http://www.texaswineandfood.org/ Foodquest: April 6, 2006 Foodies: Slowdog, Ping, Qwerty Photography: Slowdog Narration: Slowdog

 
The annual Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival brings together foodies from all over texas.  The events over several days focus on distinct genres of cuisine.  Home on the Range is held, quite appropriately, at the Texas Disposal System's Exotic Game Ranch.  Accordingly, the fare features Barbecue from across Central Texas as well as restaurants featuring wild game dishes. 

In addition to the restaurants, many wineries from across Texas also offer their specialities for tasting.  For a spot located next to a landfill, the ranch is surprisingly scenic with herds of ostriches, antelopes and a myriad of exotic wildlife roaming the area.  In this short overview, we will go over a couple of the featured restaurants at the Home on the Range event.

Big Oak BBQ

http://texasbarbecuefestival.com/barbecue_festival/big_oak_bbq/

Big Oak BBQ, a relative newcomer to the Central Texas BBQ scene, has definitely made its presence known at the various food festivals.  In addition to the traditional brisket, sausage and ribs, Big Oak also features smoked turkey as well as an excellent rendition of pulled pork.  Topped with a chipotle cream sauce, the savoriness of the pork is enhanced while the richness of the topping helps to balance the flavors.  The chipotle nicely accents the sweetness of the sauce and makes the overall blend stand out.  

For the health conscious, turkey is always a good alternative to brisket and sausage.  The turkey is well seasoned and nicely lends its distinctive character.  The short ribs are marinated with a sweet and tangy sauce and easily pulls off the bone.  I couldn't resist trying a second round of the pulled pork which I know is sacrelidge in some corners of Texas.

The Salt Lick

http://www.saltlickbbq.com/

I suspect that much of The Salt Lick's charm lies in their unique Barbecue sauce that differs dramatically from the mainly tomato based sauces found around the state.  Purists would argue that no sauce is needed at all on proper BBQ, but I digress.  The flavor of the sauce has a decidedly Asian-like spice combination with hints of ginger, star anise and mustard seed.  One can almost call it a distant relative to the Barbecued meats served at Chinese Restaurants.  The resulting Barbecue is like none other in the area. 

The Salt Lick's meats do seem to be decidedly fattier than many of their peers.  As we like to say, fat equals flavor.  Just how much fat is too much though is a matter of personal preference.  The meats are nicely seasoned with smokiness throughout.  Rather than being too tough, the brisket is nicely balanced between the extremes.  The ribs pull off the bone easily and works well with tender and flavorful meat. 

Besides Big Oak and Salt Lick, prominent establishments like Southside Market, Royers Roundtop Cafe and Texas Culinary Academy are also present.  We'll save Southside for its own upcoming article.  Until then, be sure to check out the Stars Across Texas event on Friday evening of the Texas Wine and Food Festival. 

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