Where Did We Go?

Texas Pit Quest is definitely still alive, and not on hiatus; we've just been focusing our efforts on providing quality content and Houston-area BBQ posts for our friends at Houston Food Finder. Visit us over there to find out the latest and greatest updates on what's going on in Houston BBQ (and other Houston food news too)!

Some of our latest Houston Food Finder posts:

The 2019 Houston Barbecue Festival Brings Together the Best in Texas

Just a hint of all the meaty goodness that awaits at the 7th Annual Houston Barbecue Festival. Photo by Richard Olivier, courtesy of Houston Barbecue Festival.

Houston Barbecue Business Moves to Brick-and-Mortar in Galveston

Soon all the delicious meats from Buck's Barbeque will be available in Galveston!

Houston and Austin Are Throwing Down (Again) for Barbecue Bragging Rights

Winning entry from Daddy Duncan’s BBQ at the 2018 HouBBQ Throwdown, “The Altuve,” smoked beef cheek barbacoa with sweet potato mash, chorizo and bacon street corn, pickled onions, habanero caviar, and fried pork cracklins.

The Woodlands BBQ Festival Returns For A Third Year With More Meat Than Ever

Bring a tray to help carry all your goodies at a barbecue festival!

Buck’s Barbeque Expands Hours At Lucky’s Lodge

Brisket, smoked pork belly banh mi, and cheesy squash at Buck's Barbeque.

Killen’s Barbecue Now Offers Dinner With Table Service And Reservations

Smoked pork belly burnt ends with pepper jelly glaze.

Ramen Tatsu-Ya And Truth Barbeque Join Forces On A Houston Brisket Ramen

Smoked Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen, photo by Shion Aikawa.

2018 Houston Barbecue Festival's New Venue, Features Even More Restaurants

Photo by Robert Jacob Lerma.

Willow’s Texas BBQ Is A Worthy Addition To The Growing Heights Barbecue Scene

Buck’s Barbeque To Begin Lunch Service At Lucky’s Lodge In EaDo

Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse Brings Top Quality Barbecue to Clear Lake Area

Barbecue Rescue: Houston Pitmasters Answer The Call During Hurricane Harvey

Exclusive: Houston Pitmaster On The Move To Lucky’s Pub In The Heights

Goode Company Barbeque Opens New Outpost in The Woodlands

Killen's Barbecue Elevates Their Brisket Game

Plant-Based Impossible Burger A Welcome Option Even In Meat-Loving Texas

BrisketU Classes Can Help You Become Better at Barbecue

Two Houston-Area Barbecue Joints Among 10 Best In Texas Monthly’s “Top 50 List”

Incredible Feasts On Buns: The Houston Area’s Best Stacked Barbecue Sandwiches

The 5th Annual Houston Barbecue Festival Is Just Around The Corner

Eats & Greets: Peli Deli Now Open Downtown in the Esperson Building

Exclusive: BuffBurger Is Opening A Second Location in The Museum District

Houston's Craft Burger Chains: How to Choose and What to Order

Housemade Sausage May Be Rare in Houston Barbecue, but Deserves More Attention

The Best Houston Barbecue of 2016

The Pit Room Is Setting A New Baseline Of Quality For Houston Barbecue

Eats & Greets: Pinkerton’s Barbecue Finds A Home in The Heights

All photos © Scott Sandlin, Texas Pit Quest, unless noted otherwise. All rights reserved.

Beaver’s Westheimer hosts National BBQ Day Picnic on the Patio

Around a dozen Houston food media types were invited to a gathering at Beaver’s Westheimer on Tuesday, May 16, for a National Barbecue Day Picnic to sample a spread of chef Arash Kharat’s barbecue menu items. Featuring beef products from well-known Texas beef producer, 44Farms, Kharat and Beaver’s treated the guests to several beefy options, plus ribs and smoked chicken, with Beaver’s three-cheese Classic Mac and Mexican Street Corn sides.

Chicken-fried brisket burnt ends

Appetizers included Beaver’s highly-regarded Buffalo Cauliflower and Fried Brussels Sprouts, but the meat treat for the day was a sampling of chicken-fried brisket burnt ends accompanied by a mustard barbecue sauce. After their time in the pit, the savory, smoky nuggets are given a quick batter dip and then flash fried. Kharat plans to run these as a weekend special appetizer item from time-to-time.

