Location Perspectives
With certain distinct ties to location and place, Hill Country BBQ demonstrates the different cultural ideas involved in the evolution of the practice. In our analysis, we found that there were many different philosophies of BBQ, from the type of wood used to methods in meat preparation. The plethora of folks we collected information from gave us a pretty broad examination for what the Hill Country BBQ is really about. The data varied greatly in some respects and was congruent in others. We found that there was a difference in the being part of the BBQ process at home and going out to a restaurant to indulge in the carnivory. The at-home culinary expertise met more passion on the subject of BBQ and really gave us an understanding of what the roots of it all really were. On the other hand the BBQ restaurant culture was interesting to look at. There were features that seemed to be the “baseline” necessities as well as aspects that certain restaurants used as a selling points as opposed to money saving techniques.
At-Home BBQ
In our research we found that the people who had the most to say about BBQ were those who were involved heavily in an at-home situation. BBQ is a food staple in the area and those who participate are quite passionate about the whole process such as Gene Robinson, a UAV innovator and pilot, who shared his love for BBQ. Gene is the master of his pit at home where he spends a fair amount of his free time honing in his BBQ skills. He stated the three most important thing to know about Texas Hill Country BBQ is “…slow, low and sweet.” This is the basis of what he calls a “religion”—a way of life as it is. He expressed roots BBQ has in THC life and the ways of using the resources from the Hill Country that really make it unique. A great example of this is the fact that people like Jeff Wilson, also known as Professor Dumpster, who is the proud owner of a smoker that can “smoke 17 whole thanksgiving turkeys at a time”. The people in the Hill Country who are involved with BBQ are really involved with the BBQ. The use of wild game is a large part of BBQ due to the fact that it establishes a connection to the Hill Country in a biological sense.
Steven Fulton, biologist at the Bamberger Ranch, claims that the key to Hill Country BBQ is the distinct smoky flavor from the use of Mesquite. The type of wood used in smoking the meat is a great way that Hill Country BBQ differs from the rest. The use of Live Oak in the Hill Country is a common type of wood in smoking due to its availability in the Hill Country. Other favorites are Pecan, Apple, and Red Oak. Within the region, some believe that the use of Oak is too common of a practice and doesn't really set you apart from other Hill Country inhabitants. It ultimately boils down to what you can get your hands on. Those who were most passionate about BBQ were the people you would consider to be the stereotypical “Texan”. The way that Steven and Gene spoke and the accents they had were heavy. They also dressed the part which aided in the experience.
Steven Fulton, biologist at the Bamberger Ranch, claims that the key to Hill Country BBQ is the distinct smoky flavor from the use of Mesquite. The type of wood used in smoking the meat is a great way that Hill Country BBQ differs from the rest. The use of Live Oak in the Hill Country is a common type of wood in smoking due to its availability in the Hill Country. Other favorites are Pecan, Apple, and Red Oak. Within the region, some believe that the use of Oak is too common of a practice and doesn't really set you apart from other Hill Country inhabitants. It ultimately boils down to what you can get your hands on. Those who were most passionate about BBQ were the people you would consider to be the stereotypical “Texan”. The way that Steven and Gene spoke and the accents they had were heavy. They also dressed the part which aided in the experience.
The Restaurants
The Hill Country BBQ establishments were more concrete in term of data and showed more conclusive results in comparison to the individuals take on BBQ. We gathered that the perspective on the restaurants from Hill Country residents was based heavily on the proximity to where they were located. The more local or close the place was, the more likely it would be a favorite spot. In our research, we decided that this relationship was due to the BBQ being more than just the food, as most food cultures are.
