Monday, August 6, 2018
Weekend ribeye steaks kissed with smoke and rosemary garlic butter
Ribeye’s cooked low and slow on the grill with wood pellets adding a smokey kiss. Dry/brined with sea salt, the fresh rosemary served as a basting brush for garlic butter.
Soulman's Bar-B-Que
Points are often awarded to a barbecue joint if they are located in a shady building, have tired interiors filled with old beer signs and pictures, have a smoke stack out back pumping out smoke, or in general make you feel you should bring a knife for protection. In fact, some of the best BBQ joints capture all these elements. Soulman's Bar-B-Que however, manages to crank out some decent 'que despite capturing none of the sought after qualities. A small chain of BBQ restaurants, Soulman's has been making que for many years now. We visited the Southlake, TX location in July 2018 for our first experience with the brand.
First, the restaurant is located in a former Boston Market. That is to say - it looks nice, is clean and modern inside, and has very few of the visual cues you associate with great BBQ joints. No beer signs inside (in fact, they don't serve beer at all... and I deducted points for that). No visible piles of wood. No smoke meandering from the back. Secondly, in case you missed it the first time, they do not serve beer. Seriously!?
Upon entering you approach the order counter to select from a decent sized menu of "meals" and "combos." I opted for the three meat combo selecting brisket, ribs and pulled pork while my step-son selected the brisket, sausage and pulled pork. The brisket was very tender and juicy (I was served both lean and fatty) but lacked a strong taste of spices such as salt or pepper. I could however actually taste the hickory smoke. Overall, while the brisket was moist and tender it lacked the taste punch I look for in this succulent meat. I give it a B-.
The pulled pork sits as an uncut shoulder on the cutting board and upon ordering, they chip off a few pieces and rough chop before placing on the plate. The meat better be good here because there are no vinegar sauces drowning out imperfections. In fact, this was the best meat of the meal. It was full of flavor, had a nice bark, and remained moist (no doubt a function of being "pulled" just moments earlier). Both James and I remarked on how good the pulled pork was - we both cleaned every morsel from the plate. I give the pulled pork an A-.
The sausage was of the German style and had a decent snap of casing with a decent amount of moisture inside. While the overall taste was mild it was nice not to have any overbearing spices. I'll give the sausage a B+, even if it was not that imaginative.
The ribs are what Soulman's claims as their best meat - their signature. I received two pork ribs from a St Louis style rack. While the meat pulled away from the bone without falling off, the bark was hard and stringy. The ribs had clearly been reheated and thrown under a broiler before serving. You could still see the oven rack marks on the bark. They did have a decent taste and I wonder if they might have been great had they not been abused. I give them a B-.
Onto the sides - after receiving your plate of meat you step down the cafeteria style line to select two sides from about eight options. We selected the ranch style beans, man n cheese, mashed potatoes. The beans were pretty spectacular with chunks of onion, tomato and jalapeño with a mild spicy finish. James seemed to like the mac n cheese but agreed the beans were the best. I'll rate the beans a B+ and the others a solid B.
We were both unable to finish our plates - I estimate we'd been served about one pound of food each. At $17 for the three meat plate (including sides) I'd say their prices are about average. We left full and satiated. I do have to knock them for not serving beer - THE official beverage of BBQ in Texas. Nothing goes better with a nice brisket than an ice cold beer. That said, they provide a solid meal of BBQ at a decent price in a neighborhood setting. We'll definitely return for those mid-week BBQ hankerins' when I don't feel like making my own. My overall rating is a B.
Soulman's Bar-B-Que, 125 Davis Blvd, Southlake, TX 76092
First, the restaurant is located in a former Boston Market. That is to say - it looks nice, is clean and modern inside, and has very few of the visual cues you associate with great BBQ joints. No beer signs inside (in fact, they don't serve beer at all... and I deducted points for that). No visible piles of wood. No smoke meandering from the back. Secondly, in case you missed it the first time, they do not serve beer. Seriously!?
Upon entering you approach the order counter to select from a decent sized menu of "meals" and "combos." I opted for the three meat combo selecting brisket, ribs and pulled pork while my step-son selected the brisket, sausage and pulled pork. The brisket was very tender and juicy (I was served both lean and fatty) but lacked a strong taste of spices such as salt or pepper. I could however actually taste the hickory smoke. Overall, while the brisket was moist and tender it lacked the taste punch I look for in this succulent meat. I give it a B-.
