The Vitals: the recipe: Traeger Baby Back Ribs Vol 5 the smoker: Traeger Ironwood 885 the time: about 3 hours the full nelson: easiest traeger ribs yet

I don't know why I started my focus on Traeger mastery with ribs. Maybe it's because brisket takes way too long? Or that salmon just comes out so darn good like every time and there's not that much to master? Whatever the reason, I am committed to figuring ribs out and I think I might really be on to something here.

Use the best meat possible

In previous cooks, most notably Operation Traeger Baby Back Ribs Vol 3, I've used average quality meat. Look, I shop at the regular grocery store aplenty. But over the last year, where our dining out dollars shifted to home cooking, we have opted to shop at higher end shops. In some cases, the difference is extremely noticeable such as produce. This time I went to Salt & Time, a top shelf butcher shop in Austin TX for my ribs. Sure, these cost double what I would pay at say Costco, but one good rack was all I needed. Believe me, it was worth every penny.  

Pro Tips from Sasquatch BBQ

I enlisted the help of Sasquatch BBQ aka Matt Crawford. Matt is a BBQ pitmaster, Traeger advocate and all around good dude. A fellow Traeger sponsor, Matt is an accomplished Barbecue chef and has no shortage of advice when it comes to smoking on a Traeger or any smoker for that matter. Sasquatch recommended I hit the ribs with some yellow mustard and then the rub. He said the mustard was mostly for making sure the rub sticks and this is backed by a number of recipes. I totally caught the taste of mustard and I strongly suggest you do the same.

3 hour ribs

In previous cooks, I've spent up to 8 hours making ribs that were just on the verge of being smokey. I've used smoker tubes, apple juice spritz, and the "Super Smoke method": a feature on Traeger models like my Ironwood 885. The conclusion I have come to is that the time and effort just wasn't worth it when it came achieving a true smoked rib taste. So I asked Sasquatch for a faster method.

Set your Traeger to 275

Sasquatch had me set my grill to 275. Once it came to temp, I gave it a good 15 minutes before I laid the rack on there. I cooked it till the internal temp hit 165, which took about an hour and a half. Then, like many cooks before, I foil wrapped the rack in butter, brown sugar and more rub. He did suggest some apple cider vinegar but I skipped that as I was out. Then back into the grill till we hit 190, which took another hour and a half.

Cook first, then smoke.

After the rack hit 190, I opened up the foil and sauced it up. Once again I reached for a bottle of Aaron Franklin's BBQ sauce. The taste is classic Kansas City, thick, sweet and tangy, despite the word Texas prominently displayed. After saucing, I lowered the temp of the grill t0 225 degrees and hit it with the Super Smoke feature. This was to let the sauce the set, which takes about 10 minutes. I let it ride a little longer for sh*** and giggles.

And the verdict is . . .

I think these are tied for the best ribs I've made along with Vol 2. While that version was smokier, it also took 8+ hours whereas this only took 3+ hours. Mustard was a welcomed addition to Vol 5 and the meat quality from Salt and Time was outstanding. Traeger is known for a clean taste so the quality of your meat stands out. This can work conversely too. If you get that rack that has an off smell when you take it out of the plastic, don't expect the smoke to mask that funk. Frankly that's gross and I'm done with those days. I'd rather eat less and have better quality that a fridge full of leftover jank ribs. Now the only real flaw here is that I didn't eat them ASAP. We had friends coming over and a game to watch so I made these ribs ahead if time and held them in the oven. Baby Backs can dry out and while these weren't dry, I can only imagine them tasting better had I eaten them sooner. Regardless, as I type this I'm going to totally make this again and compare with a second rack cooked lower and slower to compare. For now though the takeaway and technique is this: high quality meat and mustard rub. A Traeger is a handy device but it can't create all the flavors, that's also on you, your pantry and your butcher.  

I first came across Nihari at the Pakistani Curry houses of Los Angeles. True hole in the wall joints whose smokey tandoori ovens would set me off in a spiced meat frenzy. Fragrant biriyanis, the paella of the Indian subcontinent, and haleem are specialties here, the latter being a porridge of wheat, meat and fragrant spices. Just as stand out is Nihari, one of the best beef curries of all time, the G.O.A.T of beef curries if you will. I had this brisket lying around and well, it got me thinking . . . (more…)

Italian Beef Meal Kit: messy deliciousness in the comfort of your own home

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I was gifted a copy of Sunday Supper's by Suzanne Goin some 15 years ago. In that time I have probably prepared a handful of recipes which is more a reflection of the involvement the book requires. Broken up be Seasons, you would be wise to stick to the one you are currently in and have access to a good Farmer's Market. True to the chef's resumé and accolades, this book is not for the novice cook nor a busy weeknight.

But my God is this Sunday Supper's Brisket worth the effort. It has become my new night before Christmas Eve dinner tradition. And when you make it, it might become yours as well . . .

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So McRib is back and I got excited. I mean, it's the McRib . . . the only sandwich at McDonald's thats as McDonalds as the freaking Big Mac. Now it has been more than a minute since I have had one and I just couldn't eat a McRib and post about it.

I had to make it better.

So here it is, My McRib hack, which I swear to whatever higher power you believe in, is worth the minimal time to make. Take my advice and find yourself a local Carniceria/Mexican Grocery store for all the ingredients listed futher down. And fasten your seatbelts, because this McRib is gonna take you south of the border.

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It's 47 degrees outside, football is in full swing and it's high time I figured out a real deal Texas chili recipe. Spoiler alert: I used tomatoes. Yeah, I did. And I used ground beef, albeit coarse ground aka chili grind from a butcher shop called Longhorn Meats. No beans though, and that deep hue of red was from making my own chili powder. I even have two versions for you and my inspiration came from an award winning recipe from the Terlingua International Chili Championship.

I told you it was real deal.

Scroll down for 15% off discount from Longhorn Meats

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The Vitals:
the spot: Sandy's Hamburgers 603 Barton Springs road Austin TX 78704
the eats: cheap burgers
the bucks: cheeseburgers for $5, a double will run $6.40
the full nelson: a nostalgic burger experience fueled by freezer to table fare

Sandy's Hamburgers puts their frozen custard out there front and center. Sure it's on the signage but if you do a little digging you might find more skeptical critics throw their weight to getting the custard vs the savory fare. I would do the same but I doubt I'll ever go back here again.

But I still think you should. At least once. And here's why.

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Watch out for the Weiner Wagon!!

The Vitals:
the spot: Red Rocket Weiner Wagon a pop up in Austin TX
the eats: Serious Hot Dogs
the bucks: $10.50 for the classic, $13.50 with brisket chili
the full nelson: Craft BBQ queens elevate a hot dog from stadium food after thought to premium tailgate food

Red Rocket Dogs just might be the breakthrough the hot dog world needs. Changing the game on what a premium hot dog experience means, much like the chef driven burger of the early 2000s, this is a hot dog I would gladly drop over $10 for. And finally, I can agree with that controversial debate on Twitter that a hot dog is a sandwich.

Because this one totally is.

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The Vitals:
the spot: Terry Black's Barbecue tested in Austin TX + location in Dallas TX
the eats: Beef rib, brisket, spare ribs, sausage, turkey and whatever sides you feel
the bucks: plan on $15 person
the full nelson: easy access, top tier Austin BBQ with an Old school Texas vibe

Terry Black's Barbecue most definitely makes the 10 best list of Austin BBQ round ups. In casual conversation, Terry Black's may get drowned out by names like Franklin BBQ or La Barbecue, which can add cookbooks, TV shows and a cult like following to their names. But that's not to say Terry Black's doesn't deserve a cookbook or a feature on a show like Best Thing I Ever Ate.

