Meet Man Up: Chris Riley

Hometown - Every memory I have growing up is from Spring, TX, but I was actually born in Oklahoma City and lived in Edmond, OK, for a year before moving to Spring.

Favorite thing about hometown - My parents still live in the same house they got 25 years ago, and my brother and sister both live in the area.

Least favorite thing about hometown - The suburbs are terrible.

Occupation - I'm one of 10 people who works the Austin region of Redbox, the $1 DVD rental machines. I drive up and down I-35 each week putting new DVDs into machines and taking old ones out.

Favorite sports teams - Houston Texans, Houston Rockets, Florida Marlins (their inaugural season was in 1993 when I was nine, so I've followed them ever since).

Prediction for UT football's record next season - 10-3

Your choice for UT's coordinator positions - Offensive: I'm okay with either Bryan Harsin from Boise State or Paul Cryst from Wisconsin. Defensive: Justin Wilcox, even though I'm not a Tennessee fan. I want young blood on both sides.

Favorite BBQ joint - Black's or Franklin. It kills me that I've never been to Opie's or Cooper's, but having been to New Zion Missionary Baptist Church BBQ in Huntsville hopefully makes up for that some.

Favorite BBQ menu item - the two meat plate at Franklin with brisket and pulled pork and a double helping of beans.

Favorite Man Up outing - I represented Man Up at the SXSW BBQ Crash Course this year. It was one of the best meals I've ever eaten. As far as regular Man Up outings open to anyone go, I'd say the time we had about 20 people at Snow's. I think my review of that trip is still the longest review in Man Up history.

Why are your reviews usually twice as long as everyone else's? - I have a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and I'm incredibly details-oriented. My fiancee also tells me I care about food a lot.

Fiancee!? - Yep, I'm engaged and getting married to an awesome girl named Jenny who actually went on Man Up's first trip to Louie Mueller's. We're also having BBQ at our wedding, but I won't say from where.

Sauce or no sauce - I used to think sauce, but then at the Crash Course I decided to combine Rudy's sauce, which is excellent and one of my favorites, and Louie Mueller's brisket, which is in my top three briskets. The result was disappointing because the flavors didn't mesh well. Since then I've been in the no sauce camp.

Meet Man Up: Todd Plunk

Hometown: Flower Mound, Texas

Favorite thing about your hometown: Seeing how much it has changed since the last time I've been back.

Least favorite thing about your hometown: Small-town state of mind.

Occupation: Event Marketing

Todd, every time we look up, you're in another city or country. Of all the places you've been (outside of Texas), where's your favorite? Italy, hands down!

And where's your least favorite? Iowa. Sorry, Des Moines. :(

When you're not eating BBQ or globetrotting, where is our best bet to find you? In my yard for sure. I love a fresh cut lawn and just started my own backyard garden!

College: THE University of Texas

Should Texas have left the Big 12? No. Until the NCAA can figure out how to run a football playoff system, the new Big 12 is the best place we can be.

Favorite BBQ (menu item): Pork ribs or brisket

Least-favorite BBQ (menu item): Coleslaw or potato salad...disgusting

Favorite BBQ joints: Kreuz, Smitty's, & Louie Mueller

Sauce or no sauce? I swing either way on this.

You're our resident dessert expert. Which BBQ joint has the best dessert(s)? Schoepf's peach cobbler in Belton

Favorite Man-Up outing or memory: Our first trip will always be the best one. Lockhart set the bar pretty high.

Meet Man Up: Bo Joseph

Hometown: Born in Houma, LA, grew up in Buda, TX. Currently, I am laissez les bons temps rouller en Texas.

Occupation: Gerry Spence said it best, “I represent and obtain justice for individuals; the poor, the injured, the forgotten, the voiceless, the defenseless and the damned, and protect the rights of such people from corporate and government oppression.”

Favorite joint(s): Currently my favorite joint has to be Franklin. I mean, come on, I can literally walk to it! All in all my favorite BBQ places have to be Salt Lick (I basically graduated from there), Louie Mueller, and Blacks.

