Country Lifestyles
Camp Brisket draws all walks of life to learn finer points of Texas’ most popular cut for barbecue
By: Blair Fannin
Writer: Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259, [email protected]
COLLEGE STATION – From doctors and computer information technologists to restaurant owners, 2015 Camp Brisket participants learned the finer points of cooking one of the most popular barbecue cuts found throughout Texas.
Dr. Jeff Savell, distinguished professor in the department of animal science at Texas A&M University, led the camp and was joined by Dr. Davey Griffin, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service meat specialist, and Ray Riley, manager of the E.M. “Manny” Rosenthal Meat Center at Texas A&M.
The camp is a partnership between Foodways Texas and the meat science section in the department of animal science. Event registration sold out in less than five minutes, according to organizers, and various national and state media reported from the event.
According to Savell, “There are three foods in Texas: Texas barbecue, chicken fried steak and Tex-Mex. You don’t see anybody standing in line for chicken fried steak or Tex-Mex, but they are standing in line for the best barbecue.”
More than 100 attendees learned where the brisket and other barbecue cuts come from on a side of beef, proper trimming and preferred seasoning methods, plus the many different types of barbecue pits and wood smoke used during cooking.
“You find a lot of people attending this camp who have achieved success in cooking other cuts, but they keep coming back to brisket,” Savell said.
Trying to cook brisket consistently is one of the most unique challenges among barbecue cooking, Savell said. Griffin provided an overview of the anatomy of a brisket demonstrating the various cuts from a side of beef.
Barbecue restaurant owners and experts were also featured speakers during the two-day event. A pitmaster panel on cooking briskets featured Bryan Bracewell of Southside Market and Barbecue in Elgin, Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Wayne Mueller of Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, and Russell Roegels of Roegels Barbecue Co. in Houston.
Though beef prices continue to be high due to lack of supply, Savell said, consumers’ hunger for barbecue is greater than ever.
During a three-year period beginning in 2010, drought conditions led to 1 million fewer beef cows in Texas alone. Nationally, cattle inventory levels are the lowest since the 1950s, consequently affecting the price and availability of beef.
“There are fewer briskets today, but stronger demand,” he said.
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By: Martha Crump
Most cattle producers can tell you quite a lot about balancing cattle diets for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals based on the specific needs for their herd and type of operation.
A key factor, and one that is often overlooked, is that how your animals perform is also directly affected by their water intake.
Now many of you may already be thinking “well of course water is necessary, anybody knows that!”
In many years, as September marches into October, we are beginning to experience some return of rainfall. But as many of us know, that is not always the case. Often we are still experiencing hot and dry weather, and water supplies are dwindling.
When we find ourselves experiencing those types of fall conditions, it is critical to not only understand the daily water requirements for cattle, but also the impact that the quality of water can have on herd health and development.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Annette Bridges
A friend and I were recently talking about our husbands. She made a comment that I felt also perfectly described me and my hubby.
“He slows me and I hurry him. I’m sure that is why we do well together,” she said.
“Precisely!” I thought. Why?
Because when two different worlds collide, it can be magical.
No matter what those two different worlds are- a man and a woman with very different personalities, beliefs, or backgrounds, two partners with contrasting passions, strengths, or talents, or when a country boy marries a city girl.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Watauga, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth, is known for its rich history as a railroad stop, but over the course of the last year, one teen girl has put it on the map for agriculture as well. Emma Harvey has lived in Tarrant County her entire life. Despite being highly involved in her local 4-H chapter, she still felt there was more she could do. In the spring of 2023, she stepped up to the plate to take over the title of Tarrant County Teen Miss Agriculture USA.
“It all started when I put in an application for the teen title here in Tarrant County,” explained Harvey.
The Miss Agriculture USA program is a national non-profit, age-inclusive pageant program that offers both competition and non-competition titles to women dedicated to the promotion of agriculture.
Read more in the October issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available online and in print. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive NTFR in your inbox each week.
Photo by Hannah Claxton.
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