You ask me, they got the best darn classic Texas sausage link in town.

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Pork Chile Verde

It's a hearty, comforting Mexican icon. Superb in tacos, burritos, over rice or even just in a damn bowl, Pork Chile Verde is a staple on both sides of the border. Thanks to one of Food & Wine's Best of the Best cookbooks from years back, I stumbled upon a Rick Bayless version where chunks of pork shoulder are braised slowly in an oven along with tomatillos, cilantro and pickled jalapeños. Despite countless versions of Pork Chile Verde out there, I have yet to steer from this one. And my cookbook has the stains to prove it.

Here is how you make it.

Ingredients

• 2.5 pounds of pork shoulder, cut into 1.5" cubes
• 1 pound tomatillos(husks removed)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 3-4 pickled jalapeños, stems removed and seeds removed if you want less heat(def. leave at least half in!)
• 1/2 cup of cilantro, rinsed and divided
• 2 cans of Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon of salt + more to taste
• sugar to taste

Essential Equipment

• Dutch Oven/ Enameled Cast Iron oven
• Blender or Immersion Blender

Prep/cooking time

• 15 minutes of prep, cooking time 3.5 hours(3 hours inactive)

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The Vitals:
the spot: DeSano Pizza tested in Austin TX + locations in Nashville, Los Angeles and Charelston SC
the eats: Neapolitan Pizza
the bucks: small pies for $12, large pies for $21, plan on $15 person
the full nelson: Real Deal Neapolitan pizza that can satisfy the non pizza elites

There are two kinds of pizzas in this world. One is the kind you crave at 2am, ideally by the slice at a place like Joe's Pizza in NYC. The other kind of pizza is the one you might have had to make reservations for, perhaps a week or six in advance. DeSano Pizza tastes like the latter though far more accessible and kinda satisfies that 2am vibe as well.

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I don't always drop $40 a pound for steaks. But some things are worth it. Like birthdays. For my annual revolution around the sun, the Mrs. scored me two premium steaks: local(Texas) Wagyu Ribeyes from a couple local butcher shops. Suffice to say these are premium butcher shops and we ate well that day. Which one was actually worth the money?

Keep scrolling, friend.

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The Vitals:
the spot: Spicy Boys Fried Chicken 1701 E. 6th St. Austin, TX 78702
the eats:bone in fried chicken
the bucks: $11
the full nelson: how to get hooked on dark meat chicken

I've been eating fried chicken all wrong. I like white meat. And I order white meat almost every time. The thing is, you can't do that at Spicy Boys Fried Chicken. It ain't on the menu. And it's because like most awesome chefs, they know their food better than you.

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The Vitals: the spot: Antonella's Italian Kitchen 841 Conestoga road Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 the eats: Meatball Hoagie the bucks: $9 the full nelson: when your meatball fix needs a double shot of gluttony 

Antonella's Italian Kitchen is proof that the suburbs of Philadelphia can churn out a legit hoagie. Sure, some people might not think getting a Meatball sub is that hard. They probably have never had a real hoagie. Or a grinder. Yes, they all mean the same thing but when you are in a part of the country that will passionately correct you on the proper nomenclature of a giant meatball sandwich, you are certain you are going to eat a very, very good, giant meatball sandwich. (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: Hot Chick 7th N 17th Street Richmond VA 23129  the eats: Fried Chicken meals + Fried Chicken Sandwiches the bucks: $11-$15 a person the full nelson: Better Nashville Hot Chicken than I had in Nashville . . .

Hot Chick Fried Chicken hits the mark

Down in the historic Shockoe slip of Richmond VA, Hot Chick Fried Chicken hits the two most important factors in great fried chicken: crunchy exterior and juicy meat. Bam. That's it. That's what it takes. And the crazy part is that when I took my first bite of Hot Chick and experienced that crunchy exterior and juicy interior, it happened not in the dining room, but after it had been bagged up and brought back to an AirBnB some 10 minutes away. That is an exceptional feat. (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: Central BBQ 147 E. Butler Ave Memphis TN +multiple locations in Memphis and Nashville the eats: Ribs, pulled pork, pulled chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens the bucks: $15 a head for meats by the pound and sides, sandwiches run under $10 the full nelson: a Memphis BBQ institution that disappointed . . .

Central BBQ in Memphis Tennessee has its fans, of this I am sure. Yeah I could tell you their high score on Yelp and the fact that they make the rounds of best BBQ in Memphis lists. But I like to source my own intel from, well, you: (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: Green River BBQ 131 Highway 176 Saluda NC 28773 the eats: Pulled Pork, Ribs, Tomato Pie, Collard Greens the bucks: $10 a head when you order meats by pound + sides the full nelson: decent BBQ in a cozy North Carolina mountain 

Green River BBQ had a tough act to follow. The day before me and my crew had an epic Eastern Carolina BBQ lunch from The Pig in Chapel Hill N.C. and that was some of the best barbecue I have had in years. Green River BBQ at best might make for a decent lunch stop when trekking in the mountains of North Carolina but you will be getting your pulled pork fix and that is seldom a bad thing. (more…)

Top 3 Quarantine Cooking Hacks

Let's face it, we have been cooking a lot. So much so, that coming up with my Top 3 Quarantine Cooking Hacks was pretty much a no brainer. These are a few of many, but certainly reflect on some of my fav hacks for recipes that have become weekly staples at Casa Khan. So in no particular order, let's get into it . . . (more…)

Seekh Kabob Recipe

It has been a minute since I have been at the kitchen, or should I say the grill? After three weeks of road tripping I found myself longing to experiment with takeout comfort foods at home. Which found me wanting cross this one off the bucket list: Seekh Kabob.

Thanks to the internet and a global pandemic, I really had no excuse not to figure this one out. Added bonus: I made my very first chutney. Spoiler alert: it's as easy as making salsa  (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: The Pig Whole Hog BBQ 630 Weaver Dairy Road Chapel Hill N.C. 27514 the eats: Pulled Pork, Pork Ribs, Pork Cheek, you get the idea  the bucks: $10 a head if you're doing meats by the pound the full nelson: why folks from North Carolina love their bbq

The Pig Whole Hog BBQ is pretty much exactly that. A whole hog that has been rendered oh so tender with robust with flavor that can only come from whole hog cooking. And The Pig ain't serving up your average swine either. Their pork is locally raised, hormone and antibiotic free. Plus you can get pulled pork sandwich for $6 bucks. My kinda spot. (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: Brotherton's Black Iron Barbecue 15608 Spring Hill Lane #105 Pflugerville TX 78660 the eats: Brisket by the pound, Brisket Bahn Mi, Boudin the bucks: $13-$20 a person depending on whether you go sandwich or plate the full nelson: Central Texas Craft BBQ in the northern environs of greater Austin 

Brotherton's Black Iron Barbecue in someways is part of the Central Texas barbecue new wave that started with Franklin's BBQ in 2009. Unlike Franklin's, the line isn't excessive and it's not part of the East Austin BBQ lineup. In fact Brotherton's technically isn't even in Austin. It's in Pflugerville, a town about 15 miles north of downtown Austin. But they got a brisket worth waiting in line for and they got the vision to put that brisket into a Bahn Mi. Yeah, Brotherton's is a real find. (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: Steak 'n Shake vs Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers locations throughout US the eats: double steakburger w/ cheese.  the bucks: Steak 'n Shake: $3.99  Freddy's: $5.89 the full nelson: a smashed burger chain throw down!!

Steak 'n Shake vs Freddy's: a smashed burger chain throw down. Being a childhood fan of Steak 'n Shake, it seems ridiculous that I'm finally getting around to writing about this spot. But perhaps it was all mean to be. Enter Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, a relatively new player in the burger chain world and a burger I did not have the pleasure of growing up on. A tried and true veteran vs the young hot shot rookie. Who comes out on top? (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: Giovanni's Deli 4309 Landis Ave Sea Isle City, NJ 08243 the eats: Sopresatta Special, build your own combo(the Ali) the bucks: $8-$12 the full nelson: my fav Italian American deli on the South Jersey Shore

I've been coming to Giovanni's Deli for the last 5 summers, pretty much every time I'm down at the Jersey Shore. I have my in-laws, who hail from the Philly area, to thank for making me a Giovanni's Deli regular. This is a deli that just feels like home. A home away from home built on cured meats and killer hoagie rolls. Now let's talk about what you need to order . . . (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: Three Fold Noodle and Dumpling Co 611 S. Main St. Little Rock AR 72201(one of two locations) the eats: The Half and Half - Dumplings + Noodles the bucks: $10 the full nelson: legit dumplings in a slick setting that makes you respect the Little Rock food scene

Three Fold Noodle and Dumpling Co is the kind of place you want to have in your neighborhood. I've been to Little Rock once before, over 20 years ago and me thinks the food scene has changed a lot. Slick atmosphere, authentic Chinese fare and affordable prices make a statement in any city and that's what makes Three Fold Noodle a total gem. Now let's talk about what you need to order . . . (more…)

Tri Tip Roast

Tri Tip Roast is a flat out flavorful and affordable cut of beef that takes to the grill like beer at a baseball game. This cut is commonly found in California but don't be surprised to find them at your local butcher shops and Costcos. I have been on a big Tri Tip kick as of late and if you are looking for some Bang for your Steak Buck for this 4th of July, look no further. (more…)

Chimichurri recipe: the last word on BBQ sauce

I wish Argentina was a little closer. Their style of barbecue, asado, has long been the blueprint of many backyard bbqs at Casa Khan. For years I relied on the food processor and red wine vinegar for my benchmark chimichurri recipe. Then one fine day I found myself without red wine vinegar and too lazy to pull out the food processor. I turned to plain old white vinegar and my chef's knife. The result was a more balanced chimichurri recipe with better texture. I realize comparing American BBQ sauce to chimichurri is apples to oranges but man do I reach for it so much more often when it comes to my grilling adventures. The next time you are cooking up steak and sausages, try this recipe out. Maybe even for 4th of since it's around the corner (more…)

The Butter Chicken Recipe

This is it. The reason I tell people to buy an Instant Pot: the butter chicken recipe from famed Instant Pot Food Blogger Urvashi Pitre who literally is called "the butter chicken lady". The first time I tried this I told my wife we aren't ordering Indian takeout anymore. Yeah, this is a good one . . . (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: La Tunita 512 2400 Burleson road Austin TX 78741 the eats: Birria de Res tacos the bucks: $2 a taco, $3 for the consommé with meat, $3 for the queso taco. plan on $10 a person the full nelson: a signature taco trend lands in Austin

With a belly full of braised short rib tacos I present to you perhaps the most important taco trend hitting the US: Birria de Res Tacos. If you caught my post last year about Birrieria Gonzalez in Los Angeles, you caught wind that the Tijuana method of cooking beef in an earthen oven, cooked till falling part, and served with an intense earthy chilé studded broth had been sweeping the city. Well now it's here in Austin TX. And it's done with . . . brisket. (more…)

The Vitals: the recipe: Traeger Baby Back Ribs Vol. 1 + 2 the smoker: Traeger Ironwood 885 the time: Vol 1: 3+ hours Vol 2: 7.5 hours the full nelson: A masterpiece is a work in progress but my belly is motivated for the finish line

Ok everybody, so you probably know I recently got a Traeger grill. Since moving to Austin, the land of smoked meats, my backyard grilling escapades have been exclusively an open fire affair where I unleash my inner Argentinian Asado. Well, now that I got a grill that excels at smoked meats it became time for me to begin my journey of Traeger Baby Back Ribs. Here comes my exploits aptly titled Volumes 1 and 2. (more…)

Pumpkin Seed Pesto Recipe

When we discovered our son had a peanut allergy, my view of food was forever altered. My old man was a doctor, so I had some knowledge of nutrition, the foods to eat regularly, and those foods to eat sparingly. Yeah, you probably imagine my fondness for the latter. But, food allergies? That is a whole other ball game. No wiggle room there. None at all. With my kid allergic to peanuts, walnuts and pecans, our allergist said to avoid all tree nuts and peanuts. We carry an epi pen at all times. My son has never been to a Thai restaurant. When we travel to foreign countries(back when you could do that before Covid-19) we carry a card that translates his allergies into the language spoken in whatever country we were visiting. Parents with kids who have food allergies adapt and make do, period. As the years have rolled on, my vigilance has turned into a longing for the allergy to just magically go away. Wishful thinking perhaps but there is nothing wrong hope. And there's nothing wrong with finding tasty ways around the allergy. With that let me share a Pumpkin Seed Pesto recipe that is nut free and darn tasty too. (more…)

5 kid friendly recipes for Father's Day 

Father's Day is that day for Dad to be spoiled, preferably by his own brood. Here are 5 kid friendly recipes to do just that for all ages with appropriate adult supervision as needed. (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: Southside Market & BBQ 534 Highway 71 Bastrop, TX the eats: Hot Gut Sausage, spare ribs, pork steak, coleslaw, pinto beans, potato salad the bucks: $15 a head if you're looking for a proper spread by the pound  the full nelson: the oldest bbq in Texas but not the best

Southside Market & BBQ is the oldest barbecue restaurant in Texas. Their sausage is of legend and their history is very much the evolution of Central Texas Barbecue whose primetime star, brisket has popped up at in barbecue joints nationwide over the last few years. Southside Market has been on my bucket list for a long time and as luck would have it, in the age of Covid-19, their Bastrop location has a drive thru so there I went. (more…)

The Vitals: the spot: Peace Bakery & Deli 11220 N. Lamar Blvd Austin TX 78753 the eats: Shawarma plate, falafel plate, hummus, tabouli  the bucks: $7-$14 the full nelson: Middle Eastern eats on par with the best I have had in the Dearborn/Detroit area. Basically as good as it gets w/o needing a passport

It has been way too long since I've posted about a restaurant mostly because of Covid-19 and the fact that Bang for your Burger Buck has evolved into a catch all for recipes and all sorts of food adventures. My last post was for Eid and the hummus recipe I shared there got me thinking about the best Middle Eastern food I have had in Austin. Time to take a bite into Peace Bakery. (more…)

Eid Holiday Dinner recipe

The word "Eid" is derived from the Arabic word feast and is a celebration to the end of a month long dawn to sunset fast. The Eid Holiday Dinner is in reality many meals served throughout the day. My memories of the holiday growing up consisted of visiting home after home and hitting up a spread of edible delights. In my 20, though I didn't partake in the fasting, when I would pop over to my fav Bangladeshi restaurant, the menu served at night during Ramadan was off the chain. I'm talking like 5 times the items served typically served In honor of that I present to you my recipe for an Eid Holiday dinner, broken down course by course. (more…)

Jalapeño Serrano salsa recipe

Jalapeño Serrano salsa found me a couple years ago when shooting the pilot for Cheap Eats. At a taqueria in Minneapolis, this creamy green salsa was served over Al Pastor tacos. It was powerfully spicy and instantly addicting; a salsa like no other I had never come across before. Then I moved to Austin and the stuff was everywhere. Commonly referred to as Salsa Doña because it is a fixture at Austin's Tacodeli, this green salsa is worth obsessing about. I know I have, which is why I started to make it at home. It's fantastic on breakfast tacos, carnitas, al pastor and steak tacos. You're gonna want to make this salsa part of your taco night program. Trust me. This is what you will need. (more…)

