“Legends of Texas Barbecue” by Robb Walsh

What a great honor it was when Robb Walsh asked me to write the foreword to the latest edition of the “Legends of Texas Barbecue!” Buying Robb’s book in the mid-2000s and meeting Robb later in the decade set in motion so many activities from the establishment of ANSC 117, “Texas Barbecue,” help with founding Foodways Texas, and hosting the wildly popular Barbecue Summer Camp and Camp Brisket at Texas A&M University. My love of barbecue before all of this was centered mostly on eating it, but I have found that my chance encounter with Robb’s book sent me on a different path for the remaining part of my career where now I am both a student and teacher of Texas Barbecue.

Here is the first paragraph of my foreword:

My first encounter with Robb Walsh’s writings occurred one summer day about 10 years ago in a Harry & David’s store in San Marcos, Texas when my wife and I stopped in to do some shopping on the way back from a trip to San Antonio. While my wife was looking around the store, I saw a display of books entitled “Legends of Texas Barbecue” by Robb Walsh. What was interesting to me at the time was that this was the only cookbook in the store. I picked one of the books up and began to browse through it. What caught my attention was that the book was a mixture of detailed stories about barbecue as well as a recipe book, too. After reading some of the stories and seeing the variety of recipes, I made my impulse purchase, which now looking back, had a profound impact on how I have spent my life over the past six years.

I look forward to having the latest edition of the “Legends of Texas Barbecue” for our freshman class this fall. Thanks to Robb Walsh for documenting so much about this great culinary treat that we love to learn about and enjoy eating.