Posts - Page 2 of 16 - Texas Barbecue

Anderson, Cutrer highlight Texas Barbecue Town Hall meeting, December 9, 2019

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Jeff Savell

Davey Griffin talking about beef carcass evaluation at the Texas Barbecue Town Hall meeting

The Texas Barbecue Town Hall meeting, a one-day event dedicated to those involved in the commercial barbecue business, will be held at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas on Monday, December 9, 2019. This meeting will be hosted by the Meat Science program of the Department of Animal Science and will be held in the Kleberg Animal and Food Science Center and the Rosenthal Meat Center.

“This is the sixth year for the Town Hall meeting. We have had great turnouts at our previous meetings, and we look forward to hosting this event again this year,” according to Jeff Savell, one of the leaders of the Texas Barbecue program at Texas A&M University.

David Anderson giving a market update to the Texas Barbecue Town Hall meeting

Two speakers have been confirmed for this year’s town hall meeting: David Anderson, economist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, will be back again to give an update on the livestock and meat markets, and Rachel Cutrer, Ranch House Designs, will update the participants on her thoughts about marketing through traditional and social media to best reach their customers. In addition, participants will get a chance to see view beef carcasses and meat cuts at the Rosenthal Center in the afternoon.

Russell Roegels, Roegels Barbecue, setting up with serving line for the Texas Barbecue Town Hall Meeting

The meeting will begin at 10 AM (coffee and kolaches at 9:30 AM) and end around 3 PM and will involve both lectures and hands-on demonstrations. “We choose Mondays for these meetings knowing that many restaurants are closed that day, which may allow for some operators to bring key in-house staff with them,” said Savell. “Hopefully, people can drive in, attend the meeting and be back home later that night without having to spend too much time away.”

Davey and Ray talking about beef carcass grading for the Texas Barbecue Town Hall Meeting

The Texas Barbecue program at Texas A&M University is coordinated by Davey Griffin, Ray Riley, and Jeff Savell, and it includes the first-year seminar, ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue; Barbecue Summer Camp and Camp Brisket, conducted with Foodways Texas; and the Barbecue Genius Counter.

Davey Griffin, Ray Riley, and Jeff Savell (photo by Kelly Yandell)

The Texas Barbecue Town Hall meeting is sponsored by the E.M. “Manny” Rosenthal Chair in Animal Science. To register for the meeting, email Jeff Savell at j-savell@tamu.edu or call at 979-845-3992 (office) or 979-255-6676 (mobile), or contact Davey Griffin at dgriff@tamu.edu or call at 979-229-0273. Details about parking, meeting locations, appropriate dress for the refrigerated meat coolers, etc., will be sent to the attendees before the meeting.

Previous Texas Barbecue Town Hall posts

Fifth Texas Barbecue Town Hall meeting held

Fourth Texas Barbecue Town Hall meeting held

Top pitmasters convene for third-annual Texas Barbecue Town Hall at Texas A&M

A&M BBQ Town Hall Meeting

Third Texas Barbecue Town Hall meeting held

Texas barbecue owners, pitmasters learn about price trends at town hall meeting

Second Texas Barbecue Town Hall meeting held

The End of Cheap Beef: TMBBQ

Texas barbecue restaurant owners hear beef price forecast, discuss trends | AgriLife Today

Barbecue town hall meeting attracts owners, pitmasters to Texas A&M

Texas Barbecue program participates in RELLIS Festival & Open House

Posted on October 8, 2019 by Jeff Savell

Davey Griffin talking about the style of brisket that Ray Riley is holding

Davey Griffin talking about the style of brisket that Ray Riley is holding at RELLIS Festival

Davey Griffin and Ray Riley demonstrating different styles and grades of beef briskets at the RELLIS Festival & Open House

Faculty and students involved in the Texas Barbecue program at Texas A&M University participated in the RELLIS Festival & Open House on Saturday, October 5, 2019. Davey Griffin, Ray Riley, and Jeff Savell were joined by graduate student, Brogan Horton, and undergraduates, Bailey Carwile, Luis Erazo, Ashley Fuqua, Kaylee Greiner, Jazmin Guerra, Sterling Pieniazek, Brittany Shipp, Wilsey Wendler, Grant Weston, and Haley Wilkins. These students work with ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue, the first-year seminar for freshmen.

Grant Weston, Luis Erazo, Brogan Horton, Brittany Shipp, Jazmin Guerra, and Bailey Carwile

Brogan Horton, Sterling Pieniazek, Kaylee Greiner, Wilsey Wendler, Ashley Fuqua, and Haley Wilkins at the RELLIS Festival

The Texas Barbecue booth was part of the Texas A&M AgriLife exhibits that also included Healthy Texas, The Gardens at Texas A&M University, and Texas A&M AgriLife Water University. The day was devoted to highlighting many of the programs of the Texas A&M University System, especially those now housed at the RELLIS campus.

Davey Griffin and Ray Riley discussing cuts of beef and pork used for barbecue

Ray Riley talking about pork cuts used for barbecue

Wilsey Wendler, Brogan Horton, and Kaylee Greiner discussing beef cuts used for barbecue

Grant Weston and Luis Erazo and the barbecue cuts of beef

Brogan and Brittany at the RELLIS Festival

The day was spent handing out pamphlets and recipe cards, answering questions about all things barbecue, and demonstrating various beef and pork cuts used for barbecue. As a special treat, samples of Texas Aggie Beef Jerky were given to those who stopped by the booth.

