that had pulled pork, let alone tried it there. Doesn't mean it is not possible, but pulled pork is not Texas BBQ, so I have to agree with you on the pass if it appears on the menu. Don't need no stinkin' sauce on Texas BBQ, just maybe some heat.

ricks

^

I agree with this, thanks to you for introducing it.

I'd also add that NC BBQ doesn't need any stinkin' sauce either, if its good

[Olympic Fan]

I have never seen a Texas BBQ joint that had pulled pork, let alone tried it there. Doesn't mean it is not possible, but pulled pork is not Texas BBQ, so I have to agree with you on the pass if it appears on the menu. Don't need no stinkin' sauce on Texas BBQ, just maybe some heat.

ricks

It IS on the menu at Pecan Lodge (which is why I posted the warning) ... I've seen it offered at a few other Texas places. I love pulled pork, so when I was young and foolish, I tried it several time in Texas. As I grew older and wiser, I learned to stick to the items they routinely do better than us -- brisket and ribs being the top two items.

[Thurber Whyte]

If you are near Dallas/Fort Worth, I would recommend Angelo's in Fort Worth. They have a shredded beef BBQ sandwich that just melts in your mouth.

[JohnJ]

Sounds like you know what you are talking about. Kreuz is not known for its brisket, however, and it appears just from the picture of the brisket on the Lockhart Smokehouse site that it is still not representative of the best you can sample in Texas. The pork rib and the sausage are very good from Kreuz. I don't know anything about the other 2 places you recommended (one from your other post), but it appears that you know your stuff.

My advice to anyone that has the chance to try really, really good Texas BBQ, however, is to go the extra miles to get it if at all possible. I have no idea of the travel time to Pecan Lodge, but if I were even in the general area, I would go for it. (But then, this is coming from someone that used to drive to Kreuz from Houston for lunch a few times or more a year, and then turn around and drive back----about 2 1/2 hours each way. I did switch to Snow's the past 4 or 5 years because it's better and about a half hour or so shorter from Houston. Now, when I fly back to Houston, I only drive about a half hour to Killen's [killer, killer, killer rib and brisket], which is the newly rated #2 behind Franklin's.)

ricks

I LOVE Kreuz Market in Bryan/College Station. When we drive down to Houston to see relatives we always try to stop there to eat (and we normally drive the back roads instead of I-45).

[devilish]

Ayden-Skylight Inn
Kinston-Kings and Mother Earth Brewing
Goldsboro-Wilber's
Wilson-Parker's; Bill's

There's your itinerary. Starting to look/sound like a two day trip now...

As a Wilson resident, with family scattered all over eastern NC, I can save y'all a bunch of time and gas. Just head over to Ken's Grill in LaGrange, NC. Just only on a Wednesday or Saturday, as those are the only days they cook pork. Except for the hushpuppies, sides are nothing special, but barbecue has the best flavor of them all. Not on the menu, but ask for cracklin's on the side. Everyone loves their fish stew, but that's not my thing.

And yes, I'd go to the Boiler Room for oysters, burgers, and beer. They have a side called poutine... fries smothered in eastern style barbecue, smothered in cheese, smothered in gravy.

[killerleft]

As a Wilson resident, with family scattered all over eastern NC, I can save y'all a bunch of time and gas. Just head over to Ken's Grill in LaGrange, NC. Just only on a Wednesday or Saturday, as those are the only days they cook pork. Except for the hushpuppies, sides are nothing special, but barbecue has the best flavor of them all. Not on the menu, but ask for cracklin's on the side. Everyone loves their fish stew, but that's not my thing.

And yes, I'd go to the Boiler Room for oysters, burgers, and beer. They have a side called poutine... fries smothered in eastern style barbecue, smothered in cheese, smothered in gravy.

Sácre Bleu! Eastern N.C.-style poutine! And I thought the Canadian-style poutine sounded nasty. Lexington-style is better, everybody knows you just throw ketchup on fries.

[ricks68]

Well, we finally cranked up the correct thread for off season basketball, and look how long it took us. Some really interesting stuff in here, too. Kudos to all the contributors so far. Well done.

ricks

[mattman91]

Well, we finally cranked up the correct thread for off season basketball, and look how long it took us. Some really interesting stuff in here, too. Kudos to all the contributors so far. Well done.

ricks

Buxton Hall BBQ opens up tomorrow I believe. If the BBQ sucks at least there are 6 or 7 breweries around the block to hit up

[Turk]

Pecan Lodge is a very good BBQ place but it is quite a drive from Plano/Frisco. If you want something a little closer, I would recommend the following:

http://www.lockhartsmokehouse.com

http://kennyssmoke.com

The first one is on the east side of Plano while the second is on the west side.

Alas, Pecan Lodge not on the horizon near term, but remains on the bucket list, if only so that I can say I've been to Deep Elem, "where the women give you those Deep Elem blues..."

Anyway, I made it to Kenny's. It's in a generic office / residential / retail development called Legacy, which in Texas apparently means "everything was built within the last 15 years" ("they keep using that word; I don't think it means what they think it means.") Plenty of dining options, great place for spa treatments, high-end jewelry, and yoga togs; not so good if you want to buy a book, everyday toiletries, or a takeout 6-pack.

