Weekend BBQ Events - Go to Them

This upcoming weekend in Texas there are two great barbecue events, and I can't go to either. Feel free to have a blast in my place whether you're in Dallas or Austin or really anywhere - they're worth traveling for.

DALLAS - Blues, Bandits & BBQ Competition on Saturday 10/27 at noon. The event will be held at 715 W. Davis Street. - Tickets

From their press release: "The party starts early, and we'll keep it lively until dusk. Settle into the Four Corners Brewing Company biergarten with a pint or two of their All Day Ales while listening to our great line up of live music! Enjoy some lawn games, let your kids bounce their heart out in the bounce houses, or perhaps do a little shopping at our market."

Admission is FREE! But if you want to taste the BBQ from the 23 teams competing in the 2012 competition, you'll need to purchase the tasting wristband here.

A demonstration of wood fire cooking by Tim Byres will he held the night before at 6 pm at the same location. You can preorder Tim's book and learn more about the event here.

AUSTIN - Man Up Texas BBQ's 3rd annual Gettin' Sauced on Saturday 10/27 AT 3:00. The event will be held at Hops & Grain Brewing, 507 Calles Street - Tickets

From their press release: "Barbecue enthusiasts of all ages are invited to get their fix of barbecue sauce, local craft beer, and live music at Man Up Texas BBQ’s 3rd Annual Gettin' Sauced! festival, presented by Taste of the South magazine and hosted by Hops & Grain Brewing. The event will feature a contest of 150 sauces from the U.S., Canada, and Australia, samples of barbecue and barbecue sauce from more than a dozen vendors, including Louie Mueller, Opies, and Black's, local craft beer from Hops & Grain Brewing, live music by Anson Carter and Austin-based Sour Bridges, door prizes, and more.

Event entry is free, though sampling the barbecue and barbecue sauce will require a barbecue wristband, with both general admission tickets ($8 online and $10 at the gate) and VIP packages ($25 online and at the gate) available. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to Meals on Wheels.

VIP packages include entry to the event 30 minutes before general admission, a Gettin’ Sauced! pint glass, a Gettin’ Sauced! koozie, The Q Card, and a one-year subscription to Taste of the South magazine. Visit the Gettin' Sauced! website for complete details."

Enjoy.

- BBQ Snob

Mr. G's BBQ

CORPUS CHRISTI: Mr. G's BBQ
4701 Ih 37 
Corpus Christi, TX 78408
361-882-1880
Open Tues-Sat 11-9

Mr. G's is a newer place in town. On a Tuesday morning just after opening they already had a few full tables at a few minutes after eleven, but we were taking ours to go. Dressed in a shirt and tie, Jesse took our order in the front. He was waiter at the legendary Joe Cotten’s down the road in Robstown for forty years before it burnt to the ground in 2011. Jesse had planned to retire after the fire, but sitting at home he figured he would die sooner if he wasn’t working, so he gathered up some of the staff from Joe Cotten’s and they opened this joint. Carlos came along and brought the Joe Cotten's sausage recipe with him.

No word on where the pitmaster is now, but they’re using the same mesquite wood on an all-wood fired smoker. The brisket had taken up some of that smoke but was a good two hours or more shy of being done. Ribs were decent with a rub too heavy on the powdery ingredients. The meat was tender and well-cooked and the smoke level was pleasing. All of this paled in comparison to the excellent link of sausage. Juice shot out of the link as I took a big bite out of the tip. The casing was taut with a juicy filling that wasn’t too fatty. The meat mix was heavy on the pork (if not all pork) a great seasoning mix, heavy on the cracked black pepper. With sausage this good and the fact that they’re carrying on a bit of the Joe Cotten tradition makes this place worth a visit.

Rating **

Sam's Bar-B-Q

ROBSTOWN: Sam's Bar-B-Q
15801 Northwest Boulevard
Robstown, TX 78380
361-387-6677
Open Tues-Sat 11-7

This visit had to happen. I got a recommendation for this joint while dining in a tiny cafe between Del Rio and Eagle Pass and then again once we reached Corpus Christi. Just west of Corpus is the tiny town of Calallen which provides the perfect excuse for a short drive on I-69 (yes, they designated an interstate highway with that number) where you can find Sam's Bar-B-Q. The sign also says 'Lidia's Road Kill', but we stuck with beef and pork.

While waiting for our order we checked out the pit housed in a trailer out back. The pit man proudly showed us the cold briskets that had been smoked on Saturday night that he was warming for service. It was Tuesday. My expectations plummeted. Back at the ordering window I picked up my three-meat combo. The sides were great. A pasta salad had zing and wasn't too heavy while a broccoli salad with raisins, sunflower seeds and red onion reminded me of my childhood. The V&V sausage was fine but the smoker hadn't transformed it into anything special. The huge smoky spare rib was the best item on the plate. A bit of sweetness in the rub gave it a boost, but more time on the smoker would have got it a bit more tender and rendered out some of the chewy fat. That brisket from several days before was as dry and chewy as I'd predicted, and it was hard to tell how word of this joint's quality had traveled so far.

Rating **