Texas Outlaw Barbecue at 2010 Nugget Rib Cook-off

Late Sunday afternoon, September 5, 2010, after hiking many miles to, around and from the 2010 Nugget Rib Cook-off, I'd worked up quite an appetite, and the only way I felt that I could satisfy my hunger was to drown it in ribs, Texas-style, with a bit of brisket on the side. Believe me, on this perfect Saturday afternoon, the cook-off was crowded with many thousands of fellow "foodies," fans of barbecue, and everybody who loves barbecued ribs.

Photo: The rib cook-off is packed with rib lovers, "foodies" and mainstream pedestrians on this late Sunday afternoon, as I snap a photo of the impressive false front of Texas Outlaws BBQ

Sure, I was at the premier rib cook-off on the West Coast, and yes, I love ribs, but it's always nice to have a bit of variety as well. Like all of the other barbecue stands at the cook-off, Texas Outlaw Barbecue posts their menu selections on the front of their store, and my eyes seemed to gravitate toward a dinner featuring ribs, brisket, coleslaw, beans and a roll. Barbecued brisket sounded good to me to share the plate with the obligatory ribs, so I took my place in line, eagerly anticipating my upcoming feast.

Photo: I love smoke, and these guys know how to cook ribs over a mesquite-fired grill. The large fan in the background keeps the smoke away from the grill, and blows it out so people like me, can smell the smoke.

Photo: Grillin' ribs, Texas Outlaw style.

While waiting in line, I was able to observe the Texas Outlaw gang in action. Inside the kitchen, it was a flurry of activity, as there were staff members chipping meat from ribs, cutting up brisket, preparing side dishes, and placing food into styrafoam containers, with are the de facto standard place setting at the Nugget Rib Cook-off. Of course the main attraction is the two grills and the smokers, where there were several pitmasters at work cooking ribs and brisket. Texas Outlaw Barbecue fires their grills with mesquite charcoal, and they use mesquite logs for the smoker, which gives their meat an authentic Texas-style, smoky flavor. I'm a sucker for Texas-style barbecue!

Photo: I'm waiting in line to order my dinner, and the kitchen is full of activity.

Photo: My order of ribs, coleslaw beans and a roll. Friendly cashier Amy holds my dinner, and graciously allows me to snap her photo. Amy, nice rack! good ribs? ... well, that's what your T-shirt says...

I placed my order with Amy, the friendly counter girl, who spoke with a Texas drawl, and within a couple of minutes, my dinner was ready. I hiked over to the nearby Camoflauge Beer Truck, purchased an ice-cold Budweiser beer, and found a quiet place to enjoy my dinner.

Photo: Amy graciously took my photo, with my camera, as I proudly display my dinner, with the Nugget Hotel/Casino in the background of the photo.

The ribs were perfectly cooked, coated with just the right amount of tangy barbecue sauce, and tasted the way barbecue should taste in Texas. The brisket was tender, smoky, and mixed with Outlaw's delicious barbecue sauce. The meat definitely reminded me of barbecue that I've enjoyed during trips to Texas, so Texas Outlaw Barbecue lives up to it's name. The coleslaw was delicious, but nothing special; ditto for the roll, but what do you expect for a white roll at an outdoor barbecue joint? The only disappointment was the beans, as they seemed to be cold pork and beans, straight out of a can.

Photo: The rubber meets the road here, as I enjoy a half rack of ribs, coleslaw beans, a roll, and a plastic glass of Rolling Rock Beer, which was a bargain, direct from Burg's Victorian Bar.

It's interesting to note that the home town of Texas Outlaw Barbecue is Elizabethtown, Kentucky, which is not exactly deep in the heart of Texas. I'm surprised that these good ol' boys aren't cooking Memphis-style barbecue, but maybe they're good ol' Texas boys that were run out of Texas, perhaps for setting the barbecue world on fire, hence the name Texas Outlaw Barbecue. If you forget about the canned beans, this gang produces delicious, authentic Texas-style barbecue!