Cooper's Bar-B-Q

3/29/14 1:39pm – After topping off the feeders in Rocksprings, my daughter and I headed up to Mason to met my life long friend and his son.  Where else to hook up than the original Cooper’s Bar-B-Q!  This little gem made Texas Monthly Top 5 in 2003 but never again has it graced even the top 50.  The father started this joint in 1953, the son then took the same concept to Llano 10 years later and became a Texas BBQ legend.  After lunch we’re taking the kiddos to swim in the Llano river and then back to camp for some turkey hunting.  Hill Country fun big time!  God bless Texas.

I scored Cooper’s Bar-B-Q an 80 out of 100.  This is Regional Texas BBQ.

Smoke:  Mesquite. Three direct heat Cowboy style steel pits.  Wood is burned down to coals in the large firebox. Coals are transferred to the pits, heat to the meat, and meat to your belly.  So much blue smoke you think you’re in a forest fire.

Brisket:  Good.  When he sliced my brisket at the pit, the color of the meat was nearly white.  High heat.  He dipped in the mop sauce (a must for these bone dry clods).  There was no smoke ring!  Had a nice crunchy black bark.  Me slice tested tough of tender and I had to use a knife.  Smoke was bold.  Use the sauce.

Ribs:  Good.  Near perfect tender spare ribs with clean bite and clean bone.  Not much on flavor, just smoke and pork.  Use the sauce.

Sausage:  Very Good.  Course ground pork/beef links with bold traditional spice and a bold after taste.  No sauce needed.

Sauce:  Very Good.  Well if you like Heinz 57 sauce you love this stuff.  It was nice change with all the different sauces I sample.  It made everything taste a little better.  It comes in a large bottle cause you need it.

PS:  Do NOT get the beef rib!!  Dry as bone and tough as nails.  So overpriced it still burning a hole in my wallet.  My buddy’s dog refused to eat the left over.  That bad.  Coopers is famous for sticker shock, this beef rib might cause PTSD.