Jazmin Guerra and Bailey Carwile talking about the Texas Barbecue program at Texas A&M University

Luis handling out samples of Texas Aggie Beef Jerky

Jazmin and Bailey handling out information at the RELLIS Festival

Brittany being interviewed by a reporter about her experiences in the Texas Barbecue program

Haley Wilkins, Ashley Fuqua, and Luis Erazo and the cuts of beef used for barbecue

The day was very busy talking to everyone about Texas Barbecue, and we are thankful that we were included in the RELLIS Festival & Open House.

ANSC 117 Texas Barbecue lectures for 2019

Posted on September 5, 2019 by Jeff Savell

Whole hog cookery in ANSC 117

Ray Riley, Brogan Horton, and I are happy to be working with this year’s ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue class. Here is the list of the lectures for this fall:

ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue, lectures for 2019

Date	Topic
August 30	Introduction, expectations, brief history of barbecue, food safety overview
September 6	Cooking methodology: pits, kettles, water smokers, barrel smokers
September 13	Types of fuel (charcoal briquettes, charcoal chunks, wood coals) and smoke (hickory, oak, pecan, mesquite)
September 20	Adding flavoring: seasonings, marinades, rubs, sauces
September 27	Pork: Southeastern-style pulled pork, Hawaiian-inspired pork loin
October 4	Ribs, ribs, ribs: baby back versus St. Louis-style; Memphis-style (dry) versus Kansas City-style (wet); Asian-inspired rubs and sauces
October 11	Chicken: smoking, cooking by rotisserie; whole or pieces
October 18	Barbecuing lamb and goat
October 25	Cooking beef South American style: Brazil and Argentina
November 1	Thanksgiving Turkey: brining recipes; smoking, frying, cooking by rotisserie
November 8	Briskets: To wrap or not to wrap, that is the question!
November 15	Smoking other cuts of beef: shoulder clods, sirloins, ribeyes, and tenderloins/Homer Robertson Chuck Wagon cooking
November 22	Cooking whole pigs: Hawaiian, Cuban, Cajun
December 2	Course wrap up

As brisket grows in popularity, prices reach all-time highs | AgriLife Today

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Jeff Savell

Smoked beef brisket (photo by Kelly Yandell)

COLLEGE STATION — Barbecue season is upon us, and as the demand for brisket soars, so does the price.

“These prices have really skyrocketed, and this is a demand-driven phenomenon,” said Dr. David Anderson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service livestock economist in College Station.

“What used to be a very inexpensive cut, the primal brisket is now only behind the primal rib and loin in value,” Anderson said. “In the last week of May, the comprehensive cutout brisket value was $213.47 per hundredweight, up 19.4% from the same week the year before. Just during May, brisket prices jumped from $194.39 to $213.47 per hundredweight by the end of the month.”

Click the link to learn why this cut of beef is gaining so much attention.

Source: As brisket grows in popularity, prices reach all-time highs | AgriLife Today

Barbecue Summer Camp, 2019 edition

Posted on June 18, 2019 by Jeff Savell

Todd David, Cattleack Barbeque describing his pig cooking process (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Todd David, Cattleack Barbeque, describing his pig cooking process at Barbecue Summer Camp (photo by Kelly Yandell)

The Barbecue Summer Camp, co-hosted by Foodways Texas and the Meat Science Program of the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University, was held on Friday, June 7th through Sunday, June 9th, 2019. The camp is coordinated by meat science educators, Davey Griffin, Ray Riley, and Jeff Savell, and activities were held at the Rosenthal Meat Center and O.D. Butler Animal Science Teaching, Research, and Extension Complex. This was the tenth Barbecue Summer Camp with the first one held in 2011, and two of them held in 2016.

Introductions to Barbecue Summer Camp

On Friday morning, Marvin Bendele of Foodways Texas and Jeff Savell, meat science professor at Texas A&M University welcomed about 70 participants to the camp. Before the participants spent some time introducing themselves to the the instructors and to the rest of the camp, Savell introduced the grad, undergraduate, and high school students and staff who would be serving vital roles in the camp.

Texas A&M University grad students who helped with the camp were Brogan Horton, Trent Schwartz, Zena Hicks, and Hillary Martinez. Texas A&M University undergraduate students who are Texas Barbecue teaching assistants who helped were Carsyn Burney, Marcee Cooke, Ashley Fuqua, Natalie Hoelscher, Lauren Lee, Sterling Pieniazek, and Robert Sturdivant. Student workers included Ayleen Gonzalez, Brittany Shipp, and Wilsey Wendler. Additional help was provided by College Station High School students Cassie Brown, Nathan Kerth, and Meagan McMurray, Thomas Larriviere and Jackson Larriviere, Chris Kerth, Devon King, Kenzie Lackey, and Eric Hamilton. Thanks to all of the people who helped make Barbecue Summer Camp successful.

Introducing students at Barbecue Summer Camp (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Participants were from all over Texas, the United States, and the world. Thanks to everyone for hanging in there waiting for the lottery system to select them to attend.

Pit design and maintenance

The first panel was on pit design and maintenance, and another great group of pitmasters and pit manufacturers were led by Davey Griffin, professor and extension meat specialist at Texas A&M University. The panel consisted of Kerry Bexley, Snow’s BBQ, John Brotherton, Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue, Brett Boren, Brett’s BBQ, and Ryan Zboril, Pitts and Spitts. The panelists talked about the pits they use or have used, proper design for creating good, clean smoke, and how to get the best performance out of them. In addition, the panelists discussed proper break-in, maintenance, and cleaning to get maximize performance.