Favorite order(s): Brisket (fatty, burnt ends, sometimes referred to as deckle), ribs and if a place is known for theirs – sausage. I also like to dabble in trying various sides at different places but do not put much emphasize on them. Except of course, when I am at the Old Coupland Inn and Dancehall because the cowboy baked beans in the petite black kettle are (1) easily the best thing there, and (2) the only thing they won’t run out of.

How would you pick between BBQ and Cajun/Creole, all things being equal? Why pick? There is no way to compare the experience of gathering a group of friends and driving through the Texas hill country rounding the corner of 1826 and immediately smelling the smoke of the Salt Lick, closing your eyes to remember the last time you were there then opening them to be crushed by the shear amount of cars in the parking lot and realizing your wait will be over an hour and praying they have the lemonade stand working – to – Mardi Gras week and hearing RP’s creative and never ending use of the phrase “who dat” (don’t believe me, see his questions below!) and attempting to eat at all 5 of Austin’s Cajun restaurants in a four day span all while still on cloud 9 from the New Orleans Saints superbowl victory! One brings out boots, and cowboy hats, pearl snaps and smoky clothes, high school football and Lockhart. The other crawfish and who dat, rue de bourbon and etouffe, New Orleans Jazz and absinthe. All in all the best part of food are the people you share it with.

Favorite Man-Up outing and/or memory? There have been tons of great Man-Up memories, and it’s almost way too difficult to pick a favorite. Such times as: being asked to be a judge at the first ever (and I’m sure not last) Gettin’ Sauced! contest; randomly eating BBQ at Franklin and hearing people whom I never met behind me describing their joy at reading the blog; Russell informing the entire restaurant at The Smokehouse in San Antonio regarding the new tax rebate for house purchasing, my first man-up trip ever when Mr. Black showed us tremendous hospitality and informed me there is light at the end of the tunnel when I found out he is a retired attorney running a BBQ joint. But without question my favorite man-up outing and/or memory brings us back to Black’s, and to this:

So, I took Beyonce’s advice…

Where do you get your inspiration for writing haikus and songs for your Man-Up reviews? How do you do it, Bo? I will paraphrase Johnny Carson on this one – just hang out with our group of friends, eat the good BBQ that we eat, talk to the genuine passionate BBQ enthusiasts we have the pleasure of meeting – and the haikus and songs write themselves.

Questions from others in the group…

J-Pa:

What are your top 3 BBQ joints? In no particular order, (1) Black’s, (2) Franklin, (3) The Salt Lick.

Sauce or no sauce? I personally enjoy BBQ sauce. I even enjoy BBQ sauce without BBQ. But the meat should be tender and flavorful enough to not need sauce. And the sauce itself should not be overpowering but yet compliment the meat. Also, different sauce for different meats – see Franklins espresso sauce, hot sauce, sweet sauce, and pork sauce – it hits all the spots.

What's your favorite meat? Brisket? Ribs? Sausage? Brisket. I like the challenge. Ribs and sausage don’t take much more than heat to make them taste good. Brisket is by far the most challenging. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes skill. It takes trials and tribulations. I appreciate those who can do it well.

Beer, iced tea, Coke, Dr. Pepper with your BBQ? Or other? I’m from the Deep South – big red.

RP:

Who dat? Is dat dat? No seriously, who dat say Austin don't have better food & more food variety than New Orleeeeans?? Is there even decent BBQ in Louisiana??? Come on, Broseph...man up & say it like it is! :) I feel like I am responding to a set of interrogatories on this one. I will treat this question as three distinct subparts:

Who dat? Is dat dat? Who dat is obviously dat dat. Who would even ask dat?

Who dat say Austin don’t have better food & more variety than New Orleeeeans?? Ok, hold on a minute my good friend. Are we talking straight up just BBQ here, or all around food? I assume this question purports to get my views on food in general, ‘cause the next question seems to concern the comparison of Louisiana and Texas BBQ. If we be talking ‘bout food in general – well then, I love Texas, but when it comes to food there is no comparison. And RP, my friend, you will find out soon enough on our scheduled excursion about the wonderful food of New Orleans!!!