Brisket Pho: the greatest leftover recipe hack ever

It doesn't get any simpler. Boiling water. Leftover brisket. Instant Pho. And it is so incredibly delicious. To my peeps in San Antonio, you might have caught the episode of me making this Brisket Pho on the show Texas Eats with David Elder. And if you didn't, not to worry, this is as easy as it gets. (more…)

Ultimate Steak Taco Recipe

If you haven't seen it yet, head over to Variety.com and watch the Ultimate Steak Taco recipe video here. I was flattered and pumped when they asked me to participate in their Binging Bites series and I can't think of a better go to recipe to share than this Ultimate Steak Taco recipe. This should be the last Carne Asada, or should I say Khané Asada recipe you will ever need to search for. Let's hit it. (more…)

Tater Mac: a Big Mac Slider

Big Mac Slider could have been the best google search I could have done lately, second only to my search for Big Mac Sauce. If you have been keeping up my recent wave of recipes; you may have caught my previous slider recipe: White Castle in your own Castle. Well now it's time to take on a Big Mac Slider. Meet Tater Mac: my take on a Big Mac Slider. (more…)

a Slider Recipe

A slider recipe. Really? Yeah, it seems so simple you don't even need one but consider these two fundamental burger realities:

1. Everybody loves the sound of making burgers on the grill but they don't always come out primetime.
2. Everybody loves the sound of sliders but lots of restaurants serve up overpriced lil' burgers and let's be real: White Castle is awesome in idea, less so in reality. Unless you are hammered.

Which brings me to an enchanted recipe that merges two great ideas to into an easily executed reality: making sliders in the backyard. (more…)

Traeger Italian Party Ribs with Smoked Olive & Calabrian Chile Sauce

I've been making ribs on my Traeger for years, but like a lot of you, I have been taken by the viral party ribs method. Instead of smoking a whole rack and slicing it at the end, you cut the ribs individually before they hit the smoker. More surface area means more seasoning, more bark and most importantly, a much faster cook time. And like the name implies, it is a hit at parties. For this batch, I decided to take things in an Italian direction. The ribs get seasoned overnight with salt, black pepper and fennel seed. If you've ever eaten a really good Italian sausage, you already know where this is going. But the real inspiration came when my buddy Daniel Hare from CR Citrus rolled into town with a jar of his smoked olives. I had previously made a sauce inspired by the Jazz Sauce at Post Alley Pizza in Seattle—a ridiculous combination of olives, Calabrian chiles, anchovies, pickled onions and garlic. Think spicy puttanesca without the tomatoes. I'd served a version of it with live-fire ribs before, but swapping in CR Citrus smoked olives took the whole idea somewhere else. The Traeger makes smoking meats easier, while the smoked olives bring another layer of oomph to the sauce. Add the fennel, Calabrian chile, anchovy and garlic and this feels like Stanley Tucci decided to reboot his Eating Italy series in Austin, TX. Yeah, this works.

Why Party Ribs?

If you haven't tried the party ribs method yet, the big difference is simple: you cut the rack into individual ribs before they go on the Traeger. That means you're exposing way more of the pork to your seasoning, heat and smoke. Instead of bark mostly living on the outside of the rack, each rib gets the full treatment. There's another benefit: speed. A traditional rack of smoked ribs can turn into an all-day affair. These Traeger party ribs cooked for about two hours unwrapped and another hour wrapped. Three-ish hours for smoked ribs? I'm listening.

The Italian Rib Rub

There are plenty of barbecue rubs out there loaded with brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and whatever else you can fit into the spice cabinet. We're not doing that. For these Italian party ribs, I went simple: salt, whole black peppercorn and fennel seed. Fennel and pork are already best friends. It's one of the flavors that gives Italian sausage its signature taste, and here it takes the ribs in a completely different direction from your typical barbecue rub. I like to season the ribs the night before and let them hang out uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. The salt gets a head start seasoning the meat, and the next day they're ready to go straight onto the Traeger.

The Smoked Olive & Calabrian Chile Sauce

Now for the part that really makes this recipe different. The inspiration for this sauce comes from Post Alley Pizza in Seattle. Their Jazz Sauce got me thinking about the combination of olives, Calabrian chiles, anchovies and garlic with pork. I made my own version for my Live Fire Grilled Ribs, using more or less equal parts Calabrian chile, pickled onion, Castelvetrano olives and anchovies, along with roasted garlic and a little honey or agave to balance everything out. This time I had CR Citrus smoked olives, and that's where things got interesting. Olives already bring salt, fat and a ton of savory flavor to the party. Smoking them adds another dimension altogether. When you blitz them with funky anchovies, spicy Calabrian chiles, pickled onion and roasted garlic, you get something that lives somewhere between a relish, salsa and an Italian condiment. And because the olives are already smoked, that flavor echoes what we are doing on the Traeger. I could put this stuff on a sandwich tomorrow. Assuming there's any left.

Traeger Italian Party Ribs Recipe

Ingredients

For the party ribs

• 1 3lb rack Baby Back pork ribs
• Coarse kosher salt
• Whole black peppercorns
• Fennel seeds

For the Smoked Olive & Calabrian Chile Sauce

• CR Citrus smoked olives
• Calabrian chiles
• Pickled onion
• Anchovies
• Roasted garlic
• Honey or agave, to taste

For the sauce, use more or less equal parts smoked olives, Calabrian chiles, pickled onion and anchovies, following the same basic proportions as my original Live Fire rib sauce. Add roasted garlic and honey or agave to taste. Aim for ⅓ cup per ingredient, and you might have a little extra for a sandwich the next day. This isn't pastry. Taste the sauce and make adjustments. You want salty, spicy, funky, smoky and just enough sweetness to bring everybody together.

Step 1: Cut and Season the Party Ribs

Remove the membrane from the back of the rack if it hasn't already been removed. Now instead of throwing the whole rack on the Traeger, slice between each bone to separate the rack into individual ribs. Coarsely grind the black peppercorns and fennel seeds and combine them with the kosher salt. Season the ribs generously on all sides. Place them on a sheet pan or wire rack and refrigerate overnight.

Step 2: Smoke the Party Ribs on the Traeger

Preheat your Traeger to 260°F. Place the party ribs directly on the grill grates with a little space between each rib. That's the whole point here—we want heat and smoke getting to as much surface area as possible. Smoke the ribs for approximately 2 hours. You're looking for the exterior to develop good color and bark before moving on to the next stage.

Step 3: Wrap the Ribs

After about two hours, remove the ribs from the Traeger and wrap them tightly in foil. Return the wrapped ribs to the Traeger, increase the temperature and cook for approximately 1 additional hour, or until tender. And remember: we're cooking meat, not setting a timer for a parking meter. If your ribs need a little longer, give them a little longer. You want them tender and juicy with meat that pulls easily from the bone, but we're not trying to cook them until they disintegrate. Remove the ribs from the Traeger and let them rest while still wrapped.

Step 4: Make the Smoked Olive Sauce

Add the CR Citrus smoked olives, Calabrian chiles, pickled onion, anchovies and roasted garlic to a food processor. Pulse until everything is finely chopped and comes together into a coarse sauce. Don't puree the life out of it. You want some texture. Taste and add honey or agave as needed. There's a lot going on here—salt from the olives and anchovies, heat from the Calabrian chiles, acid from the pickled onion, sweetness from the honey and smoke from the olives. Keep tasting until everything clicks.

Step 5: Serve

Unwrap those rested party ribs and pile them onto a platter. Serve the Smoked Olive & Calabrian Chile Sauce alongside the ribs and let everybody go to work. No sticky barbecue glaze required. You've got smoky pork seasoned with fennel and black pepper and this salty, spicy, funky smoked olive sauce cutting through all that richness. It's barbecue. It's Italian-ish. It's party ribs. And apparently Stanley Tucci lives in Austin now.

