The chicken looks red because when you smoke meat it cook red or pink that's why pork and brisket will have a pink smoke ring

9:38 that redness is due to the smoke penetration not rawness. beef and pork is a much denser meat than chicken so you mostly only get an outer "smoke ring" redness around it.

Pitmasters will almost always tell you the most important part of their recipe: the temps, time, method, and wood they use to cook and smoke.

If you come to Texas don't limit yourself to one BBQ place. Each restaurant has its own touch, while still staying true to the Texas style.

You are correct. Which place has the best barbecue really is personal preference. We have so many options here in Texas that you are sure to find your favorite.

Burnt? That's like calling the crust on bread burnt.

I’m a New Yorker, but I love visiting my friends in Texas. I hope I’m visiting when Jono visits. My suggestion: rent an RV and eat your way all through the state 😂.

Salt Lick is good BBQ, but Terry Black's is my all time favorite. Bison meat is really good, but it has less Fat than beef, so it has a ever so slightly tougher texture. It can also dry out very quick if not handled correctly. The Chicken Leg was Pink because of the Smoke not because it was Raw. Beef and Pork get a Smoke Ring while Chicken will absorb more of the smoke. Edit: Franklin's, Terry Black's, and Slat Lick are all around Austin. Like I've said before go to Austin for BBQ, San Antonio for Tex-Mex/Mexican food, and come to Houston for the Seafood, and Cajun/Creole food.

Hey young man. From a grand paw in Texas ,My daughter will be 38 on August 1st. We do this in the back yard. Slow smoke turkey is a game changer .

Bison is great. It’s a lot leaner than beef.

The cold slaw goes good on a pulled pork sandwich. Most people prefer beans and mac and cheese as sides.

no matter where in TX y'all end up eating BBQ, y'all HAVE TO (HAVE TO!!!) try burnt ends. edit: as a native Houstonian, I recommend Black's BBQ Lockhart

Bison is basically like lean beef, some say it has a slightly sweeter flavor but if you’re cooking it with sauce, you might not notice that. I used to get ground bison for chili and burgers and it’s fantastic. We should be raising much more bison in this country since they are native, instead of so many European cow breeds.

Oh man! Now I’m going to have to order some BBQ today! 🤤😂

I went to the Salt Lick once and they were still using pagers (I think they just text now) to let you know your table is ready. They were so busy that night there was a separate waiting list to get a pager. In other words they had a waiting list to get onto the waiting list.

What are you waiting for Brother?we're here with open arms.

When you come to Texas give me a heads-up and I will treat you to some great Texas BBQ

inform your love that it isn't burnt it's called bark and it's a darker colored seasoning that turns black due to the smoking and the pink on the chicken is from the smoking you'll see that when you smoke other meats it has pink from smoking it's called a smoke ring.

The dining room is like Hogwarts with a ten gallon hat.

The red is just part of the smoking on the bone. It’s very common.

The red on the leg is ok it's smoked it's all good brother

I live at the base of Texas Hill Country and found out I am only 10 miles from Driftwood and The Salt Lick BBQ.🎉🎉. Have to check it out. Let’s hope you and your family can visit Texas and all it has to offer.

having worked on a family farm, usually when the chicken bones are a dark color it means they've been frozen or are old. On a brisket, the lean (and less thick) part is called the "Flat." The Juicy/fatty part in called the "Point." There's a somewhat precise way to smoke and cook brisket.... always low temp, and slow, then wrapped and cooked at a lower temperature, then "rested" preferably in an oven set at 130 degrees F for 8 to 10 hours.

If the meat doesn't have that red tinge to it it's not real BBQ. And as was mentioned brisket will have a reddish ring on it,as will ribs.

At no time was it mentioned that the Salt Lick is All-You-Can-Eat. It's definitely not one of the storied BBQ joints, but it is very good. If they were in another state, they'd be the best in that state. Seriously, AYCE.

The Texas hill country is one of the prettier places in Texas. It’s west of Austin and includes New Braunfels and Fredericksburg. Some distillers have opened in the area and many great bbq places.

Can't wait for you to come to Austin and Central Texas to encounter some of our great cooking. ...Salt Lick is only 20 minutes west of Austin. You should try at least a handful of different BBQ places....all of them are a bit different. One hidden gem that I like....Iron Works BBQ. They have a great smoked pork tenderloin that I really enjoy. If you have any questions or concerns about the Central Texas region....send me a message. I have lived in Austin since 1990.

