One pound of chopped brisket with sides at Truth BBQ
On a recent trip to Castroville for a reunion, I met about a dozen family members at Blu Lacy Smokehouse for lunch. Being the appointed “barbecue guy,” I was tasked with ordering for adults and children alike, all with different tastes and interest levels in smoked meats.
Talk about pressure. After making a few inquiries from family members that yielded suggestions that were all over the map, I sent the rest of the adults out to the bar to order drinks, and I forged ahead alone and approached the chopping block to place an order.
1303 Lorenzo, Castroville; 830-359-8720
Closed Mondays.
110 S. Heights Blvd., 832-835-0001
Closed Mondays.
GUIDE: The best barbecue joints in Houston
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Fortunately, Blu Lacy made it easy. On this weekend, when big groups are the norm, the top two menu items were “Family Meals” featuring 2 pounds each of pulled pork and chopped brisket, with a selection of large sides and house-made rolls. Together they would serve about 10 people.
Perfect. I ordered a beef rib, a rack of pork ribs, some turkey and extra buns and sides to round out the selection. It made for an impressive presentation, and there were plenty of oohs and aahs when the trays were ceremonially placed on the table.
After the obligatory photos were taken, everyone dug in. To my surprise, the most popular item on the tray was the chopped brisket. Parents scooped up a pile and dropped it in front of their children, who happily ate it along with a side of mac and cheese.
Adults spooned the brisket on a toasty bun, added some sauce and pickles and created their own sandwich. I was happy to have the beef rib all to myself.
Eventually, the group moved on to the other meats and sides, and the order turned out to be the perfect amount of food for the size of the group. My “barbecue guy” street cred remained intact.
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The episode did remind me of the differences between those of us who consider ourselves barbecue connoisseurs and those who are just occasional consumers of smoked meats.
For connoisseurs, the mighty beef rib is arguably the pinnacle of Texas barbecue. But for a typical restaurant diner, the barbecue go-to is almost always the humble chopped brisket sandwich.
That’s good news for pitmasters. Although many feel obligated to carry beef ribs on the menu to satisfy the Instagram-focused fanatics, this cut of beef offers effectively no profit margin. Chopped beef, specifically brisket, on the other hand, is both versatile and relatively profitable.
When a pitmaster has briskets left over at the end of the day, he has a few options. He can sell the whole briskets before closing that day, refrigerate them and reheat the next day, or turn it into “chop” that can be used for baked potatoes or sandwiches.
Indeed, some connoisseurs believe that chopped brisket mixed with a little barbecue sauce can be refrigerated overnight, tasting even better when reheated the next day. It’s the old technique of letting dishes like gumbo or chili marinate overnight so they taste even better later.
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Some barbecue joints offer just a pound of chopped brisket to go. Truth BBQ in Houston, for instance, has this as an online option that can then be picked up curbside. A barbecue-centric family could pick up a pound of chopped brisket at the beginning of the week and get at least three to four meals out of it.
Think brisket tacos and sandwiches, brisket and rice, brisket and pasta and even a brisket-stuffed omelet. Sure, it’s hard to beat hamburger when it comes to cost and popularity, but when it comes to flexing your Texas barbecue bona fides, adding some chopped brisket to your weeknight meals will make the whole family happy.
The surprising versatility of chopped brisket
45
1
04.05.2024
One pound of chopped brisket with sides at Truth BBQ
On a recent trip to Castroville for a reunion, I met about a dozen family members at Blu Lacy Smokehouse for lunch. Being the appointed “barbecue guy,” I was tasked with ordering for adults and children alike, all with different tastes and interest levels in smoked meats.
Talk about pressure. After making a few inquiries from family members that yielded suggestions that were all over the map, I sent the rest of the adults out to the bar to order drinks, and I forged ahead alone and approached the chopping block to place an order.
1303 Lorenzo, Castroville; 830-359-8720
Closed Mondays.
110 S. Heights Blvd., 832-835-0001
Closed Mondays.
GUIDE: The best barbecue joints in Houston
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
Fortunately, Blu Lacy made it easy. On this weekend, when big groups are the norm, the top two menu items were........
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