A Few Tips for Traeger Party Ribs

Cut the ribs before seasoning. That's how you take advantage of all that extra surface area. Get the rub onto every side of every rib. Season them overnight. You're basically dry-brining the pork while giving the fennel and black pepper time to do their thing. Don't obsess over cook times. My party ribs took roughly three hours total, but ribs vary in size and smokers vary too. Cook for tenderness, not just the clock. Don't skip the smoked olives. Regular Castelvetrano olives work—that's where my original version of this sauce started—but the CR Citrus smoked olives are what make this version of the recipe what it is. Make extra sauce. Seriously. Leftover smoked olive and Calabrian chile sauce has sandwich written all over it.  

The best food in Austin, Texas, this September includes a tableside martini service that might make you rethink your James Bond order, a new player in Austin’s white-tablecloth Mexican game, a rotisserie chicken that might give Costco a run for its money and a fresh look at an old Austin standby.

School has started, ACL is around the corner and the calendar is getting booked. But here are four Austin restaurants worth penciling in this September.

Hestia’s Tableside Martini

When I went to Hestia’s Lone Star Dinner Series collaboration with InterStellar BBQ, I was expecting a lot of smoke, fire and meat magic. What I wasn’t expecting was some of the classiest tableside antics I’ve seen in years.

On select nights, Hestia offers a tableside martini service. A bartender rolls a cart of assorted goodies to your table, where you can order a martini from 21 different options. I was perplexed. And then I got tipsy.

In an era of ordering your whole dinner at the counter—and a cocktail culture filled with egg-white washes and bespoke distillers that sound more like indie rock bands—the Hestia martini cart feels refreshingly old-school. It’s as classy as Ron Burgundy in San Diego...but in downtown Austin.

Pro tip: Check with Hestia to see which nights the tableside martini service is available.

Alteño

Hotel restaurants used to be...not so nice (Borat accent), but those days are long gone. Celebrity chefs front them—just ask Las Vegas. Here’s another twist: really good Mexican food from Denver.

Before I went to Alteño, I would have been skeptical about the idea of a Mexican restaurant from Denver coming to Austin. But then again, I had never eaten at Chef Johnny Curiel’s restaurants. The chef has earned multiple James Beard Award finalist recognitions, one of his restaurants earned a Michelin star, and he’s opening another restaurant in Charleston. Gordon Ramsay who?

But it’s the food that really wowed me. You don’t need to do much to Mexican food; it’s already awesome. Honor what works in the recipes, source carefully and upgrade the plate to match the surroundings.

Alteño is sleek, but it’s also thoughtful. There’s a deep wine list featuring small producers from Mexico—including a winery where I got married 18 years ago—and dishes like halibut cooked in a Veracruz-style sauce that reflects the Mediterranean influences found in that cuisine. It was served with what someone at the restaurant called “Robuchon rice,” which is basically code for using copious amounts of butter, much like Joël Robuchon famously did with mashed potatoes.

By the way, that’s also a tip to go to Joël Robuchon. But only after you go to Alteño first. Splurge-worthy indeed.

Austin Rotisserie

Rotisserie chicken is criminally underrated. Sure, it can be great at supermarkets, but those birds are subject to timing. Get there too late and you’re staring at a chicken that was literally picked over and left behind—and somehow it’s still pretty good.

Austin Rotisserie’s birds don’t suffer that fate. The chicken you want is pulled right off the rotisserie and carved to order, and I’d recommend getting at least a half bird. Either way, whole or half, you get potatoes cooked in the drippings of the roasting chickens. I’ll allow you to moan and groan now.

The sauces are addictive, especially the spicy green one, but they’re also almost unnecessary. This is the essence of pure chicken deliciousness, and it is uncanny how good something this straightforward can taste. And dare I say dealing with parking at Fareground is a teensy bit easier than Costco? Like...a little?

It’s worth it. Heck, I might have found my Thanksgiving solution.

Matt’s El Rancho

Yes, it took me eleven years to go to Matt’s El Rancho. And it’s true: I’m not a big Tex-Mex guy. I’m probably not the first transplant to call queso overrated, but I accept that it is part of the culinary tradition here. And when someone invites me, I graciously oblige.

Matt’s El Rancho was slammed like Austin-Bergstrom during SXSW. The buzz is intoxicating, and so are the margaritas—especially when all I’d had was a smoothie for breakfast. Thanks to some expert ordering from Rosie Newberry of Studio 512, I got a run through Matt’s greatest hits: margaritas, queso and the Asadero tacos.

The latter feature tender steak seared with strips of poblano peppers, onions and cheese. There’s a choice between corn and flour tortillas, but pros get flour here. As for the queso? It was as gluttonous as it should be and lived up to the hype.

But I’ll probably wait another eleven years to do it again.

Last Bite

Austin’s food scene keeps changing, and somehow that makes the older places stand out even more. This month took me from a Michelin-starred chef and downtown martini cart to rotisserie chicken and one of Austin’s most famous Tex-Mex institutions. New and old can coexist pretty damn well here.

Whether you crave awards or nostalgia, a cold drink and a laid-back attitude remain key. That might be a little Matthew McConaughey slipping out, but hey, I’ve lived here for eleven years now.

I even tried the queso.

Pro tip: Save room for ACL in October.

The Best Food in Austin, Texas: August 2026

The best food in Austin, Texas, this August includes a two-Michelin-star collaboration, proof that barbecue exists in outer space, neo-Neapolitan pizza that has nothing to do with The Matrix, and a Thai and Vietnamese pop-up soon to become a full-fledged brick-and-mortar restaurant. Even in the sweltering heart of summer, Austin's restaurant scene doesn't slow down. Here are four Austin restaurants, food trucks and dining experiences worth seeking out this month.

Hestia Lone Star Series Dinner x InterStellar BBQ

What do you get when two Michelin-starred restaurants with a penchant for live-fire cooking collaborate? The latest installment of Hestia's Lone Star Dinner Series, this time featuring InterStellar BBQ. Both restaurants have earned Michelin stars, and they intend to use their powers hopefully for good. At least I'm going to assume they will. This is literally an all-star, one-off dinner experience, and let's just say I'll be skipping lunch. I don't know what the menu will look like yet, but judging from previous Hestia collaborations with Michelin-recognized restaurants like LeRoy and Lewis and Houston's Tatemó, I'm getting strapped in for a long evening of bespoke barbecue, fine dining baptized by fire and multiple egg-white cocktails. In a city where barbecue and live-fire cooking have become increasingly ambitious, this is exactly the kind of Austin dining event that shows how far both have come.   This is a one night only event on Tuesday, August 25th 2026 at Hestia. Link to book here

Măm Măm

Excuse me, ma'am, but have you heard the buzz about Măm Măm? The chef-driven Vietnamese and Thai concept from chef and co-owner Kris Hoang generated enough attention as a pop-up that it's now making the jump to a full-fledged brick-and-mortar restaurant in Pflugerville. In the meantime, there's still plenty of reason to seek out Măm Măm right now. Start with the Thai-style poached chicken and chicken-fat rice, a dish so popular that the one time it left the menu, loyal fans responded with an uproar. I've become quite enamored with it myself, and Măm Măm's version ups the ante with turmeric-yellow rice truly bathed in chicken fat. That fat is skimmed from a broth that has been fortified by the cooking of literally thousands of poached chickens. The result is the kind of deceptively simple dish that reminds you how much technique can hide inside a plate of chicken and rice. Drive the speed limit, ma'am, but still hurry over to Măm Măm. Măm Măm is currently located at Springdale General and plans to move to Pflugerville in the near future.

Space Kat BBQ

It's not often you get to say "here, kitty kitty" to a cat in a spacesuit, but that's exactly the situation at Space Kat BBQ, one of the newer arrivals on Webberville Road and one of the more interesting additions to Austin's already crowded barbecue scene. Pitmaster Jack Zizzo has a résumé that includes Barley Swine, and this is one hip Kat who knows a thing or two about cooking meat. But here's the thing: don't show up expecting brisket. Space Kat's cut of choice is tri-tip, and don't sleep on the seldom-seen coppa chop, cut from the pork shoulder. My typical barbecue pro tip is to skip the sauce because I think it can mask the work of a great pitmaster. Nick's—make that Jack's—barbecue sauce made me break my own rule. I feel bad disclosing his secret ingredient, so let's just say it's the ultimate beverage to pair with a backyard barbecue. Standing out in Austin barbecue requires more than smoking a good brisket these days. You need a point of view, an interesting menu and formidable technique. If you're looking for all three, apparently you should seek out the astronaut cat.

Side Eye Pie

Pizza might not be quite as crowded a category as barbecue in Austin, but the city has been blessed with more than its share of talked-about pizza spots. Side Eye Pie stands out on that increasingly long list thanks to chef Tony Curet, whose approach to neo-Neapolitan pizza combines serious technique, familiar pizza comforts and an intensely hot wood-fired oven. The pizzas start with cold-fermented dough made with Texas Red Wheat flour and native yeast before hitting a post-oak-fired oven. The result lands somewhere between Neapolitan tradition and a distinctly Austin interpretation of what modern pizza can be. But here's my pro tip for any great pizza joint: if they serve wings, try the wings. At Side Eye Pie, that's especially true. Working without a traditional fryer, Curet found a far more interesting solution: the wings are confited in duck fat off-site and then fired to order. The result is one of the more unique chicken wings I've encountered in Austin, and perhaps anywhere. Come for some of the best wood-fired pizza in Austin. Just don't overlook the wings.

Last Bite

Austin's food scene keeps on trucking, even in the heart of a sweltering Texas summer. This month's standouts also happen to demonstrate just how varied eating in Austin has become, from a Michelin-starred barbecue collaboration to Southeast Asian comfort food, a barbecue trailer willing to skip brisket entirely and an Austin pizza shop confiting chicken wings in duck fat. That's what keeps eating around this city interesting. There is always another chef trying something new, another trailer challenging what an Austin staple is supposed to look like, and another dish worth driving across town to try. So nosh on neo-Neapolitan pizza, pounce on Southeast Asian-style poached chicken and indulge in the occasional Michelin-starred mashup. Pro tip: save room for September.

Best Value Steak in 2026: Is Wagyu Chuck Eye Worth Buying?

Cheap steak hasn't disappeared—it just got a lot more expensive. Here's where I found the best value in today's supermarket.

I haven't bought flank steak in over a year.

Not because I stopped liking it.

Because I stopped liking the price.

For most of my adult life, there was always a cut of beef that made steak night feel attainable. Flank steak. Skirt steak. Chuck eye if you knew where to look. Resourceful home cooks have always found ways to turn lesser cuts into something memorable.

Today, those "cheap" cuts often cost fifteen dollars a pound or more.

Ground beef starts around six dollars a pound where I live in Texas, and we're still fortunate enough to have grocery prices that are generally lower than much of the country. Walk past the butcher case today and you'll find supermarkets slicing beef shoulder into thin "steaks," borrowing a trick long used by Mexican carnicerías in an effort to squeeze more value out of every part of the animal.

At some point, creativity stopped being about discovering hidden gems and started becoming a survival strategy.

🎥Watch the full episode of Outrageous Foods!

Why Has Beef Become So Expensive?

Before getting into my steak taste test, it's worth understanding why beef prices feel so different than they did just a few years ago.

There isn't one simple explanation.

A combination of higher feed and fertilizer costs following the COVID-19 pandemic, persistent drought that reduced cattle herds, rising transportation and labor costs, and broader inflation have all pushed beef prices higher. Trade uncertainty and tariffs have added additional pressure to parts of the global beef market.

The result?

Beef has become one of the biggest luxuries in the grocery store. Which raises a more practical question than simply asking why it's expensive.

If you're already spending the money, where's the best value?

That became the premise behind this week's episode of Outrageous Foods. I wasn't looking for the cheapest steak.

I was looking for the smartest purchase.

While filming at my local supermarket, one of the butchers noticed what I was doing and walked over with a suggestion.

"You should try the domestic Wagyu."

It wasn't what I expected.

Twenty years ago, simply seeing the word Wagyu on a label felt exotic. Even domestic Wagyu carried an aura that suggested something extraordinary. Today, the term has become much more common, and like many premium food labels, it has lost a bit of its mystique.

Still...

Good marbling is good marbling. And marbling usually translates into flavor. The butcher pointed me toward two cuts: a domestic Wagyu Chuck Eye and a domestic Wagyu petite sirloin.

Chuck Eye vs. Petite Sirloin

Normally I'd gravitate toward the less expensive steak. Every dollar matters these days. But for the sake of the experiment, I spent the extra couple of dollars and bought both.

The chuck eye came in around $18 per pound. The petite sirloin was closer to $16. Neither qualifies as cheap.

For perspective, traditional chuck eye and picanha often sold for roughly half those prices only a few years ago. Still, something immediately stood out. Neither steak was a premium cut like ribeye or strip steak. Yet both displayed significantly more marbling than the USDA Prime steaks sitting next to them in the butcher case.

That alone made me curious.

The Taste Test

I cooked both steaks exactly the same way.

• Cast-iron skillet.
• Oven finish.
• Kosher salt.
• Fresh cracked pepper.
• Garlic powder.
• Onion powder.

Ironically, I slightly overcooked both steaks because I was busy filming. Normally I'd call that a mistake. Instead, it turned into the most interesting part of the experiment. The additional cooking time rendered more of the intramuscular fat, making both steaks taste almost butter-basted despite never seeing a pat of butter. Perhaps medium isn't such a terrible place for heavily marbled beef after all.

The Winner:

The chuck eye was the clear winner. It was literally my first taste of a Ribeye steak in a year.

The petite sirloin was still enjoyable, but it carried a slightly gamier flavor and a firmer texture. A good steak. But not one I would crave enough to spend the money.

The New Definition of Value

One thing I've learned while making Outrageous Foods is that the cheapest option rarely represents the best value. I've seen it with burgers. I've seen it with sandwiches. Beef may be the best example yet.

Once steak reaches fifteen dollars a pound, saving another dollar or two becomes less important than buying the right steak in the first place. That's the lesson this taste test reinforced.

If you're already opening your wallet, spend your money on quality instead of simply chasing the lowest number on the price tag.

How I'm Buying Beef in 2026

After this experiment, my own shopping habits have changed.

When I want steak, here's what I'm looking for:

• Buy the best marbling you can reasonably afford.
• Look for chuck eye when it's available.
• Save ribeye and strip steak for special occasions.
• Stretch beef further with tacos, kebabs and stir fries.
• Skip bargain "steaks" that sacrifice texture simply to hit a lower price.

Cheap beef may be gone.

Good value isn't.

You just have to shop differently.

Last Bite

Steak has always been considered a luxury. What's changed is that the cuts which once made steak affordable have quietly joined it. Flank steak, skirt steak, and chuck eye used to be the insider's play—the cuts savvy cooks sought out because they delivered great flavor without the premium price tag. Today, even those bargains have become expensive enough to make you think twice before throwing them into your shopping cart.