Is there even decent BBQ in Louisiana??? Come on, Broseph…man up & say it like it is! :) True statement – I am gonna man up and say that I have never even eaten at a BBQ restaurant in Louisiana. I just can't get past the boudin balls, etouffe, gumbo, shrimp and grits, crawfish, red beans and rice, po boys and muffalettas. But I am sure coo yan BBQ is way past decent. I issue a challenge, when we are there – let's man up at a joint and see!!!!

Appleton:

Dry rub or sauced up? Not a big fan of the dry rub – just get it all sauced up for me. Or, just inject it with some Tony C’s.!

There you have it, folks. Bo Joseph. Any questions?

Meet Man Up: Jason Park (aka J-Pa)

Hometown: Chicago

Favorite thing about your hometown: people, sky line, pizza, cubs

Occupation: Systems Engineer (IT)

Hobbies: traveling, photography, eating, sports, beer

Favorite Texas BBQ joint(s): Smitty's and Louie Mueller

Favorite thing(s) to order: brisket, pork ribs, pork chop, sometimes prime rib

Sauce or no sauce? Hmmmm…no sauce, usually

Favorite Man-Up memory: the time we went to Lockhart and went to Black's we got a tour; just stands out from the cutting table to the oak they age and to the pesky cat.

If you could live anywhere other than Austin, where would it be? Hmmm…wow…tough question. Boston? I've always been curious and love Boston (of course Chicago's the best)

Enough with the softballs…

Q (from Russell): How has the MUTB blog helped/affected your dating life?

Wow! Well, if you find a girl that likes BBQ; it will def. help you! In my case you can say it helps the dating life. If you're looking for advice; I'd ask a girl to come man up w/ you! It's a social casual atmosphere that can lead to more dates! But make sure she likes BBQ!! I once took Gina to Lockhart and made a good date out of it; hitting up all the places and taking her to all 4 in town. That was a good trip!

And 2 requests from Travis:

1. J-pa, in your own words, please define the following terms:

Barbecue: to me BBQ is cooked chicken, pork, beef, game meat, fish, seafood over fire

Basting sauce: Basting sauce - is a marinade in my opinion which usually consists of something sweet or salty and gives flavor

Closed Pit: would refer to slow cooking meat; typically smoking is involved with various woods for different flavor

Dip: tobacco…Redman, Skoal, Copenhagen; cowboys and baseball players do this...not JPa

Finishing sauce: a little extra umm before the meat is ready to be served; I think of this for wet BBQ/ BBQ that requires sauce or is served w/ sauce

Log burner: Wood that burns and is your heat source

Marinades: flavor for your meat!! My favorite is soy sauce Korean BBQ baby!!

Miss White: Vanna White - Wheel of fortune?

Mr. Brown (A.K.A. - the brownest of the brown): TB?

Mopping sauces: some kind of wet sauce/BBQ sauce, beer, vinegar, soy sauce, wine? I'm sure the list can go on...

Open pit: open pit is an open BBQ

Pig pickin': is this where you can pick out a pig to BBQ??? Nice!

Pitmaster: 1. person who man's the grill/flame 2. a chef / overseer of meat, 3. cooking engineer 4. Tender to heat and meat

Rubs: a flavoring agent to spread over your meat; usually all over the outside. I like a little of this and a little of that...I like Tony C’s. Garlic powder = bomb.com

Brown sugar: The stuff TB gets when he goes to El Paso...what's that stuff called? Some dude's name

Slather: the term when you put sauce on meat

Sopping sauce: this is the same as above... when you put sauce on your meat

Table sauce: maybe same Tabasco, Pete's hot sauce, Louisiana hot sauce, or homemade sriracha?

2. J-pa, have you found your inner-pirate? If so, how did you do so?

I did once. I changed my Facebook page once to 'pirate language.' Arrrrrggggg. I'd like to wear an eye patch too.

Who are we???

Later today, we'll roll out the first of hopefully many installments of a new blog feature called Meet Man Up. From time to time, we'll highlight a member of our group by posting a pic, having a friendly little Q&A, etc. First up is J-Pa, so stay tuned.