Davey Griffin moderating the Pit Design and Maintenance Panel

John Brotherton, Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue, on the Pit Design and Maintenance Panel at Barbecue Summer Camp

Kerry Bexley, Snow’s BBQ, on the Pit Design and Maintenance Panel at Barbecue Summer Camp

Brett Boren, Brett’s Backyard Bar-B-Que, on the Pit Design and Maintenance Panel at Barbecue Summer Camp

Ryan Zboril, Pitts and Spitts, on the Pit Design and Maintenance Panel at Barbecue Summer Camp

Ryan Zboril, Pitts and Spitts, describing air flow in a smoker

Texas Barbecue history and culture primer/tour of Martin’s Place

A long-standing tradition at Barbecue Summer Camp is to go to the historic Martin’s Place in Bryan. Pit master and owner, Steve Kapchinskie along with his wife and daughter do a great job of showing off the wonderful brick pits and feed everyone a great lunch of brisket, ribs, and sausage to get the camp started off well.

Steve Kapchinskie talking about the pits at Martin’s Place

Robb Walsh, noted food historian and writer, answered questions from the participants about the history of barbecue and included a reading from his book, Barbecue Crossroads, which features a segment about Martin’s Place in it. This tradition is so great because reading this segment in the actual setting of Martin’s brings everything to life.

Robb Walsh reading from Barbecue Crossroads at Martin’s Place

Meat safety and thermometers

After returning to the Rosenthal Meat Center after lunch, Davey Griffin gave an overview about food safety and proper food handling. One item of special emphasis this camp was to discuss the issue of small particles of wire brushes breaking off and getting ingested. There have been a number of cases of emergency surgery due to the presence of these metal fragments in food, and Davey recommended using great care when cleaning grills and grates so as to not introduce these physical hazards into cooked products.

Davey also showed how best to calibrate thermometers. His recommendation is to be sure to use the best and most accurate thermometers possible so that proper cooking and cooling temperatures can be met.

Barbecue wood and smoke panel

One of the more popular panels at Barbecue Summer Camp is the one on barbecue wood and smoke. Texas is known for having four basic woods for smoking: oak, hickory, pecan, and mesquite. Panelists included Bryan Bracewell, Russell Roegels, Dr. Nick Nickelson, and Homer Robertson. Each panelist gave their thoughts about their favorite woods to use in smoking meats with most of them using post oak because of its availability in the part of the state they are cooking in.

Russell Roegels and Jeff Savell on the Wood and Smoke Panel at Barbecue Summer Camp (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Wood and Smoke Panel at Barbecue Summer Camp (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Homer Robertson talking about smoking meats

Davey Griffin talking about different styles of smokers

Rubs and marinades

Ryan Heger from Adams Flavors, Foods & Ingredients once again gave a great overview of the different types of seasonings available along with current trends in food. Ryan discussed the importance of shelf-life of particular products such as black pepper, and he spent a great deal of time talking about how to add heat to flavors without exceeding what people might enjoy eating.

Adams Flavors, Foods and Ingredients samples

Ryan provided a variety of seasonings for the participants to experiment with, and the students assisted them in seasoning briskets, pork Boston butts, pork baby back ribs, and beef chuck short ribs that would be cooked either overnight (briskets and pork butts) or the next day (pork baby back ribs and beef chuck short ribs).

Brining basics

Brandon Burrows discussed the chemistry of meat and how brining works. The major feature of this presentation was that brining without some form of injection or vacuum tumbling is not an effective way of increasing the introduction of brine.

Brandon Burrows talking about marinating poultry

Dinner and refreshments

Bryan Bracewell and the crew from Southside Market and Barbeque provided an outstanding meal of brisket, baby back ribs, and their famous hot guts beef and jalapeño and cheese sausage for the evening. The meal was topped off with the choice of blackberry cobbler or peach cobbler along with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

Bryan Bracewell, Southside Market and Barbeque, talking about mobile cooking trailer

Southside Market and Barbeque

Southside Market and Barbeque gang (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Special thanks go to the Saint Arnold Brewing Company for providing beer for the Friday and Saturday evening meals.

Whole hog cookery

This year, Todd and Riley David, Cattleack Barbeque, came to the camp to prepare the whole hog using their trailer cooking setup. Both sides of a pork carcass were placed in the cooker where coals were placed under them for the cooking process.

Riley and Todd David, Cattleack Barbeque (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Todd David, Cattleack Barbeque, cooking pork sides

Todd David and burn barrel used to generate coals

Beef anatomy overview

Davey Griffin and Ray Riley spent the morning going over the various cuts that come from beef along with a USDA beef grading overview. Ray ribbed a carcass in front of the participants, which always creates quite a photographic frenzy for those wanting to capture the moment on their cameras or phones.

Jeff Savell and Davey Griffin (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Jeff Savell (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Davey Griffin and Jeff Savell talking about beef carcass grading and cut out at Barbecue Summer Camp (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Davey Griffin

Beef cutting room demonstrations

Various cuts of beef were displayed in the teaching cutting room of the Rosenthal Meat Center with graduate students standing by to discuss the different cuts and their uses in barbecue or other methods of preparation.

Brogan Horton talking about beef ribs (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Trent Schwartz showing the different types of beef chuck cuts

Chris Kerth describing beef cut

Hillary Martinez talking about different styles of beef briskets

Lunch: heavy tasting – meat market style

A typical market-style lunch of smoked meats, cheese, onions, pickles and bread were served to the participants. Individual cooked briskets and pork butts seasoned by the participants the day before were sliced or pulled with the teams of people who seasoned them having the first chance at sampling the cuts. Each team talked about the type of seasonings they used and how they thought the products turned out.

Jeff Savell sampling brisket (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Barbecue Summer Camp would not be as successful as it is without the help of the pitmasters who cook and slice the products the participants season. Thanks go to John Brotherton, Dominic Colbert, and Russell and Misty Roegels, and others for this valuable help.