That doesn't mean steak is off the menu. It simply means the definition of value has changed. After tasting both domestic Wagyu cuts, I came away convinced that spending a little more on quality is often a better investment than chasing the cheapest steak in the butcher case. In today's market, the gap between "cheap" and "good" has narrowed considerably.

That's become one of the recurring lessons of Outrageous Foods. Whether I'm reviewing burgers, sandwiches, barbecue or now beef, the best value rarely sits at either extreme. The cheapest option often disappoints, while the most expensive one usually comes with diminishing returns. Somewhere in the middle is where knowledge begins to save you money.

Maybe that's the real takeaway from today's beef prices. We can't control inflation, drought or the cost of raising cattle, but we can become smarter shoppers. And in 2026, knowing what to buy may be just as valuable as knowing how to cook it.

Hero Bread Review: Are $16 Low-Carb Hot Dog Buns Worth It?

Healthy eating has a branding problem.

Or maybe it's a pricing problem.

The other day I stopped into Sprouts Market because I needed hot dogs. I don't shop there often—not because there's anything wrong with the store, but because in Texas I'm spoiled by H-E-B. It's one of those rare supermarkets that manages to balance quality and value in a way few grocery chains can.

I grabbed a pack of Boar's Head natural casing hot dogs, one of my favorites. If you've never had them, they're excellent: all beef, wonderfully salty and, most importantly, they have that unmistakable snap that only a natural casing can deliver.

Then I walked over to the bread aisle.

That's where I stopped in my tracks.

A package of Hero Bread hot dog buns was priced at $15.99.

For context, the premium hot dogs I had just picked up cost about $12 for seven. Even before they went on sale, the buns were more expensive than the meat.

That felt backwards.

Why Are Hero Bread Hot Dog Buns So Expensive?

To be fair, Hero Bread isn't trying to sell ordinary hot dog buns.

Their claim to fame is that they're low carb, high fiber, and marketed as having zero net carbs while containing significantly fewer calories than a traditional bun.

Compared to the Martin's Potato Rolls I bought for comparison, the Hero buns cut the calories by roughly a third. That's not marketing fluff—that's a meaningful nutritional difference for people who are counting calories or following a lower-carbohydrate diet.

That's an impressive bit of food science.

The question is whether it's worth paying four times as much.

Hero Bread Taste Test

The first surprise was that I didn't dislike them.

That's actually a compliment.

Health-focused substitutes often disappoint because they're trying to imitate something familiar while sacrificing flavor or texture. Hero Bread avoids that trap. The bun toasts well, holds together and tastes perfectly acceptable.

But "perfectly acceptable" isn't the same thing as better.

In a side-by-side comparison, I still preferred the Martin's Potato Roll.

Not because it was richer or more flavorful, but because it got out of the way. A good hot dog bun shouldn't compete with the hot dog. It should quietly do its job, letting the sausage remain the star of the show.

Hero Bread accomplished that too.

It just didn't do it four times better.

The Real Surprise Wasn't the Bun

After the episode aired, plenty of viewers pointed out that the whole point of Hero Bread is serving people who are trying to reduce carbohydrates or calories.

They're right.

In fact, I understand that perspective better than most.

In 2022, while working to reverse prediabetes, I paid much closer attention to what I was eating and ended up losing a significant amount of weight. Cutting calories mattered, and bread is one of the easiest places to reduce them.

So this isn't an argument against healthier products.

It's an argument about price.

When I got home, I looked up the exact same Hero buns. Walmart sold them for about $11. Randalls, a local market chain sold them for $9. And reality check, that is still expensive.

And yet only Sprouts—the grocery chain that heavily markets itself around healthy living—was asking sixteen dollars.

That's what bothered me.

When "Healthy" Becomes a Luxury

Stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods have built brands around healthier choices.

There's nothing wrong with that.

The problem comes when consumers begin associating healthy eating with paying the highest possible price.

Healthy food shouldn't require luxury pricing.

That's especially important when we talk about communities that already struggle to access fresh groceries. We often hear the term "food desert" to describe neighborhoods with limited access to supermarkets and fresh produce. If healthier choices are consistently marketed as premium products, they become even less accessible to the people who could benefit from them most.

Hero Bread isn't the villain here.

It's actually a respectable product for something that significantly cuts calories while not sacrificing flavor.

But paying $16 for a package of hot dog buns illustrates something larger about modern grocery shopping. Sometimes we're paying for innovation.

Sometimes we're paying for branding.

And sometimes we're paying because a retailer knows that "healthy" carries a premium.

Those aren't always the same thing.

Final Thoughts

I'd happily recommend Hero Bread to someone looking for a genuinely lower-calorie, lower-carb bun.

I wouldn't recommend paying $16 for it.

That's the distinction.

Last Bite

Healthy eating shouldn't mean paying the highest price on the shelf. Sometimes the smartest grocery shopping isn't finding the healthiest label—it's finding the healthiest value.

Watch the full episode here:

The Best Food in Austin, Texas: July 2026

The best food in Austin, Texas this month includes a wine soaked tasting menu, the filet o fish of your dreams, a total sleeper bbq move, and the most exciting restaurant opening of 2026.

Take notes… or just bookmark this page.

The Vitals: the spot: Apt 115 2025 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702 the eats: tasting menu

the bucks: $$$ the full nelson: fine dining for hardcore wine lovers

Apartment 115

At first glance, Apartment 115 looks like the kind of place you book for a special occasion. It certainly can be, especially if you opt for the tasting menu. But I think the real secret is treating it like one of Austin's best wine bars.

Grab a seat at the bar, order a few dishes from the à la carte menu, and explore one of the city's most thoughtfully curated wine lists. Yes, there are bottles that climb into four figures, but there are also excellent options starting around $40.

The tasting menu was lovely, but what stayed with me most was how seamlessly the wine and food complemented one another. Apartment 115 isn't just a restaurant—it's one of the best places in Austin to discover wine.

The Vitals: the spot:Fish Shop  1401 E 6th St #201 · (512) 650-3474 the eats: Fish Sandwich the bucks: $$$ the full nelson: Casual seafood cafe for hardcore sea-foodies

Fish Shop

Fish Shop flies its seafood in from the West Coast, and you can taste the difference immediately. The oysters alone are worth the visit, but don't overlook their playful take on a Filet-O-Fish.

It's everything that sandwich wants to be: flaky fish, quality ingredients and enough care to remind you how satisfying simple food can be.

Yes, seafood in Austin isn't cheap. But compared to booking a flight to San Francisco, it suddenly feels like a bargain.

The Vitals: the spot: HEB the eats: BBQ the bucks: $$ the full nelson: a total bbq sleeper

H-E-B True Texas BBQ

If you've lived in Austin long enough, you've probably stood in line for barbecue with visiting friends. Franklin. Terry Black's. InterStellar. At some point, you start asking yourself a simple question:

Why can't barbecue be easy?

The answer might be H-E-B.

No, I'm not saying it's Franklin Barbecue. But for a supermarket, the brisket is surprisingly respectable, the draft beer is inexpensive, and there's never much of a wait.

In almost any other state, this would be considered very good barbecue. In Texas, it's one of the best values in town.

The Vitals: the spot:Ramen Del Barrio 2007 Kramer Ln suite 105, Austin, TX 78758 the eats: Carnitas Ramen the bucks: $$ the full nelson: The worlds only Mexican Ramen spot

Ramen Del Barrio

The opening I'm most excited about in 2026 isn't another omakase counter or French bistro.

It's Christopher Krinsky's first brick-and-mortar restaurant.

His Mexican-inspired ramen is unlike anything I've eaten—even after multiple trips to Japan—and I think he's one of the most original chefs working in Texas today.

