NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2003 17:10:42 PDT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net Xref: usenet.INS.cwru.edu alt.food.barbecue:64662 Hi folks. I just got back from a fiancee-financed trip home to Texas, and since I managed to eat some 'cue while I was there, I thought I'd tell y'all about it. Generally when I go back I eat at Kreuz Market, but this time I wanted to do something different, since I had a bit more time. I'd read a couple comments about how Cooper's has gone downhill recently, so we decided to head thataway for confirmation. The drive's as nice as ever from Austin, except for the increasing evidence of urban sprawl. We got to Cooper's at about one thirty, and there was a line of about twenty people, but it moved pretty quickly. The place doesn't seem to have changed much, thankfully, and the smoke's as much of a tease as always. The group appointed me to get the meat for everyone, and while the pit wasn't as full of masses of meat as I've seen it, there was a good selection. I got sirloin, pork chops, and pork ribs. They also had what looked to be a huge pork loin roast, but I was afraid of rebellion had I gotten that many varieties of pig. It was all as good as I remembered, which makes me wonder if I just caught them on a good day, or if perhaps other people just have different expections than I do. Considering that I've never had less than excellent 'cue there, I'm thinking it may be the latter. The sirloin was cooked to just barely less than medium. The flavor was great, and the steak was incredibly juicy. If you've never had one of those two-inch thick sirloins, I recommend them highly. The ribs were a little dry, but there's definitely something to be said for really crunchy pork ribs, as far as I'm concerned. And hell, the flavor was there, so I just dipped them in Cooper's sauce and enjoyed myself. The chops were mighty fine, too. I'd love to get a chop from Cooper's and another from Kreuz's and have a side-by-side taste test. I know they use different woods, but I want more, dammit. I'd also like to say something about Cooper's sauce. Generally speaking I am *not* a fan of barbecue sauce. The two exceptions have always been Cooper's and Luling City Market's. So for whatever it's worth, I'd say Cooper's sauce actually enhances the flavor of the meat. They sell it, too. I was reading the label while standing in line to pay, and the directions for reheating suggested adding trimmed fat while simmering the sauce on a corner of the pit. Good advice, I'd say. They sell a variety of sides for your barbecue experience, in addition to having free beans, but I'm pretty much a purist (an effect of growing up so near Kreuz Market, I suspect), so I just got some potato salad for my mother, and onion for the rest of us. Oh, and Texas Monthly has another barbecue review issue this month, and I got a copy. It looks pretty good, so I'd recommend picking it up, or sweet-talking someone who lives in Texas to do it for you. James
Barbecue