John Brotherton, Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue, and Russell Roegels, Roegels Barbecue putting beef ribs on to cook (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Serving brisket and pulled pork at Barbecue Summer Camp (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Pork anatomy overview

Davey Griffin presented an overview of pork carcass anatomy and terminology.

Davey Griffin talking about pork carcass

Jeff Savell, Cassie Brown, Meagan McMurray, and Davey Griffin at Barbecue Summer Camp (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Pork cutting room demonstrations

Various cuts of pork were displayed in the teaching cutting room of the Rosenthal Meat Center. Graduate students talked about the cuts, and Trent Schwartz and Brogan Horton conducted cutting demonstrations for the participants.

Hillary Martinez describing pork shoulder cuts

Chris Kerth talking about pork loin cuts

Zena Hicks talking about pork shoulder cuts at Barbecue Summer Camp

Brogan Horton and Trent Schwartz cutting pork side

Trent Schwartz and Brogan Horton cutting pork carcass (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Saturday night dinner with Cattleack Barbeque pork and beef and pork ribs

Saturday night’s meal was Cattleack Barbeque’s special cooked pork along with the participants beef and pork ribs. Each group had the chance to sample the ribs they seasoned. The pork and beef and pork ribs were outstanding.

Cooked pork

Riley and Todd David, Cattleack Barbeque, pulling/preparing the pork

John Brotherton, Misty Roegels, Eric Hamilton, Brogan Horton, Dominic Colbert, and Russell Roegels (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Poultry sessions

Sunday morning was devoted to poultry, and the activities were led by Brandon Burrows with preparation and cooking/smoking demonstrations led Meat Science students. Fajitas, homemade sausage, drumsticks with mayo/spices, were prepared by the participants.

Trent Schwartz stuffing chicken sausage (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Eric Hamilton demonstrating poultry processing at Barbecue Summer Camp (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Brandon also presented an overview of current trends in flavor and answered questions from the participants regarding various seasonings and their usefulness for barbecue and other applications.

Chicken on the grill at Barbecue Summer Camp (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Summary

The tenth Barbecue Summer Camp came to an end with everyone leaving full of knowledge and barbecue! Thanks for all of the participants, speakers, pit masters, and students who were involved in another outstanding camp! Thanks to Kelly Yandell with Foodways Texas for coming to support the camp and helping to chronicle the activities through her special photographic and social media talents.

Misty Roegels and Kelly Yandell at Barbecue Summer Camp

Kelly Yandell and Wyatt McSpadden at Barbecue Summer Camp (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Lauren Lee and Sterling Pieniazek helping with Barbecue Summer Camp (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Part of the crew helping with Barbecue Summer Camp (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Brett Boren and Jeff Savell (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Happy campers with Davey Griffin (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Jackson and Ayleen weighing seasoned cuts

Sterling helping weigh seasoned cuts

Meagan, Ashley, and Cassie at Barbecue Summer Camp (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Aggies participate in seventh Houston BBQ Festival

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Jeff Savell

Mary Gatlin, Gatlin’s BBQ, with the Aggies at the Houston BBQ Festival

A group of Aggies involved in the Texas Barbecue program at Texas A&M University participated in the 7th Houston BBQ Festival, which was held in the Humble Civic Center Arena in Humble, Texas on Sunday, April 14, 2019. Those in attendance from Texas A&M University were faculty Davey Griffin, Ray Riley, and Jeff Savell, and students Anahi Arredondo, Bailey Carwile, Jazmin Guerra, Eric Hamilton, Natalie Hoelscher, Brogan Horton, Devon King, Kenzie Lackey, Steven Mancillas, and Menzi Spiller.

Ronnie Killen, Killen’s Barbecue, with the Aggies

Ray Riley and Bryan Bracewell, Southside Market and Barbeque

Tin Roof BBQ folks

Greg and Scott Moore, Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue at the Houston BBQ Festival

We enjoy going to the festival each year to talk to folks about Texas Barbecue and to see so many of the pitmasters we have gotten to know through festivals and camps and to make new acquaintances with those we have not met yet. One of the most common questions we get is not about how to cook better barbecue, but how to get into the always-sold-out Barbecue Summer Camp and Camp Brisket, two outstanding programs we conduct with Foodways Texas.

Devon King, Anahi Arredondo, Jazmin Guerra, Kenzie Lackey, Bailey Carwile, Natalie Hoelscher, Brogan Horton, and Eric Hamilton

The Houston BBQ Festival has two great champions, Chris Reid and Michael Fulmer. Chris and Michael are the event founders, and thanks for always inviting us each year and allowing us to interact with barbecue specialists and enthusiasts from around the Houston area. Your passion for shedding the spotlight on these great barbecue endeavors is making a difference throughout the southeast Texas area. The number of great barbecue establishments in the Houston area keeps increasing, and your efforts to highlight and support them has made a difference in this recognition.

Greg Gatlin, Gatlin’s BBQ

We had a great time, but sampled way too much. The food was great, but the fun and fellowship were even greater. We look forward to next year’s event, and we appreciate the opportunity to participate in these events across the state.

Camp Brisket, 2019 edition

Posted on January 19, 2019 by Jeff Savell

Davey Griffin lecturing on beef brisket anatomy (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Davey Griffin lecturing on beef brisket anatomy at Camp Brisket (photo by Kelly Yandell)

The seventh Camp Brisket, a joint venture between Foodways Texas and the Meat Science Section of the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University, was held on January 4-5, 2019 at the Rosenthal Meat Center and the Beef Cattle Center at the O.D. Butler Animal Science Complex. About 70 participants from around the U.S., United Kingdom, and New Zealand embarked on a journey to learn more about the ultimate challenge preparing that most difficult dish of Texas Barbecue cuisine, the brisket.