Kharat has honed his barbecue skills over the past several years through his time as executive chef at Saudi Aramco’s Houston office, his association with Aces of Taste, Blood Bros. Barbecue, and cooking at 44 Farms events. A tidbit that’s not widely known, he was one of the chefs assisting with the food preparation for Anthony Bourdain’s Houston episode of Parts Unknown, in the segment for the philanthropic urban farming group, Plant It Forward.

Fried Brussels Sprouts, tossed in citrus ponzu and drizzled with wasabi aioli, topped with micro-pea shoots and micro greens

Barbecue on the menu for the event included brisket, beef chuck short ribs, and what turned out to be the tastiest smoked meat item of the night, a slow-smoked 44 Farms inside round sirloin roast, perfectly seasoned, tender and bursting with flavor. Pork spareribs and baby back ribs were spiced with a bit of heat in the rub, as were the smoked chicken halves. It’s hard to find a memorable smoked chicken these days, but Kharat serves one of the best around, and is a solid choice from their regular menu items.

Smoked 44 Farms inside round sirloin roast, and brisket

Beaver’s regular menu includes a selection of barbecue offerings, and Kharat really shines here. The wood smoke comes through in the bark, but isn’t overpowering. The rubs are more complex than simple Central Texas-style salt and pepper, and are customized to specifically complement the various meats. Kharat’s skills with the smoker make Beaver’s a worthy barbecue destination in the outer Westheimer area.

Mexican corn, elote-style with crema, Parmesean, and chili powder

The favorite side dish of the night had to be the Elote-style Mexican Corn, served in a personal-size cast iron skillet. Roasted whole kernel corn is drizzled with fresh crèma and topped with a generous grind of Parmesan cheese plus a dusting of chili powder. This is another regular menu item from Beaver’s that pairs perfectly with their barbecue offerings.

Personal-sized strawberry shortcake

What would a picnic be without dessert, and Beaver’s came through for the group with two delicious selections—a blueberry and blackberry cobbler studded with mini drop biscuits for the crust, and a strawberry shortcake served in Mason jars. Fresh whipped cream and strawberries were layered with housemade biscuits, and it capped the evening picnic admirably.

With chef Arash Kharat at the helm, Beaver’s Westheimer is a respectable dining destination with a diverse menu and is well-suited for both family dining and fun group gatherings.

All photos © Scott Sandlin, Texas Pit Quest, unless noted otherwise. All rights reserved.

Beaver’sWestheimer, 6025 Westheimer Rd, (713) 714-4111
Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Review: How Does the Pit Barrel Cooker Stack up as a Compact BBQ Smoker Option?

My experience with the Pit Barrel® Cooker began when mine arrived this past February. I was anxious to get it out of the box and try it right away, but knew it needed a few months and several test cooks before sharing my thoughts about it. Six months later, after trying it out in both cooking configurations (hanging and grill), I'm ready to share what I've learned about this compact, affordable smoker, made in the USA.

I first developed an interest in the Pit Barrel® Cooker in early 2015 after seeing social media posts and a couple of videos. In November I spoke to the company's founder, Noah Glanville, who suggested they could send one out for me to try* in early 2016 after the holiday rush. Noah is an Iraq war veteran, and founded the company in Strasburg, Colorado in 2010, with the goal being to provide an affordable cooker that "combines the best qualities of smokers, slow cookers and BBQs into one product." It's not necessarily a new idea: the Ugly Drum Smoker concept has been around a while, and stacked vertical smokers have been on the market for decades. The Pit Barrel® combines simple, inexpensive components (a 30 gallon steel drum, horseshoes for handles) with their unique hanging system, resulting in a product that is easy to use even for amateurs. The instructional videos on their website make it a snap for just about anyone to be a successful backyard BBQ cook.

