Various “feeds,” really, just spurious streams of data? Been more than a year, but finally, I had an image of plate of some the finest BBQ in the world. Tall claim, and tough — especially in this market.
The “kids” who run the Brickyard BBQ are an affable family, diverse, and oddly engaging. My buddy got turned onto the place via a pit-master who worked at another place for years, and that was good, too, but there is just something about this BBQ at the Brickyard in San Antonio.
My simple baseline is pork ribs and brisket. As an adjunct, I also measure BBQ sauce, but once Chuck closed his place with the triple death threat (ghost paper infused) sauce? I’ve been missing truly good BBQ sauce.
Not that it matters, the Brickyard made it through the pandemic, intact and thriving with drive-up and take-out business, being located, conveniently in the middle of the local medical district.
The question, though, about the really best of the BBQ? While I doubt there will be an award on the wall — although there should be — the place is like so many other “small” business ventures, an act of love as much as anything else. Shows in the food.
The image, though, isn’t the food, but a mug with some green tea, a post-prandial beverage on sultry afternoon in San Antonio. In the background, fishing buddies, Dr. Woo and Pizza Steve.
I returned two books to one guy, and we realized, it had been more than a year since we’d seen each other face-to-face. One book was zen-inspired, and as such, the mug’s message was funny to us.
The truest test of a BBQ place? The real way to figure out if the place is any good, at all? Two, simple, straightforward questions, an easy, but reputable gauge. Can be applied by anyone. The BBQ conundrum.
- Is the meat smoked in such way as there is no need whatsoever for BBQ sauce?
- Is the BBQ sauce so good, it can be a condiment without the meat?
The “super-hot, kept behind the counter, have to ask for it” sauce from Brickyard BBQ? Passes the second question, no doubt. Piquant, flavorful, with a decent after-burn.
The meat, the baseline — for me — of brisket and pork ribs? No sauce required.
Sauce on the meat. Why ruin a good thing?
Meat that requires no sauce, and sauce that is better than store-bought. Easily passes on both accounts, with room to spare. Good stuff. Great place.
BBQ Conundrum
The best test, and I have standard common of pork ribs and brisket, but it varies from individual to individual, however, whatever that is? The smoked meats easily need no dressing whatsoever. Which is too bad as that “hot” BBQ Sauce is pretty good, just on its own, and perfect compliment to lesser BBQ, but then, isn’t life too short to eat bad BBQ?