Camp Brisket participants (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Kerry Bexley and Tootsie Tomanetz, Snow’s BBQ (photo by Kelly Yandell)

This year’s Camp Brisket was coordinated by Texas A&M University meat science educators, Davey Griffin, Ray Riley, and Jeff Savell, and who were assisted by graduate students, undergraduate students, and staff including Wade Baty, Hayden Blumberg, Kyle Caldwell, Morgan Foster, Clayton Garrett, Eric Hamilton, Brogan Horton, Jenna Hunt, Ty Robertson, Trent Schwartz, Chandler Steele, Holly Sanders, and Wilsey Wendler. These great folks ensured that the needs of the briskets, pitmasters, and guests were attended to through the camp.

Marvin Bendele, Foodways Texas, welcomed the participants to Camp Brisket. Greetings and introductions are part of the beginning of each Camp Brisket. Getting to know each other is one way to create community that is so important when we conduct these workshops.

Marvin Bendele, Foodways Texas, giving a welcome to Camp Brisket

Introductions of Texas A&M University students who help with Camp Brisket (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Before Camp Brisket starts, work begins on procuring the briskets representing different types and grades, trimming them, and applying the salt/pepper seasoning (we used a half and half mix by volume of Kosher salt and course ground pepper with 3/4 cup applied to each brisket). Davey Griffin worked with the grad students to get the briskets ready to go for the camp.

Davey Griffin trimming a brisket

Trent Schwartz and Jenna Hunt seasoning briskets

Trent Schwartz and Ray Riley seasoning briskets

Brisket use and anatomy

The first talks were by Jess Pryles, cook, writer, and TV personality, on the difference between restaurant and competition brisket, and Davey Griffin, on the anatomy and trimming of a brisket.

Jess Pryles talking about restaurant- versus competition-style briskets

Jess Pryles talking about restaurant-style briskets

Davey Griffin lecturing on beef brisket anatomy

Davey Griffin discussing brisket anatomy (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Knife selection and cooked brisket slicing

Proper knife use and sharpening was covered by Jeff Savell before a demonstration on slicing cooked briskets was conducted.

Jeff Savell talking about different knives

Brisket slicing demonstration

Smoked beef brisket (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Tasting different grades of brisket

The first tasting test we did was for different grades of brisket. We obtained five different grades/types of briskets for use in this demonstration: Prime, Chairman’s Reserve, Wagyu, Choice, and Select. These briskets and the remaining ones used for the camp were trimmed to have no more than about 1/4 inch of fat remaining anywhere. Each brisket was seasoned with 3/4-cup of a half and half mixture (by volume) of Kosher salt and restaurant-style coarse-ground black pepper. The briskets for the grade/type demonstration were cooked on Russell Roegels of Roegels Barbecue pit with John Brotherton of Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue and others managing the cooking cycle. B&B Charcoal provided the oak logs as the source of heat and smoke.

Speaking of B&B Charcoal, thanks to Joey Machado and the company for providing all of the wood (oak, hickory, mesquite, and pecan), chunk charcoal, briquettes, and char-logs for the use in the camp. We are so pleased that B&B Charcoal and Joey contributed these products for the pitmasters and us to use to cook briskets with.

Each grade/type of brisket was sliced so that each participant received a lean portion to rate on a ballot. When completed, the ballots were tabulated by the students to determine whether the participants could tell the difference in the grades or types of brisket. The winner? The Wagyu won, with the other grades/types being rating similarly. Last year, all of the briskets were rated the same. Each year, this taste comparison usually results in Prime and Wagyu near the top and Select being near the bottom in ratings. There are perceivable differences in eating quality among different grades and types of briskets, and those interested in producing the best cooked briskets possible need to be aware of this.

Serving the different grades of brisket

Comparisons of different grades of briskets

Sampling the different briskets at Camp Brisket

Beef grading discussion

Ray Riley gave a beef grading demonstration talking about the USDA beef grades, and Davey Griffin talked about various certification programs so that the participants would know more about the various labels and brands associated with the meat they purchase.

Ray Riley talking about USDA beef grading at Camp Brisket (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Davey Griffin, Ray Riley, and Jeff Savell discussion different types/grades of briskets (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Wood and Smoke panel

There was a Wood and Smoke panel at the end of the afternoon featuring Jeff Savell as the moderator, Bill Dumas, The Switch; Kevin Kolman, Weber Grills; Tom Perini, Perini Ranch Steakhouse; Joe Riscky, Joe Riscky’s Barbeque; and Homer Robertson, World Champion Chuck Wagon competitor and Fort Worth Fire Department leader. Post oak is the featured wood for Texas Barbecue based on its abundance and how the smoke complements beef. The panel discussed the topic of using properly seasoned wood to smoke with and how important it was to getting a clean fire that imparts the good aspects of the smoke onto the product. The positives and negatives of the other woods most commonly used in smoking — hickory, mesquite, and pecan — were discussed.

The Wood and Smoke Panel at Camp Brisket (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Tom Perini and Bill Dumas, Wood and Smoke Panel (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Homer Robertson on the Wood and Smoke Panel (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Wood and Smoke Panel at Camp Brisket: Tom Perini, Jeff Savell, Homer Robertson, Joe Riscky, Bill Dumas, and Kevin Kolman (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Friday night dinner

We moved to the Beef Center for the rest of the program. We were blessed to have two great people involved with dinner that night. Israel Campos from Pody’s BBQ in Pecos provided the main meal with brisket and pulled pork and wonderful sides and with Homer Robertson, world champion chuck wagon competitor, provided bread pudding and apple crisp for the crowd. We thank Robert Sierra for coming up to help out with the evening’s dinner. The food was enjoyed by all!

