The food in this post were provided by Smitty’s Market but
the opinions expressed here are my own.
Day 3 of our road to the 2018 World
Food Championships began with breakfast at the hotel, packing up the car, and
then hopping onto the road to our next stop Lockhart, TX. The 5 ½ hour drive
takes us through the interior of Texas. This will be my third time in Lockhart.
Proclaimed as the “Barbecue Capital of Texas” in 1999, it is the “birthplace of
American barbecue” in my book. I tried Lockhart’s barbecue back in 2013 and once
I placed it in my mouth, there was no going back. The combination of the nostalgia
of pits dating back to my great grandparents’ era, the oak smoke, the dry-rub,
and the love that each of these pitmasters have for their craft makes barbecue
here simply magical. I have been waiting a whole year for this!
The story began
when Edgar A. “Smitty” Schmidt purchased Kreuz Market (established in 1924) in
1948. In 1999, Nina Schmidt Sells, Edgar’s daughter, established Smitty’s
Market in the same building where Kreuz Market was. Her brother, Rick, moved
Kreuz Market to a new location down the road. I don’t know if you have ever
noticed buildings and houses that are abandoned, the soul of the building seems
to die when it’s abandoned as the walls begin to wither, glass windows start to
crack, etc. It may sound superstitious, but there might be some truth to it
all. Nina has a love of Lockhart’s old buildings and restoring them. In 2015,
she expanded Smitty’s Market to claim the 1920’s building next door for additional
dining and banquet space. She gave this building a new life! Smitty’s grandson,
John Fullilove, carries on in the tradition of this pitmaster craft.
Prime rib is a
first for me at a barbecue joint. It had a nice dark bark and smoke ring. The
texture was tender and juicy. This is now my favorite prime rib ever – I don’t
have to dress up and don’t even need a knife to cut it. All I need is a side of
creamed spinach and mashed potatoes!
Pork ribs have a nice
smoke ring and are glistening. They have a nice sweet smoke flavor and the rub
enhances the flavor of the pork instead of covering it up.
Smoked turkey
breast has a nice pink hue from the smoke. I figure they probably brine the
turkey as it was flavorful not just on the outside from the rub and smoke, but
all the way through the whole muscle. I am not a big smoked turkey fan, but
this is amazing!
Regular sausage is
so juicy and porky. The grind is coarse but tender at the same time. The
sausage also has a nice snap to it, like it should. I can see why this family
recipe is still in use (over 100 years old) and why Smitty’s makes so much.
Everyone who was eating lunch ordered a link or two.
Jalapeño sausage is
big in Texas and you’ll see it on pretty much every Texas barbecue menu. Smitty’s
is a coarse grind and you can see the jalapeños. It is a little spicy but not
too hot. The smoke flavor really gets in there.
With my craving fulfilled,
it was time to hit the road to our next stop, Beaumont, TX.
For more information:
208 S. Commerce St.
Lockhart, TX 78644
+1-512-398-9344
Hours: Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday
from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
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