The Houston Rodeo stands as a monumental spectacle, characterized by its extensive barbecue competition that has evolved significantly since its inception in 1974. In this enlightening episode, we engage with Junior Love, the guiding spirit of the Cowboy Yacht Club, who shares his profound insights on the intricacies of barbecue culture in Texas. With the competition expanding from merely a handful of teams to over 250, the event now draws an impressive 250,000 attendees within a mere three days. We delve into Junior's illustrious journey in barbecue, from his formative years cooking alongside his stepfather to his current status as a seasoned competitor. Furthermore, we explore the essential elements that contribute to the distinctiveness of Texas brisket, emphasizing the importance of dry rubs and slow smoking techniques that define this culinary tradition.

Links referenced in this episode:

• heritagesteel.us
• oregondungeness.org
• paintedhillsbeef.com
• pigpowder.com

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Cowboy Yacht Club
• Turn It Go Burn it studios
• Heritage Steel
• Painterdale's Natural beef
• Oregon Dungeness crab
• Syndicate Smoke
• Pinkerton's
• Camp Hope
• Mark Chestnut
• Texas Tech
• Hammerstahl

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy