Without a doubt, Texas is the state for beef. The red meat is so ubiquitous in most of the state’s most-known dishes — chili, steaks, fajitas, burgers, and yes, most importantly, brisket. No barbecue order is complete without slices or chopped brisket. But there’s actually a better smoked meats option that is often overlooked: turkey.
Yes, you read that right. Turkey isn’t just for Thanksgiving roasts or lunchtime sandwiches. Smoked turkey is truly underrated as a barbecue order that is really special and, often, better than its beefy counterpart. The white meat (typically, turkey breasts are used at barbecue restaurants) is lighter than brisket — thanks to less fat and protein. The slow-smoking process adds lots of moisture to the leaner poultry. And because turkey is more malleable than beef (thanks to less fat to contend with), pitmasters can have more fun with flavors. All of that results in slices that are tasty and inspiring, and, dare we say it, sometimes way better than regular ol’ brisket.
There are so many great smoked turkey options in Austin. Up in the far northwest region, Interstellar BBQ brines its turkey in citrusy-herby concoction rounded out by hefeweizen beer from local brewery Live Oak. That creates such succulent turkey that’s zested up by its salt-pepper seasoning. East Riverside food truck JNL Barbecue bathes its turkey in a Cajun butter for a spicier edge. And even the simplest way of smoking a turkey — plain old dry rub and butter, leads to delicious slices. Take the turkey option at Austin’s most famous barbecue restaurant, Franklin Barbecue, which just uses black pepper, salt, and two whole sticks of butter.
There’s even great turkey outside of Austin. It’s worth the drive out to Lockhart — the barbecue capital of the state — for the turkey at South Texas-ish smoked meats restaurant Barbs B Q. The smoked slices get amplified with herby butter for such lush meats.
All of that to say, as Texans, it might be jarring to forgo brisket in favor of turkey, but it’s worth taking a chance on smoked poultry at barbecue restaurants. You won’t regret it.
Source link