This article is part of “New School Barbecue,” our list of 25 barbecue joints worth the drive around the state.
Barbecue is often seen as this rigid tradition in Texas. But anyone who has been around the scene will tell you just how much the cuisine has changed even over the past decade. Today, pitmasters face the same level of Michelin Guide scrutiny as the finest French chefs, and rising costs have turned a cheap lunch into a special occasion meal. But those additional pressures have also created new opportunities.
For the sake of modernization and cost-effectiveness, my colleagues and I at LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue in Austin have had to create a fourth leg to the Texas trinity of brisket, ribs, and sausage. Our sourcing standards restrict us to locally raised proteins, but there are so many other parts of cows and pigs that can inspire a chef…