Israel Campos and Robert Sierra

Overnight smoking at Camp Brisket

The next brisket comparison was to smoke briskets overnight using the four primary woods — oak, hickory, mesquite, and pecan. Multiple pits were used for the overnight cooking. We used Prime briskets, trimmed and seasoned as mentioned before, for the comparison, and briskets were put on the smokers around 8 pm on Friday evening so that they would be ready to serve around lunch time on Saturday. Kevin Kolman from Weber Grills started four Weber Smokey Mountain cookers with chunks from the four woods as part of the demonstration.

Observing the pits during the overnight cook

Chuck wagon breakfast, starting fires, and pit discussion

Saturday morning became a time for a great chuck wagon breakfast of biscuits and gravy and breakfast tacos made with sausage and brisket from Homer Robertson, Ty Robertson, JArthur Garcia, Joel Phillips, and Joe Riscky, a primer on starting fires in off-set pits and Weber Smokey Mountain cookers, a review of the different types of pits we used to cook with, and a discussion by Homer Robertson and Tootsie Tomenetz, Snow’s BBQ about cooking over direct coals.

Joe Riscky, JArthur Garcia, Homer Robertson, and Ty Robertson (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Davey Griffin talking about his reverse flow smoker

Pat Reardon discussing his Jambo smoker at Camp Brisket

Russell Roegels, Roegels Barbecue, talking about cooking with the Bewley pit

Russell Roegels, Roegels Barbecue (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Kevin Kolman, Weber Grills, talking about the Weber Smokey Mountain Cookers

Homer Robertson talking about chuck wagon cooking

Tootsie Tomanetz, Snow’s BBQ, talking about using live coals to cook with

Tootsie Tomanetz, Snow’s BBQ

Pit design and maintenance panel

A pit design and maintenance panel was composed of Arnis Robbins, Evie Mae’s BBQ; Kerry Bexley, Snow’s BBQ; Wayne Mueller, Louie Mueller Barbecue; Bryan Bracewell, Southside Market and Barbeque; Sunny Moberg, Moberg Smokers; Ryan Zboril, Pitts and Spitts; Kevin Kolman, with Davey Griffin as the moderator. Each panelist added his own take on what types of pits/cookers they preferred and what they did to make sure they were used to their best ability.

Pit Design and Maintenance Panel at Camp Brisket (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Ryan Zboril, Pitts and Spitts, on the Pit Design and Maintenance Panel (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Sunny Moburg (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Davey Griffin talking to the Pit Design and Maintenance Panel

Seasonings and barbecue science

Brandon Burrows spent some time going over different seasonings outside of the normal use of salt and pepper. Jeff Savell discussed some of the science behind meat and barbecue and fielded questions from the crowd regarding a wide array of topics.

Brandon Burrows talking about seasonings (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Smoke tasting panel

Lunch that day was the tasting of the briskets prepared using the four different smokes — oak, hickory, mesquite, and pecan. Each participant received a small slice of brisket from each smoke and were asked to rate it on 9-point scales. Students tabulated the results, and there was a four-way tie among oak, hickory, mesquite, and pecan. Most years, either oak or hickory wins this competition, but we are amazed that there are really few differences in how the participants rate these briskets cooked with different woods/smokes.

Life as a pitmaster panel

One of the most highly regarded parts of Camp Brisket is the final panel, moderated by Jeff Savell, which featured Brandon Allen, Tejas Chocolate Craftory; Bryan Bracewell; Russell Roegels; Wayne Mueller; John Brotherton; Domenic Colbert, Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue; and Tootsie Tomanetz. The title of the panel was “Life as a Pitmaster,” and it gave each person a time to reflect on their path to where they are now, the challenges and opportunities they each face, and why in this crazy world of barbecue, they love this business so much.

Tootsie Tomanetz, Snow’s BBQ, on the Life as a Pitmaster Panel (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Dominec Colbert, Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue, on the Life as a Pitmaster Panel (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Wayne Mueller, Louie Mueller Barbecue, on the Life as a Pitmaster Panel (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Life as a Pitmaster Panel at Camp Brisket (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Bryan Bracewell, Southside Market and Barbeque (photo by Kelly Yandell)

John Brotherton, Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Russell Roegels, Roegels Barbecue (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Life as a Pitmaster Panel at Camp Brisket (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Send off meal

The final meal was a comparison of wrapped versus unwrapped briskets. There was no difference between wrapped and unwrapped briskets. Most participants are facing “brisket fatigue” at this point, and are ready for something fairly light as they depart.

We end Camp Brisket for this year and know that many people from all walks of life have come together to bond over barbecue in general, but with the common goal of how to tackle the challenge that is the brisket! Thanks to Kelly Yandell, Foodways Texas board member, for coming and taking such great photos and being at the camp to support everyone.

Davey Griffin, Ray Riley, and Jeff Savell (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Debra and Pat Reardon (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Misty Roegels and Mallory Robbins (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Sunny Moburg and Davey Griffin (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Russell Roegels, John Brotherton, and Brandon Allen (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Jeff Savell and Homer Robertson (photo by Kelly Yandell)

Looking at the different grades of beef briskets

Fifth Texas Barbecue Town Hall Meeting held

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Jeff Savell

Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor, discussing what successful barbecue restaurants are doing

Owners/operators and pitmasters from some of the leading barbecue restaurants throughout Texas participated in the fifth Texas Barbecue Town Hall Meeting, which was held at the AgriLife Center and the Rosenthal Meat Center on Monday, December 10, 2018.

Tootsie Tomanetz, Snow’s BBQ

About 50 people were in attendance, and participants received updates on livestock and meat markets for beef, pork, chicken, and turkey by David Anderson, professor and extension economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, key learnings from his years as Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor by Daniel Vaughn, and a beef grading and pork cutout demonstration by Davey Griffin and Ray Riley.