The smaller, more local restaurants had a very welcoming homely feeling in comparison to the other larger joints. It is that feeling that keeps people coming back. Ronnie’s, for instance, is a perfect example of what the small local joint is all about. It had a variety of plaques on the wall of little league baseball sponsorships, newspaper articles from decades ago, a steady influx of regulars and it’s very own cork-board classifieds. Customers chatted with the owner of the place as he cut thick and hearty slices of moist brisket off steaming slabs of glory behind the ordering counter. Food was served on Styrofoam plates in a picnic style. The sense that you are being welcomed into someone’s own prideful establishment gives these smaller restaurants a great example of the Hill Country BBQ culture.
The smaller, more local restaurants had a very welcoming homely feeling in comparison to the other larger joints. It is that feeling that keeps people coming back. Ronnie’s, for instance, is a perfect example of what the small local joint is all about. It had a variety of plaques on the wall of little league baseball sponsorships, newspaper articles from decades ago, a steady influx of regulars and it’s very own cork-board classifieds. Customers chatted with the owner of the place as he cut thick and hearty slices of moist brisket off steaming slabs of glory behind the ordering counter. Food was served on Styrofoam plates in a picnic style. The sense that you are being welcomed into someone’s own prideful establishment gives these smaller restaurants a great example of the Hill Country BBQ culture.
Like most cultural food systems, the small gets expanded to some degree and exploited by larger systems. In the case of Hill Country BBQ, we noticed that there was a transition state from the small to the large scale and that was the intermediate places like The Salt Lick. The Salt Lick was on roughly 75% of the individual’s best BBQ that we polled. This was something we had the chance to explore and we did whole heartedly. The Salt Lick was similar to Ronnie’s in the way that it created a “picnic-like” setting. The Salt Lick; however, was a larger scale environment, more open and crowded. To give a better idea, we had a twenty minute wait in the backyard. The amount of advertising that The Salt Lick does really shows that they are almost a tourist attraction. This style of Hill Country BBQ joint had a massive pit inside that was buried in smoked meat. The service, straying from the usual over-the-counter style, was typical of most restaurants with a server and handout menus. It had less of a homely feel and more of a large scale vibe. Not as grand as a full on corporate style BBQ joint.
The first night was out corporate BBQ experience. We ate at Rudy’s BBQ, a chain restaurant in the area and outer state as well. It was interesting to see the difference between the restaurants in terms of scale because this large scale Hill Country BBQ restaurant accentuated certain aspects of the smaller scale places and used them as a selling point. The over-the-counter style at this larger joint resembled that of Ronnie’s but this contained a built in zig-zag waiting zone, as if in line at an airport. The place was huge and looked like a barn, which represented the foundations of BBQ—ranching. The seating was communal as was the intermediate scaled restaurant. Instead of a newspaper articles and baseball sponsorship plaques the walls were littered with neon beer signs and big posters for events and specials. To say the least, there was no homely feel to Rudy’s, just a large dining hall to serve the masses vibe. It was the first place that allowed customers to serve themselves all the relish they could eat. It was interesting to look at due to the fact that it contained these cultural ideas form the very small scale and intermediate, but they were blow out of proportion as a method to increase the carrying capacity of the restaurant.
The first night was out corporate BBQ experience. We ate at Rudy’s BBQ, a chain restaurant in the area and outer state as well. It was interesting to see the difference between the restaurants in terms of scale because this large scale Hill Country BBQ restaurant accentuated certain aspects of the smaller scale places and used them as a selling point. The over-the-counter style at this larger joint resembled that of Ronnie’s but this contained a built in zig-zag waiting zone, as if in line at an airport. The place was huge and looked like a barn, which represented the foundations of BBQ—ranching. The seating was communal as was the intermediate scaled restaurant. Instead of a newspaper articles and baseball sponsorship plaques the walls were littered with neon beer signs and big posters for events and specials. To say the least, there was no homely feel to Rudy’s, just a large dining hall to serve the masses vibe. It was the first place that allowed customers to serve themselves all the relish they could eat. It was interesting to look at due to the fact that it contained these cultural ideas form the very small scale and intermediate, but they were blow out of proportion as a method to increase the carrying capacity of the restaurant.