Everything ships in this one box

The Pit Barrel® Cooker Package is shipped with the enameled 30 gal. steel drum and lid, 8 stainless steel hanging hooks, two steel hanging rods, wooden handle hook remover, charcoal basket, a three-point enameled steel stand, a standard grill grate, one bottle (4.7 oz.) of Pit Barrel® All-Purpose Rub, one bottle (4.7 oz.) of Pit Barrel® Beef and Game Rub, and printed instructions. This is the standard package and is is delivered anywhere in the Continental US for $299, including shipping. My unit included the optional removable ash pan ($29.95), which I highly recommend for ease of cleanup. I also purchased their custom-fit cover separately to extend the life of the cooker in the outdoor environment where it lives (also $29.95).

What comes in the box with the drum (removable ash pan sold separately;
standard grill grate not shown)

Regular grill is great for pork shoulders and items not suitable for hanging

A few of the hangers and the hanger rods

Dimensions: The drum is about 19 inches in diameter, and just under 32 inches in height (on stand). Grill grate is 17-1/2 inches in diameter. Distance from hanging rod to top of charcoal basket is about 22 inches. Hanging hooks are 4 inches long. This information turns out to be more important than it seems, and would have been nice to know beforehand. The critical dimension here for you rib and brisket cookers is the 22 inches from the hanging rod to the top of the charcoal basket. The drum appears taller from the outside than it seems; you will want to pay attention here. If you take away the 4 inches for the hook, that means the dimension from the hang point to the fire is only about 18 inches.

Today's average 12 to 14 pound briskets and racks of spareribs are pretty long, and in my first attempt to hang both per the instructions in the videos resulted in the meats resting in the burning charcoal. I immediately removed them, and not being sure what to do to recover, I panicked and trimmed the flat off the brisket and hung it separately, and cut the ribs in half, hanging each half separately. It never occurred to me the meats would be too long to hang in the drum. I've since learned on my own some different hanging tricks than they demonstrate in their videos that keep the meats out of the fire, but it would have been nice to have known this going into my first cook.

It's super easy to set up the Pit Barrel® for your cook. Fill the charcoal basket completely with your favorite briquettes, then remove about 35-40 of them and place them in your starter chimney. Light as usual, and after about 20 minutes, they should be burning well. Dump the contents of your chimney on top of the charcoal basket that you've already placed in the bottom of the barrel and you're ready to begin cooking immediately. There is only one way to regulate airflow: near the bottom of the drum is a round steel plate covering a hole approximately 3 inches in diameter. Rotate the plate until there's about a 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch gap on one side, and tighten the plate with a screwdriver so it stays in place. You likely won't ever have to adjust this once you've started cooking. If you notice the fire dying down, the lid can be left cracked open a little to allow more air into the barrel and it will come right back after about 5 minutes or so.

Pit Barrel® recommends Kingsford® Original charcoal.

My preferred mix: Kingsford® plus oak chunks for more smoke.

When the charcoal is ready, add it to the basket in the bottom of the drum and you're ready to cook!

The first thing you'll notice right away is the Pit Barrel® is a hot cooker. It doesn't come with a thermometer, but its obvious rather quickly that its running pretty hot. Ribs get to 200 deg F in about 1-1/2 hours, a pork shoulder reaches 200 deg F in about 5-1/2 hours, and briskets reach the same temp in about 7 hours. It would be interesting over time to add a thermometer and chart temps over the cook, but that will have to be a future project. Setting up an external thermometer with a probe is easy enough, and its a good idea so you can monitor the internals on large pieces of meat. 

The next thing that will be obvious is the size. True, it has a small footprint, and is perfect for small backyard patios and for portability. Hanging your food from the rods definitely maximizes your ability to cook in volume; there's room for 8 racks of ribs or 8 chicken halves. I haven't tried to cook multiple briskets but I imagine two, three or even four would fit. Chicken halves are by far the easiest. They're small and cook fast, and hard to make a mistake if you have a quick-read thermometer like a Thermapen®. My tip: pull them at 160 deg F breast temperature, transfer to a pan, cover loosely with foil and let them rest for at least 15 minutes. They'll be a lot juicier than they would if you let them get all the way to 170 or 175 deg F over the fire.