Texas brisket….the best brisket in the world. It takes patience to cook a brisket properly…sometimes it takes more patience than other times. LOL. When you smoke a brisket for 8 to 10 hours and take it off the smoker…you let it rest for an hour before you start slicing it up….when you start the slicing process you will know how successful you are when you see the smoke ring in the slices and see the tenderness/moistness of the slices…there is not a better feeling as person who smokes than the slicing process of a properly smoked brisket. It’s a long process but it is so worth it when you see those slices. Hope your visit to Texas is great. Enjoy!!!

BBQ is more than a way of life in Texas, it's like favorite family members, & religious fervor, & there is no shortage of great q establishments. Hope to see you soon 😊

Bison and chicken are the only meat I eat. there are 10x's moore bison in Idaho than texas so it a lot cheaper.

Of course if it's the best in Texas, then you might as well say that it's the best in the world...

Burnt ends are my absolute favorite 😋 Just fyi, bison is similar to beef with much less fat. I KNOW they do a great job cooking it I just wonder if it's less flavorful or tender based on the fat. They have probably tweeked it though 😁 Their coleslaw looked more like pickled cabbage than coleslaw (to me)

I am sitting watching this and my two dogs are staring at the screen and all of us are drooling. The cole slaw is if I am not mistaken a German recipe for it, so a bit more tangy and salty.

My dad used to work for ChevronTexaco and their home base was in Houston, TX so he'd frequently have trips there (we lived in Cali) and when I'd tag along, oh man I never came back without weighing a good few pounds heavier lol. I remember my dad being upset that TX was making him fat because he loved their bbq so much.

You talked about red coloration being off-putting. BBQ cooks for hours, the meat is fully cooked. The red is actually just a chemical reaction with the smoke and indicates good temperature control and penetration. Texas BBQ is my favorite style of the various regional iterations across America.

I love it..."why do I do it to myself!"...just stop asking, my friend! LOL!

Sonny is a good one. Love his show! I learn something each time I watch it. Thanks for sharing this one today. =)

I have been there. I have touched that pit. Took a day trip from Fort Worth just to have lunch there. Loved it.

Salt Lick is good, but as others have pointed out it's a slightly different style from other places. I highly recommend Salt Lick for the atmosphere, though. It's been a long time since Ive been, but they used to have live music sometimes and some really good homemade lemonade when it's hot outside and you are waiting for a table. A weekend trip there would be a good place to people watch. For more Texas style BBQ there are plenty of other options around Austin and the nearby town of Lockhart. Some really great BBQ all around but also some really strong opinions too. Ignore all the comments and visit them all. Decide for yourself which is best! (The answer is Franklin's, btw 😂)

I'm smoking some beef brisket, pork babyback ribs, hot links and a queso dip tomorrow. I do it the traditional way - salt, pepper and garlic (and a few secret spices) and hickory smoke.

Just slow cooked two racks of ribs yesterday for about 4 hours. They turned out fantastic.

The red on the chicken is because of the smoke and marinade. Believe me, that chicken is cooked. It's been on the smoker for hours.

Low slow smoke turns white meat red. You have to just have to go by temp 165 here in the US

I can't wait till you come to America and try REAL BBQ!!!!!

O.K. here's the secret. Time and love. Good BBQ takes time and loving care. Everything else is a variable. If you're not willing to spend 15 plus/minus hours to do a brisket it isn't going to work. Ribs are about 5/6 hours (depends time takes what it takes, same with brisket). A few beers in the process don't heart. A nice smoke ring is essential (a red ring just under the bark(surface). Summary: good BBQ; time, love and simplicity.

I've been there twice. Live about an 1.5 hour from there. The BBQ is freaking good! It's a big area. There's a vineyard there also. I believe they sell wine too!

