Brother Man's

DALLAS: Brother Man's BBQ
4614 Scyene Rd
Dallas, TX 75210
214-426-1101
Open Daily 10-7:45

Update: This joint is CLOSED. The building was demolished and the owner's were forced to relocate to Loop 12 just west of I-45.

2009: Along the new Dart line sits a lonely BBQ joint that was completely empty at lunch time. I parked in the gravel lot that was designated "Restaurant Parking Only" with sloppy paint on the side of the small building. Inside was a dining room with just a few small tables and chairs, but it seemed like a mainly take-out joint. I placed my order at the back of the store through the iron grille, and passed my money through the small hole. I order a rib sandwich and a sliced brisket sandwich with sauce on the side, but was informed that a side of sauce would cost me extra, so I just asked for light sauce on the sandwiches, and the cook obliged.

As I waited for my order, I breathed in the sweet smokiness and perused the photos on the wall. Many of them were of Barack Obama, MLK, and other famous black leaders, but they had to share the wall with Janet Jackson's famous bare breast from that infamous Super Bowl. The FCC would not approve of this adornment. I received my order after a few minutes and took it to the car for a quick bite. The ribs were overdone, light on smoke flavor and even lighter on meat. These ribs had been carved so close to the bone that the only meat remaining was between the bones. Too bad, because the brisket was really tasty with a deep smoky flavor that the sauce complemented well. The slices were moist and tender, but the fat was not very well rendered. I'm thinking a chopped beef sandwich might be just the ticket for my next date with Janet.

Rating **

Two Podners

DALLAS: Two Podners
1441 Robert B. Cullum Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75210
214-421-5387
Open M-Sat 11-9:45, Sun 11-8
www.twopodners.com/

The sign outside reads "Bar-B-Que & Seafood", but soulfood is really the king here with a BBQ being a mere afterthought. At 12:05 on a Wednesday afternoon, I ordered ribs and sliced brisket, but the ribs weren't ready, so I opted for sausage. The plate came with cornbread and three hefty sides, of which I chose greens, cabbage and yams. They were all excellent. Most other diners were eating a selection from the soul food options which I'll try next time since the BBQ was so disappointing. The sausage was a fatty grocery store grade with a mushy texture. The beef looked and tasted like fatty shoe leather. Some slices were entire slabs of unrendered fat, and those slices with meat were equivalent to boiled chuck roast. Not even the cloyingly sweet sauce could save it. Do yourself a favor, and skip the BBQ here, but definitely come for the other offerings.

Rating *

Blowin' Smoke 005 - Bacon Explosion

The Bacon Explosion is a roll of meaty happiness created by the folks over at BBQ Addicts that was recently made famous by the NY Times. I couldn't think of a better pure protein treat for the Super Bowl, except maybe two of them. In addition to the original Bacon Explosion with bacon and ground sausage, I decided to create the Bacon Cheeseburger Explosion. Behold the woven bacon!


On to the ingredients...
I found that 1.5 lbs of bacon was plenty to create a good weave, with plenty left over for the filling.

1.5 lbs Thick Cut Jalapeno (Bacon Explosion)


1.5 lbs Thick Cut Peppered Bacon (Cheeseburger Explosion)


2 lbs Ground Sausage (Bacon Explosion)


2 lbs 85% Lean Ground Beef (Cheeseburger Explosion)


Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning & Black Pepper


The most fun part of this whole recipe is weaving the bacon. I'm sure most of you have not had the experience, so savor it. A 6x6 weave was the perfect size. Be sure to keep it tight so the filling is fully contained.


Fry the rest of the bacon to be crumbled into the filling.


Season the bacon weave well.


Spread the sausage or ground beef evenly over the bacon weave.


Now spread on the crumbled bacon and douse it in BBQ sauce. Be sure to keep one edge untainted so the roll finishes nicely without the filling spilling out.


For the cheeseburger explosion, I added grated cheese and used a mustard based sauce.


Now carefully roll the meat into a beautiful log, and you're ready for cooking


Smoke it for 2 to 2.5 hours at about 275 degrees.


Remove from heat, let it rest about 10-15 minutes, and slice.


I would have some pictures of the truly artful slices, but my ravenous compatriots tore into the dual explosions so quickly and thoroughly,that I had no time for proper documentation. I can assure you that is was delicious.

- BBQ Snob