The pulled pork sits as an uncut shoulder on the cutting board and upon ordering, they chip off a few pieces and rough chop before placing on the plate. The meat better be good here because there are no vinegar sauces drowning out imperfections. In fact, this was the best meat of the meal. It was full of flavor, had a nice bark, and remained moist (no doubt a function of being "pulled" just moments earlier). Both James and I remarked on how good the pulled pork was - we both cleaned every morsel from the plate. I give the pulled pork an A-.
The sausage was of the German style and had a decent snap of casing with a decent amount of moisture inside. While the overall taste was mild it was nice not to have any overbearing spices. I'll give the sausage a B+, even if it was not that imaginative.
The ribs are what Soulman's claims as their best meat - their signature. I received two pork ribs from a St Louis style rack. While the meat pulled away from the bone without falling off, the bark was hard and stringy. The ribs had clearly been reheated and thrown under a broiler before serving. You could still see the oven rack marks on the bark. They did have a decent taste and I wonder if they might have been great had they not been abused. I give them a B-.
Onto the sides - after receiving your plate of meat you step down the cafeteria style line to select two sides from about eight options. We selected the ranch style beans, man n cheese, mashed potatoes. The beans were pretty spectacular with chunks of onion, tomato and jalapeño with a mild spicy finish. James seemed to like the mac n cheese but agreed the beans were the best. I'll rate the beans a B+ and the others a solid B.
We were both unable to finish our plates - I estimate we'd been served about one pound of food each. At $17 for the three meat plate (including sides) I'd say their prices are about average. We left full and satiated. I do have to knock them for not serving beer - THE official beverage of BBQ in Texas. Nothing goes better with a nice brisket than an ice cold beer. That said, they provide a solid meal of BBQ at a decent price in a neighborhood setting. We'll definitely return for those mid-week BBQ hankerins' when I don't feel like making my own. My overall rating is a B.
Soulman's Bar-B-Que, 125 Davis Blvd, Southlake, TX 76092
No barbecue sauce no more?! Kreuz Market BBQ adds the unthinkable
I’m a Texan. I make Texas BBQ. My BBQ should stand on its own without sauce. But I won’t kick you out if you use it. Just please try it first without the sauce!
https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/kreuz-market-sauce/
https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/kreuz-market-sauce/
Friday, May 25, 2018
Texas Pit BBQ in Saginaw
Was in the mood for some new que so stopped into Texas Pit BBQ in Saginaw today for lunch. From the outside this place has all the hallmarks of a great bbq joint: crappy neighborhood, freestanding building in need of remodel, working class clientele and a dark, smokey interior.
Ordered up the sliced beef sandwich with baked beans and potato salad. Service is cafeteria style and after waiting a few minutes for my meat to be cut, the cashier delivered the goods for me. Keep your eyes above the waist line to avoid seeing the messy floor. Again - a hallmark of a great bbq joint! The brisket was cut from the point with lean and fatty meat. Both were heavily smoked with a spicey finish. The bark stood up to the mustard and buttered bread. While I enjoyed the sandwich - many would say the meat was over smoked. I admit I’ll be tasting this for the rest of the day. The lean was overly dry and I was thankful for the moisture of the fatty meat.
The sides were decent to above average. The beans, which start out as ranch style “I sort of tried” beans, are jazzed up with brown sugar and hunks of brisket. They were good enough to make me forget their humble beginnings. The potato salad was acceptable and cold but I prefer a few chunks of potato versus the “approved for the nursing home” variety they serve.
Overall - if you happen to be in Saginaw and need a quick que fix I’d recommend stopping in. I wouldn’t go far out of the way to drive here though.
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Q BBQ in Houston's Bush Airport
For my Houston friends… Would be interested to know if any of you have tried this barbecue joint. And yes – I know that it is owned by a New York City-based company. To be fair – New York has developed some pretty decent barbecue joints over the last decade (get a rope)
Sunday, April 1, 2018
A Standing (Roast) Ovation
10 lb bone-in standing rib roast, great wine and better company last night!
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