I'm a fan of chicken also. Others have commented on the other meats, so I'll talk chicken. Tip 1: At most Texas BBQ joints, skip the smoked chicken entirely. It is usually far too dry and too heavily smoked, and the skin gets really rubbery and inedible. But, the Salt Lick does do BBQ chicken very well. It is one of my favorite things to order there. Tip 2: If you go to the original Salt Lick in Driftwood (shown in this video), it is a bit of a drive from Austin and often an even longer wait once there. Also, wear clothes that you can isolate and wash immediately after. You will enjoy your meal, but you will leave with smoke smell permeating your clothing, hair, and skin. Always a Texas BBQ joint hazard, but the open pit at Salt Lick makes it far more intense. Tip 3: The Austin area has a lot to offer besides BBQ, although you could eat bbq here every day for 2 weeks and still not hit all of the different offerings. But, there are other great dining options, wineries, lots of events and things to do, boating on Lake Travis, underground caverns, bats (yes, bats, Google it), and tons of other things just within an hour of the metro area. Plan your trip accordingly! 😊 Oh! And don't come to TX in the summer. It's too freaking hot to do anything out there.

As others have said, red is not raw it's smoke. That said as a Chinese American, we generally eat our chicken meat slightly pink , especially by the bone. And if you break open the bone it should be bright red inside. Anything else is considered overcooked. That's how we cook OUR food, not the food we sell to non Asians. That is generally white meat and cooked completely.

Bison is excellent. It is leaner and more tender than beef but so similar in flavor that most won't be able to tell the difference.

when you go to a proper BBQ Joint, get yourself all the dead animals. beef, pork, chicken, goat, turkey, polar bear, giraffe, everything they offer... get it! each one is a texture and flavor adventure.

Those guys are from South Carolina and brought their take on BBQ to Texas. They're not making Texan style BBQ. However, that doesn't mean it isn't delicious. Personally, I like a place called Papas BBQ in Houston Tx. Theres a ton of good bbq spots all over the state, so it's probably harder to find bad bbq😂❤❤❤

I live in Las Vegas where we have all of that, many many steakhouses and restaurants we are so spoiled

that is around the austin area , beautiful and rugged country!! , and delicious food!

I went to that exact location for the first time last year and the beef rib is the best bites of barbecue I’ve ever had and I’ve had a lot of amazing barbecue!! I Crave those beef ribs daily!!

We can buy elk and buffalo in our markets. I am so spoiled here in Montana 😂

700-person restaurant…my graduating class was 200. 😄

Deep fry those turkey legs! Just make sure they get cooked for the right amount of time. Fried turkey legs are yummy.

I have been to Salt Lick. And some of the better ones. I would tend to go to even a level below Salt Lick more often. The artisan and near artisan (like Salt Lick) are just too hard to get too. Can be very expensive. And can involve long waits. If you are in the Austin area you should do Salt Lick. But if you are somewhere else, there will be other very good BBQ. When you are in Austin you are also only 10 miles away from Lockhart. And Lexington is just down the road too.

I have been there it is amazing, it seats a lot, but the service and food is outstanding.

Meat, both chicken and beef, are thoroughly cooked even on a low and slow method. But, they still may look red in the middle. But, the internal temp says fully cooked. So, I don't quite understand but 6 hours for poultry and 10 to 15 for beef or pork.... it's cooked.

I use to drive to Salt Lick in college to buy their sauce by the gallon. You can drink it

Gonna have to educate your lady friend in BBQ and what bark is.

The redness you are seeing is actually from being smoked. They are def cooked all the way so dont be spooked if you see that when you come here. Also if you plan on eating all of that style of food make sure you eat the pickles it will help with the grease and heaviness, thus allowing you to eat more lol. Burnt ends are my absolute favorite make sure you give those a try but remember most places run out of them fast so place your order ahead of time

Crocodile? He means alligator. While we do have Crocs in the states they're only in Florida and there's not very many of them.

i've heard to keep turkey from drying out put some butter between the skin and meat, i'd suspect seasoned butter might add some flavor.

We have bison meat in our grocery stores in Minnesota.

I HAVE to go to Salt Lick EVERYTIME im in Austin. But, i live in Texas, so I have "must go" bbq in every city and town. In my hometown of Corsicana, its K&K on the East side.

the red color on the chicken bone is from the smoking

In Texas you will have to try some of the BBQ trucks, some of the best!!!

Someone rhe west bbq places in the hill country don't even use plates. They serve it up on sheets of butcher paper.

There's "best BBQ in Texas" places all over Tex

Not only can they sit over 700 I've been there when it was so packed there was a 1 hour wait.

