Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

To Austin I go

#1

I turned 40 last week and wanted to do something special. Over the last few years I’ve really gotten into BBQ, and being away from Texas has made my brisket cravings even more strong :wink:

So, tonight I’m taking 11 Tennesseans with me on board a plane to Austin, where we’ll then spend 2 full days visiting as many of the best BBQ joints in the world as we can fit in! If you’re in the central TX area, you should come say hi at one of the places! I’ll be posting about it on my Instagram stories.

Friday itinerary: https://goo.gl/maps/w3N7d7XLuqPfjXuS6
Saturday itinerary: https://goo.gl/maps/rn8gmxWTMDVPLXNh7

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#2

I’m getting hungry just reading this! Those are some lucky fellers - a genuine Texas BBQ Cruise with Banjo Ben as the Host!

I’d tell ya to have a blast but I already know y’all will!

#3

BBQ is a fun hobby, and the food’s not bad either…lol
I’m 71 and got interested in it a few years ago. To get good “q” you must have a good smoker. I’ve owned several. From a Big Green Egg to a Rec Tec Pellet Trill. I currently have a Lang “36” Patio Reverse Stick Smoker and a Lone Star PeeWee Cabinet Smoker as well as my Big Green Egg. The Lang uses the traditional wood and is fun to use, but requires a lot of work maintaining the fire and temp. But, that’s part of BBQing the old fashion way. My Lone Star Cabinet Smoker is the easiest to use and the food turns out great. It uses charcoal and you can add wood chucks to it. A full load of charcoal will give you almost 20hrs at a temp of 225 to 250 which is perfect bbqing temp.
If you’re looking for a good smoker, check out LoneStar Smokers. They’re out of Texas and great people. Enjoy smoking…

#4

Thanks Ben! I have a work thang in Austin at the start of August. We are staying near your first day’s stops. Let me know what is the real deal. It’s been a few decades since I hung around Austin much.

#5

Thanks for the tip! I’m starting to look around for a replacement smoker. I’m leaning towards an insulated vertical smoker. The Lone Star units look pretty good. Shipping to the west coast might make it a little overly expensive.

My wife loves brisket. She grew up in Texas and has the brisket addiction. Personally, I prefer the smoked chicken, but I do recognize the flavor of a well cooked piece of cow. Sounds like a great trip. Don’t fill up on the bread.

1 Like
#6

Man, sounds tasty!

#7

I 'm just thinking, how many pounds you gonna add to that waistline this weekend @BanjoBen ?

#8

Brisket is low carb. I need to create a brisket diet. :laughing:

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#9

I was hoping Lone Star Headquarters was not in Boston or Seattle… with a name like LONE STAR! :grin::crazy_face: It D*MN-well BETTER be in Texas!

@Lefty70 - any feedback on Traeger Pellet Smokers with the auger-style pellet-feeding mechanism?

#10

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#11

This comment reminds me of barbeque of a different sort:. Brazilian Churrascarias.

People, we are talking about non-stop, all you can eat fine cuts of beef/pork/lamb meats and sausages, that are brought to your table and carved off the scewer (normally by a Gaucho).

A card on the table tells the staff: flip to RED=STOP, need a break or flip back to GREEN=Keep it comin’!

The restaurants are not cheap (especially in the States) but the food is AMAZING!

Now, I crave/enjoy a good BBQ sauce as much as anybody - which you won’t find in a Churrascaria… but if you are SERIOUS about meat, just TRY IT!

As @The_Mole rightly said, no bread. Even better advice: skip a meal before you go!

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#12

Captain LONE STAR?

Maybe Lieutennant Lone Star…

#13

Wow. That is crazy (and awesome). Looking for them online… is yours this one:


?

#14

If this is factual… It is WAY above my budget! Geesh… good BBQ can’t be this expensive!

#15

I don’t know for some reason I can’t stand BBQ thanks to CityBBQ. :frowning: It is not my cup of sauce!

#16

Dang Ben, if i had read this post earlier i might have taken a drive up to Austin, im in San Antonio, would only be a bit over and hour, depending on Austin traffic. enjoy, the BBQ lots of great places up that way.

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#17

While y’all up that way you should stop by Fiddlers Green music store.

Fiddler’s Green Music Shop

1809 W 35th St, Austin

#18

There’s also the Ellis and Collings factories…

#19

Hey there WillCoop,
Sorry it’s taken so long to response, but I just saw your post. My only experience is with RecTec Pellet grills. They do a pretty good job. I just felt like it was cheating. You really don’t have to do anything. Just set the the temp and watch the time. It’s more like cooking in an oven…lol.
I also think you get more smoke flavor when using charcoal and wood. But, that’s just my opinion.

#20

Shipping can be expensive, but I assure you that you will be happy with any smoker LoneStar offers. Great quality and very nice people to work with.