Jesus Kreuz, That's Good Barbecue!

I've finally emerged from a three-day meat hangover, and can now post about my last supper at SXSW 08...

My name is Matt Hanks and I'm a barbecue snob. There, I said it. Before moving to NYC, I spent five years in Memphis where I learned the ways of barbecue perfection (if you haven't eaten at Cozy Corner, you haven't lived). Here in New York, it's a recurring storyline among the local press to tout the latest 'cue establishment for finally bringing "real" barbecue to the city. Hogwash. With one notable exception - Red Hook's dear, departed Pioneer BBQ - most of the stuff I've had in the city rates about even with the McRib.

Which made my meal at Kreuz Market in Lockhart, TX - about 30 minutes outside Austin - all the more spectacular. Simply put, it's the best barbecue I've had outside the state of Tennessee. The beef ribs were intensely smoky, with a unique salt n' pepper flavor; the cheddar and jalapeno sausage was killer; and the beef brisket blew my mind.

OK, I'm no food critic, but I know what I like, and I'll be going back to Kreuz next year and every year I go to SXSW. Here's some more pics from the expedition.