Yeah.. it's hard to find barbeque in Texas that ISN'T delicious.. but there are some that are next level.. Austin and San Antonio have some seriously wicked good places.

6:51 this is the thing that makes me laugh when folks that don't understand the art of Q comment things like it's probably dry, or it's burnt, or whatever. first thing i do is explain to them that what's called "Burnt Ends" are actually prized pieces by many folks. they aren't burnt, they're smoked into a lovely concoction of protein, fat, flavor, and love that will make your soul sing. when BBQ is done properly, upon tasting, the last thing the new person will ever say is that it's burned, bland, or dry.

When you smoke meats because you are cooking them for longer at a lower temperature the bones will be more red.

Going out to fire up the BBQ in about an hour!

Driftwood Texas is just North of San Antonio

I think you will love bison, Jono. It's tender and flavorful.

Pretty close to my house. I've been many times. Great stuff.

dark meat turkey done right is to die for. Of course im used to my grandmothers turkey.......she could make anything taste good.

Bison, Vennison and Elk are some of the best meat on the planet. I’ll always choose that if it’s on a menu

Imo , Turkey is best as a sandwich for lunch , with cheese and mustard , and veggies if you like them

Whenever you smoke meat the color of the cooked product looks different than meat that is grilled or cooked in the oven. That's why the chicken looked red. It was slow cooked and smoked instead of fried or oven baked. Here in the US it's illegal to serve under cooked poultry. Chicken, Turkey, and any other edible bird must be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit or 71.1 degrees Celsius internally. Every county in the US has what's known as a Health Department. Part of the Health Department's duties is to inspect every eating establishment, and stores that sells raw and prepared foods, i.e. grocery stores, for cleanliness and how they store and handle food. The Health Department has legal jurisdiction to fine these establishments for improperly stored, handled, or served food. The H.D. grades each establishment quarterly and if those grades aren't high enough they can be fined, and closed down if they don't fix whichever issues caused them to have a low grade. So if any restaurant is caught serving under cooked chicken can be shuttered because of the safety hazards under cooked chicken can potentially cause..

The chicken was fine and fully cooked.

Well, got me salivating now 🤤

Not my fav place for BBQ in the Central Texas area but have a friend who loves their food. Personally my Austin favs are Terry Blacks and Franklin but if I'm in hurry Rudy's. Also Black's, Kreuz's and Smitty's in Lockhart and City Market in Luling.

Hope your back is better

Is there no place anywhere near where you are located that does not serve American style (or any style) barbecue? If not, perhaps you could speak to a restaurant owner and see if they would consider opening one. There is a barbecue restaurant in South Korea that was opened after the owner had an American pit master fly over and teach them how it was done. Maybe it could be done in South Africa, too.

Come to Michigan and try Moose sometime, it is the best.

Everybody in Texas will let you know on their opinion of the best BBQ here. But then again everybody is entitled to their opinions. Me personally I love my brother-in-laws done outdoors in the backyard smoker!

Pecan pie. In Texas it’s puh- con. Not pee-can. 😂😂

It’s hard to make breast whether turkey or chicken that isn’t dry. I suggest you try turkey thighs if they’re available. They are dark meat.

This is just a personal opinion and Salt Lick is famous and good BBQ but you will find better at Terry Blacks.

Don't go to Texas for Carolina BBQ. That's like going to New York for Chicago deep dish pizza.

Beef ribs and bison ribs are sooooooo expensive. They are huge animals. wayyy harder to farm compared to pigs. Not that many ribs on each animal. Extremely tender and sought after.

You should watch The North Carolina Barbecue Trail. Legends and Revolutionary (OV)

Blacks in Lockhart, TX has the best brisket.

I've eaten here before & this place is good but Goldees BBQ near Fort Worth, Texas is much better. If you ever go, get there a couple hours before they open on Friday. Everything is good there

As a Texan, the real view of The Salt Lick: It's the tourist place. The BBQ is good, but it doesn't touch the best places. Terry or Original Black's are both much better, and they neither 1 make the top 10 BBQ places in Texas (check Texas Monthly magazine for the top 10 list)!

Id like to see you try alligator when you go to Texas I don't think I have ever seen one of these videos where they try American food trying it