As a generic upscale storefront, Kenny's is nothing special. There are grip-n-grin pictures all over the walls (couldn't tell if they were celebs or locals), and the place could be repurposed into a Chipotle over a weekend if the landlord changes their mind. Unlike the well-known Texas BBQ places, Kenny's does not sell by weight; they offer a standard apps / mains / sides / desserts menu. I sat at the bar and decided to go for broke and went with a sampler platter - marbled brisket, pulled pork, pork ribs, and cheddar / jalapeno sausage, with my go-to sides of collards and mac-n-cheese. Paired it with Lakewood Lager, an acceptable Texas cousin of the Yuengling / Sam Adams extended family. The brisket was a clear winner, with the pulled pork a close second. I was pleasantly surprised by the sausage; I normally don't bother with sausage at BBQ joints, since I like my sausage the way I like my women - hot and Italian. (yes, a long way to go for a bad joke). The sides were generous portions; the collards had some crunch to them, and I doctored the mac-n-cheese by chopping up the roasted jalapeno that came as a garnish for the plate.

All in all, a very good meal. Mr. Kenny has set the baseline for when I wander into the other places JohnJ suggested, and I would definitely make a return visit. The only quibble I have is with the menu - I would like to see a "pick two meat" option, so I could go with larger portions of the brisket and either the pork or the sausage depending on my mood. The only combo was chicken and ribs, and I am not going to bother with chicken in Texas.

P.S. And this has nothing to do with BBQ, but should I try an In-and-Out burger here, or hold out for a someday-maybe-never trip to SoCal for a "real" In-and-Out?

[Billy Dat]

the 11/2/15 issue of The New Yorker is the annual Food Issue and there is an article germane to this thread:

"In Defense of the True 'Cue - Keeping pork pure in North Carolina"
by Calvin Trillin

Teaser opening paragraph:

"For some years, I am now prepared to admit, I somehow labored under the impression that Rocky Mount is the line of demarcation that separates the two principal schools of North Carolina barbecue. Wrong. That line of demarcation is, roughly, Raleigh, sixty miles west."

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...f-the-true-cue

[killerleft]

the 11/2/15 issue of The New Yorker is the annual Food Issue and there is an article germane to this thread:

"In Defense of the True 'Cue - Keeping pork pure in North Carolina"
by Calvin Trillin

Teaser opening paragraph:

"For some years, I am now prepared to admit, I somehow labored under the impression that Rocky Mount is the line of demarcation that separates the two principal schools of North Carolina barbecue. Wrong. That line of demarcation is, roughly, Raleigh, sixty miles west."

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...f-the-true-cue

Thanks for the link! That, to me, is a rare story about North Carolina 'que that described our favorite food honestly and fairly.

[devildeac]

the 11/2/15 issue of The New Yorker is the annual Food Issue and there is an article germane to this thread:

"In Defense of the True 'Cue - Keeping pork pure in North Carolina"
by Calvin Trillin

Teaser opening paragraph:

"For some years, I am now prepared to admit, I somehow labored under the impression that Rocky Mount is the line of demarcation that separates the two principal schools of North Carolina barbecue. Wrong. That line of demarcation is, roughly, Raleigh, sixty miles west."

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...f-the-true-cue

At least he's getting closer/moving in the correct direction.

[MChambers]

Wednesday night, my adult son told me that the local (Washington DC) Safeway had a bunch of pork shoulders on sale. I told him to pick one up, so we'd be adequately prepared for the blizzard. He went the next day, and said he got some strange looks, because he was only buying a shoulder, some buns, chips, and cabbage. Everyone else was buying toilet paper and bottled water.

Friday morning, before the snow hit, I fired up our Big Green Egg, and put on the shoulder. 7 hours later, after cooking at 200F, we had many pounds of tender BBQ. (Eastern style, should you care.)

Served some last night, with some neighbors who were able to walk to our house through the 22" of snow. We also have enough for several more meals, stowed away in the freezer, for the next big storm.

[MartyClark]

Wednesday night, my adult son told me that the local (Washington DC) Safeway had a bunch of pork shoulders on sale. I told him to pick one up, so we'd be adequately prepared for the blizzard. He went the next day, and said he got some strange looks, because he was only buying a shoulder, some buns, chips, and cabbage. Everyone else was buying toilet paper and bottled water.

Friday morning, before the snow hit, I fired up our Big Green Egg, and put on the shoulder. 7 hours later, after cooking at 200F, we had many pounds of tender BBQ. (Eastern style, should you care.)

Served some last night, with some neighbors who were able to walk to our house through the 22" of snow. We also have enough for several more meals, stowed away in the freezer, for the next big storm.

How are you liking that Big Green Egg? I've been considering that purchase.

[Indoor66]

I'm jealous and there's no snow here!

[devildeac]

I'm jealous and there's no snow here!

Maybe -jk and weezie can pack some in large boxes with a suitable quantity of dry ice and FedEx/UPS it to you overnight .

[MChambers]

How are you liking that Big Green Egg? I've been considering that purchase.

We really like it. Have had it for many years, probably 15 or more. Very easy to control the temperature, so you can cook in a variety of ways. If you get one, use a charcoal chimney to get the charcoal going.

[OldPhiKap]

How are you liking that Big Green Egg? I've been considering that purchase.

Love mine. There is a whole BGE thread on the off-topic board if you want more info:

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.c...ighlight=green

[Indoor66]

Maybe -jk and weezie can pack some in large boxes with a suitable quantity of dry ice and FedEx/UPS it to you overnight .

Don't want none of that shiite here. At 58° I am freezing now!