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Re: Dec 2 Sunday Cruise of the Austin, TX Hill Country
The church service has been removed. So show are be ready for a drive and we will do a 2 hour cruise out and have the 1 1/2 hour back for those that want.
We can choose between Cooper's and Laird's BBQ before we take off.
"Laird's is a Llano barbecue fixture in a fine, old two-story house near the south end of town. It's been there for 23 years and is run by Ken and Esther Laird. Ken and Esther are two of the friendliest, most down-home restaurateurs you'll ever run across, and if you ever think your Texas drawl is over the top, go talk to Ken to see what a real drawl sounds like. Esther even offered me a bed upstairs for a recuperative nap before my drive back to Austin. They refer to folks from up north in San Saba as Yankees.
Ken cooks in a pit, using only mesquite wood, and smokes briskets about six to eight hours. He doesn't believe in mops or slops, just a sprinkling of secret spices. The sauce is of medium thickness, with a great balance of tart and sweet, moderate smokiness, and a spicy finish on the tail end. Everything on the menu, except the ubiquitous white bread, is done in-house. Normally, I'm not too big on spud salad, but Esther's version was nice and zippy.
The sausage is German-style: half-beef, half-pork, with plenty of garlic; next to Inmann's, it was my favorite. The brisket had a 1/3-inch smoke ring and was moist and tender. I was bummed big-time because they had sold out of pork ribs by the time I got there (Ken uses the small- sized racks, and they go quick). But I did get some of the succulent, smoked pork loin. Meats run $6.75-$7.25/lb, plates are $5.50 to $6.50, and sandwiches around $3.
You'd be wise to include Laird's on your Llano barbecue crusade. Stop in for some good chow and chitchat, maybe say hey to Marcia Gay Hardin (she's a regular), and ask Ken to pronounce Shapiro (he says "sha-pie-row"). "
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