Suzanne and Richard Funk, Desert Oak Barbecue

Todd and Misty David, Cattleack Barbeque

The meeting was sponsored by the E.M. “Manny” Rosenthal Chair in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University, and Davey Griffin, Ray Riley, and Jeff Savell served as hosts with assistance from students, Brogan Horton, Eric Hamilton, Jason Shamburger, Ty Robertson, Devon King, Steven Mancillas, Holly Sanders, Kenna Turner, and Wilsey Windler.

David Anderson

David Anderson gave a market update and shared with the participants what was going on in the beef, pork, turkey, and chicken markets. Anderson stated that the beef market remains strong, but the pork, turkey, and chicken markets are showing both high supplies and weaker demand.

David Anderson, Professor and Extension Economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University

David Anderson, Professor and Extension Economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University giving a market update

David Anderson, Professor and Extension Economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University

Daniel Vaughn

Daniel Vaughn presented some great tips for the participants from what he has learned over the years. His presentation focused on photos of best practices with some photos of not-so-great products included to show what not to do. Adding variety to the sides and desserts, and making them memorable to diners, ensures repeat customers. Vaughn also talked about how important it is to have every plate or platter of food look Instagram-ready.

Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor, at the Texas Barbecue Town Hall Meeting

Daniel Vaughn showing a map of restaurants he has visited (in green) and those he still needs to visit (in red)

Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor, talking about proper platter/plate presentation

Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor, talking about the importance of great side dishes to successful barbecue restaurants

Lunch by Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue and Roegels Barbecue

Thanks to John Brotherton, Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue and Russell and Misty Roegels, Roegels Barbecue for providing the great steaks, chops, sides, and dessert for the participants. We greatly appreciate everyone who helped prepare and serve the lunch for the town hall meeting.

John Brotherton, Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue, grilling pork chops and beef steaks

Russell Roegels, Roegels Barbecue, seasoning steaks

Grilled/smoked two-rib pork chops from Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue

Grilled/smoked beef ribeye steaks from Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue

Russell Roegels, Roegels Barbecue, setting up with serving line for the Texas Barbecue Town Hall Meeting

Tootsie Tomanetz, Snow’s BBQ and Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthly Magazine, getting lunch and a photo from Kelly Yandell

Beef grading and pork carcass cutting demonstrations

After lunch, the participants moved over to the Rosenthal Meat Center for a demonstration of beef carcass quality and yield grading and for a pork carcass cut-out. Davey Griffin and Ray Riley led this exercise and answered questions about both topics.

Davey and Ray talking about beef carcass grading for the Texas Barbecue Town Hall Meeting

Davey discussing the cuts from the beef forequarter

Davey talking about beef quality grading

Ray demonstrating one of the beef marbling cards used to assign marbling scores to beef carcasses

Ray about to separate the pork shoulder from the carcass

Davey talking about the pork loin separation from the pork belly and spareribs

Davey and Ray demonstrating the cuts from a pork carcass

We thank everyone who came to the town hall meeting, and we look forward to working with the the great folks who prepare Texas Barbecue.

Texas Barbecue Town Hall Meeting in the news

“Meat and Greet: Texas A&M hosts annual Texas Barbecue Town Hall meeting” by Kenny Wiley, The Eagle

ANSC 117 2018: Brisket

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Jeff Savell

Davey Griffin describing a “packer trim” brisket, marks of inspection, and brand labels

The hallmark of Texas Barbecue is the beef brisket. Without question, barbecue restaurants and backyard enthusiasts are judged by how well they can prepare this cut, which can be quite tough and dry if not done correctly. We even devote an entire workshop in conjunction with Foodways Texas to the study of the brisket: Camp Brisket.

Because of the importance of this cut in Texas Barbecue, we focus an entire class on brisket in ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue. This year, we had the opportunity for Davey Griffin to share his expertise on brisket anatomy and terminology with the class, and John Brotherton, Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue, Pfluegerville, Texas, brought smoked briskets, sausage, and sides to serve to the students and teaching assistants.

Brisket anatomy

Davey spent time going over the anatomical location of the brisket, the major muscles that comprise it, and the terminology of the point and flat portions. He finished his lecture by dissecting a brisket to demonstrate how the direction of the muscle fibers ran in the individual muscles and how they overlay. This knowledge helps when the briskets are cooked so that proper slicing can be used to help create the best eating experience possible.

Davey Griffin showing a trimmed beef brisket

Davey Griffin showing the individual muscles of the brisket

Serving the brisket

John Brotherton brought smoked briskets and the trimmings from his restaurant in Pfluegerville for us to dine on, and as you might expect, they were wonderful. We thank him for feeding us so well with this great food.

John Brotherton checking the temperature on the sausage

John Brotherton, Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue, getting ready to slice briskets

Great brisket from Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue, Pfluegerville, Texas

Slicing briskets

Sliced lean brisket portions

Pitmaster stories

We were happy that Russell and Misty Roegels of Roegels Barbecue in Houston came up to visit the class this week. Russell and Misty are frequent visitors to our class, and they provide so much help with the barbecue camps, too.

We thought it would be good to have Russell and John tell about their backgrounds and how they got into the barbecue world. The lessons they shared with the students show that dreams can come true when you have a passion to follow.

John Brotherton, Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue, and Russell Roegels, Roegels Barbecue, talking about how they started in the barbecue business

John Brotherton and Russell Roegels

Thanks to John, Russell, and Misty for coming to class this week to share food and fellowship with us. We look forward to having them back in the future.