My experience with ribs in particular has been interesting. While they reach desired temperature pretty quickly, they haven't achieved that tenderness I really like, probably due to the short cook time. The flavor has been great, but I've had to get creative to hit the tenderness level everyone really seems to enjoy. I've had prior success on other cookers using the 3-2-1 rib method, but on the Pit Barrel® it's difficult to implement this process. The first part of the cook is easy enough in the hanging position, but there's no way to transition to the second phase (wrapped in foil) in the drum, or the final phase. I tried to circumvent the issues by transferring the ribs for the foil wrap phase indoors into the oven, with the intent of glazing and hanging back in the drum for the final stage. Disaster! The ribs were too tender after the foil phase and I lost the first rack in an attempt to hang when the hook pulled through and the whole rack fell into the charcoal basket in the bottom. Another issue is the diameter; while you might consider switching from vertical to horizontal on the grill grate to alleviate the pull-through issue, the 17-1/2 inch diameter is too small for the length of most racks of ribs. My work-around so far is to either transfer to an indirect cook in my large Old Smokey for the final 2 stages of a 3-2-1 cook, or just do the final two stages in the oven. Both options work well, and the hang time in the Pit Barrel® for the first stage provides plenty of smoke for ribs.

Probe wire for the ChefAlarm® by Thermoworks® fits easily through the hanger rod holes.

Chicken halves start their hang time

Half chickens and brisket in the smoke.

I've probably done a dozen cooks with various meats since acquiring the Pit Barrel® this past February. Again, the easiest by far has been chicken, followed by ribs, pork tenderloins, and a pork shoulder. Cooking a pork shoulder on the grill grate was simple and a 10-pound shoulder fit with plenty of room to spare. Cook it directly on the grill until the internal temp reached about 170 deg F, and then wrapped it in foil and return it to the grill until the temp reaches 200 deg F. My experience with briskets has been inconsistent, but the cooker isn't the issue, it's been likely due to trying different sizes and grades of brisket. I'll need to pick one and work the same process repeatedly to be able to provide more definitive guidance for briskets on the Pit Barrel®.

Sausage and boudin is also easy in the Pit Barrel®, but would recommend using the grill grate in the horizontal position for these. One, you don't want to penetrate the casing to hang sausages and lose those precious juices, and two, if you have a double-link and try to hang it from between the links on the hooks, the casing will break as it dries out in the cooker and you'll lose your links in the fire. However, if you have Kreuz Market-style C-rings, where the open ends of the casing are joined by twine, they will work perfectly in the Pit Barrel®, hanging the twine either on the hooks or directly from the rods.

Half chickens seasoned with Pit Barrel® All-Purpose rub come out great!

Pork tenderloins, half chickens, and a small brisket point in the smoke.

Beautiful mahogany color on these ribs right out of the Cooker.

Nice smoke ring and color on these St. Louis spares

Half chickens, brisket flat, St. Louis spares, and a pork shoulder, all from the Pit Barrel® Cooker

The Pit Barrel® Cooker is a great value, and easy to use.

In conclusion, after multiple attempts at different meats on the Pit Barrel® Cooker, I have to say this is a well-made, easy-to-use product for a very affordable price. My recommendation would be to absolutely purchase the optional ash pan attachment, as it will make cleanup much easier between cooks, and will also extend the life of your barrel significantly. It provides a much thicker plate to act as a buffer between the bottom of the barrel and the coals, making it much less likely to corrode and burn out. Don't hesitate to get one of their custom-fit covers as well. It will keep your Pit Barrel® looking nice and prevent deterioration of the finish from exposure to the elements.

A couple of things to remember: it's going to be a hot and fast cook, so pay attention to temperatures if you're used to cooking low and slow on an offset stick burner or cabinet smoker. Also, be aware of the length of brisket and ribs when you insert the hooks for hanging. To keep the meats out of the fire, you will have to place the hooks closer to the middle of your longer meats than they show in their demonstration videos.

My verdict? Get one. You'll be happy with the Pit Barrel® Cooker for it's ease of use and affordable price.

Smoke on, my friends.

 - Scott

My little compact cookery.

All photos © Scott Sandlin, Texas Pit Quest, unless noted otherwise. All rights reserved.

(*Disclosure: the Pit Barrel Cooker was provided to me by the company at no cost in exchange for my objective evaluation.)