Russell Roegels, Eric Hamilton, Brogan Horton, John Brotherton, and Misty Roegels

ANSC 117 2018: Brazilian barbecue

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Jeff Savell

Dr. Flavio Ribeiro lecturing on Brazilian barbecue in ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue

One of the most popular topics each year in ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue, is Brazilian barbecue. Dr. Flavio Ribeiro, Research Scientist, Animal Systems, College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, Prairie View A&M University, once again led the class. Flavio is a native of Brazil, and he enjoys teaching others about the culture of Brazilian barbecue through his lectures and his demonstrations of this great style of cooking. We are thankful that the came to class again this year.

Dr. Flavio Ribeiro lecturing on Brazilian barbecue in ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue

Flavio begins the class with a lecture on Brazil, its population, geography, and culture. He describes the Brazilian cooking style where meat is cooked over coals/fires and where only coarse sea salt is used. The students gain a great perspective on Brazil and its food, and when they get to sample the great cooking that Flavio does, it helps to reinforce his message to them.

Dr. Flavio Ribeiro

One of the key items of his lecture is the description of the cuts of beef used for Brazilian barbecue with what they are called in Brazil and the U.S. Below is a table that he presented showing these terms. The most recognized cut for Brazilian barbecue is the picanha, which is the sirloin cap or culotte in the U.S.

Brazilian cuts of beef

Brazilian cut	English name
Picanha -- The "Brazilian Sirloin"	Culotte or sirloin cap muscle (M. biceps femoris)
Alcatra	Sirloin
Cupim	Hump or M. rhomboideus
Contra-filet	Ribeye
Peito	Brisket
Costela	Ribs -- chuck short ribs
Fraldinha	Flank and skirt
Fraldao	Bottom sirloin butt flap
Maminha	Tri-tip

Preparing the skewers

Flavio used four cuts of meat for his cooking demonstration: picanha, beef chuck short ribs, beef sirloin flap, and lamb sirloin chops. He had the students come up to the front of the classroom to show how to place the cuts on the skewers.

Flavio demonstrating how to load the skewers

Flavio loading the sirloin flap

Preparing the Brazilian grill

When Flavio arrived, he worked with Brogan, Eric, Ray, and Davey to set up the cinder-block pit. We used about 40 cinder blocks to set this grill up outside of the Rosenthal Meat Center.

Setting up the Brazilian grill

Davey Griffin and Flavio Ribeiro

Once the grill was set up, charcoal was lit so that it could serve to start the oak logs to cook the meat with.

Picanha

As already stated, the picanha is the symbol of Brazilian barbecue, and Flavio showed the students how to cut it, place it on the skewer, apply the coarse sea salt to it, serve the cooked slices of it before applying salt again and putting the skewer back on the fire. This process is repeated until the picanha is completely cut up and served.

Picanha

Picanha on the grill

Brogan with picanha headed to the grill

Brogan and Eric loading up the grill

Beef chuck short ribs

The beef short ribs are cooked over the direct flames with the bone-side down. The bone side of the short ribs becomes quite charred and black, but the ribs are very delicious.

Beef chuck short ribs

Applying the coarse sea salt to the beef chuck short ribs

Coarse sea salt

Beef chuck short ribs

The hump

Flavio brought vacuum packaged humps with him to prepare for the class. His style of cooking these includes applying the coarse sea salt to them, searing the outside of them over the flames, trimming the charred exteriors, and repeating this two or three times before he began serving the hump to everyone. Here are some photos of this process.

Vacuum packaged humps

Hump

Skewered humps

Hump on a skewer

Flavio placing the hump on the grill

Trimming the hump

Serving the Brazilian meat

Once ready, Flavio slices the cooked portion off of the meat and serves it to the students. They can take the meat and dip it into the vinaigrette and simply eat with their hands.

Tending the grill

Students enjoying Brazilian barbecue

The vinaigrette is a mixture of bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes that are diced and covered with olive oil with a little coarse sea salt and some apple cider vinegar.

Vinaigrette

Beef short rib on the vinaigrette

The meat was served way past the end of class, and it was safe to say that everyone enjoyed the great feast that is Brazilian barbecue. Thanks to Flavio again for serving such great food to us, and we look forward to preparing these tasty dishes to our guests now that we know these secrets to great Brazilian barbecue.

Previous Texas Barbecue Town Hall posts

ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue, lectures for 2019

Introductions to Barbecue Summer Camp

Pit design and maintenance

Texas Barbecue history and culture primer/tour of Martin’s Place

Meat safety and thermometers

Barbecue wood and smoke panel

Rubs and marinades

Brining basics

Dinner and refreshments

Whole hog cookery

Beef anatomy overview

Beef cutting room demonstrations

Lunch: heavy tasting – meat market style

Pork anatomy overview

Pork cutting room demonstrations

Saturday night dinner with Cattleack Barbeque pork and beef and pork ribs

Poultry sessions

Summary

Brisket use and anatomy

Knife selection and cooked brisket slicing

Tasting different grades of brisket

Beef grading discussion

Wood and Smoke panel

Friday night dinner

Overnight smoking at Camp Brisket

Chuck wagon breakfast, starting fires, and pit discussion

Pit design and maintenance panel

Seasonings and barbecue science

Smoke tasting panel

Life as a pitmaster panel

Send off meal

David Anderson

Daniel Vaughn

Lunch by Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue and Roegels Barbecue

Beef grading and pork carcass cutting demonstrations

Texas Barbecue Town Hall Meeting in the news

Brisket anatomy

Serving the brisket

Pitmaster stories

Brazilian cuts of beef

Preparing the skewers

Preparing the Brazilian grill

Picanha

Beef chuck short ribs

The hump

Serving the Brazilian meat

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