As Austin continues chasing luxury dining trends, Krinsky is doing something much harder: creating food that's completely his own. I have a feeling his new restaurant will become one of the city's essential stops for anyone who cares about where Austin's food scene is headed.

Last Bite:

Austin's food scene never stands still. Whether you're splurging on an unforgettable wine experience, grabbing surprisingly good supermarket barbecue, or chasing the city's next great chef, these are the meals that made July worth remembering.

Are Sandwiches Getting Too Expensive? Here's the Only Rule That Matters

There was a time when a sandwich was the definition of an affordable meal. Bread, meat, cheese and maybe a handful of vegetables. It wasn't supposed to be a luxury purchase.

Fast forward to 2026 and somehow lunch has become a financial decision. Scroll social media and you'll find Italian cold cuts stacked sky-high, artisan breads, and influencers raving about sandwiches that cost as much as a decent steak dinner.

So I decided to find out for myself.

I spent almost $40 on two sandwiches.

One was a $14 Subway All-American Club.

The other was a $24 Italian cold-cut sandwich from a local food truck.

The question wasn't simply which one tasted better.

It was whether either one justified its price.

Review by the Numbers

Subway All-American Club

Taste: 4.9/10

Subway wasn't nearly as terrible as internet culture would have you believe.

The ham and bacon carried more flavor than I expected, and while the sandwich suffered from Subway's familiar construction—meat piled on the bottom and vegetables stacked on top—it still scratched a nostalgic itch.

The truth is, Subway was never a great sandwich.

It was simply a cheap one. And for years that was enough.

Why It Didn't Score Higher

Subway was never trying to compete with Philadelphia hoagies or New York delis. Its success came from being inexpensive, widely available and a step above grabbing a burger through a drive-thru.

The problem is that the value proposition has disappeared.

At nearly $14, Subway isn't competing against the memory of the $5 Footlong anymore. It's competing against independent delis and sandwich shops charging just a few dollars more.

Ironically, most Americans don't actually live in cities famous for great sandwiches. Outside places like Philadelphia, Chicago, New York or Los Angeles, Subway may still be one of the easiest ways to grab a decent sub.

That doesn't make it exceptional. It simply explains why people continue to eat there.

Italian Cold-Cut Sandwich

Taste: 5.7/10

This sandwich looked fantastic. On paper it sounded like the real deal:

Capicola.

Soppressata.

Cheese.

Oil and vinegar.

Unfortunately, it never lived up to the image. The meats were average. The bread was perfectly fine, but hardly memorable.

Nothing about the sandwich made me stop and think, "This is worth driving across town for." In fact, it reminded me more of a surprisingly good Wawa sandwich than one of America's legendary hoagies.

That's not necessarily a bad thing.

It's just not what I expect from a $24 lunch.

Why It Didn't Score Higher

The biggest disappointment wasn't the sandwich itself.

It was the price.

If this had been a $10 sandwich, I'd probably call it a respectable lunch. Maybe not destination-worthy, but perfectly fair value.

At $24?

Everything changes.

Now I'm expecting craftsmanship. Not just house-made bread but excellent bread. Premium meats. Something I couldn't easily recreate myself.

Instead, it felt like a sandwich borrowing the look of a great hoagie without delivering the expertise that makes one memorable.

Ironically, while I was filming this episode, my wife was making sandwiches for our son using ordinary supermarket bread, deli meat, cheese and vegetables. I'd argue those lunches were every bit as satisfying. That's when it hit me.

Maybe one of the worst values in food today isn't burgers.

It's expensive cold-cut sandwiches.

Price

Neither sandwich represented good value.

Subway reminded me that inflation has erased one of fast food's biggest selling points.

The food truck reminded me that small businesses can't make a case for value with today's high cost of food.

Why Price Didn't Score Higher

Restaurants deserve to make money. Rent is higher. Labor is higher. Ingredients are higher.

I understand all of that.

But customers deserve something in return. If you're asking me to spend restaurant money on a sandwich, I need to leave believing there was no realistic way I could have made something comparable at home.

Neither of these sandwiches cleared that bar.

What Actually Makes an Expensive Sandwich Worth It?

As I started thinking about the best sandwiches I've eaten around the country, a pattern emerged.

The ones worth paying for all have one thing in common.

They're masters of something.

Take Mum Foods in Austin.

Their pastrami sandwich pushes $20, but they're already experts at smoking meat. Their bread is custom-made specifically for that sandwich. You're paying for genuine craftsmanship.

Johnny's Beef in Chicago is another example.

Making authentic Italian beef at home isn't realistic for most people. It requires specialized equipment, technique and time.

John's Roast Pork in Philadelphia exists in one of America's most competitive sandwich cities, where mediocrity simply doesn't survive.

Even Roma Market in Los Angeles—a minimalist Italian sandwich that costs under $10—works because they're already a respected Italian deli selling outstanding meats.

Every one of those sandwiches gives me something I can't easily recreate.

That's what I'm willing to pay for.

Maybe We've Been Thinking About Sandwiches the Wrong Way

One realization surprised me while making this episode: Cold-cut sandwiches might actually be one of the easiest "restaurant foods" to make at home.

• Find a quality bakery.
• Visit a good deli counter.
• Buy better olive oil.
• Assemble everything yourself.

Suddenly that $24 sandwich doesn't seem nearly as compelling. That's very different from smoked pastrami.

Or Italian beef.

Or Philadelphia roast pork.

Those require years of experience, specialized equipment or techniques that most home cooks simply don't have.

Cold cuts?

Not so much.

Final Thoughts

So...

Are sandwiches getting too expensive?

Absolutely.

But price alone isn't the problem. The real issue is that too many places are charging premium prices without delivering premium expertise. The best sandwiches in America don't just taste good. They earn their price through craftsmanship, tradition or execution that's difficult to duplicate at home.

The mediocre ones?

They're charging luxury prices for convenience.

As consumers, we have to get better at recognizing the difference.

Last Bite

Sandwiches were never meant to be luxury items. They were built on simplicity, affordability and comfort. Those days are largely gone.

That doesn't mean expensive sandwiches can't be worth buying. It just means they have to clear a much higher bar than they used to.

For me, the question has become surprisingly simple:

Can I make this at home just as well?

If the answer is yes, I'm probably keeping my $24.

And that's really what Outrageous Foods is all about. Not finding the most expensive meal or the trendiest restaurant—but helping people decide what's actually worth their money.

Watch the full episode here:

P. Terry's Burger Review: Is Austin's Favorite Burger Chain Worth It in 2026?

Fast food is usually a pretty simple transaction.

You hand over your money. They hand you a burger. If the burger is good enough, you come back.

But every once in a while, a restaurant gives you another reason to return. For me, that's what happened with P. Terry's.

I've long viewed the Austin burger chain as Texas' answer to In-N-Out. The formula is familiar: fresh burgers, fresh-cut fries, shakes, and a menu that doesn't try to be everything to everybody. The burger has always reminded me of In-N-Out, though I thought it fell just short in the flavor department.

Recently, I discovered a simple hack.

Add mustard.

Suddenly, the burger moves much closer to that craveable, almost Animal Style flavor profile that makes In-N-Out so addictive.

That alone made P. Terry's worth another visit.

Then the company announced something that made me want to review it even more.

P. Terry's recently expanded its employee ownership program, giving longtime team members an ownership stake in the business.

In an era when many restaurants ask customers to help support employees through tips, P. Terry's has taken a different approach. They're making employees stakeholders.

That's worth talking about.

Watch my full Outrageous Foods review below.

P. Terry's Review by the Numbers

Taste: 8.8/10

I've always believed In-N-Out had a slight edge. Not anymore. Or at least not by much.

The mustard trick completely changed the experience for me, giving the burger more acidity and bringing it surprisingly close to the flavor profile I associate with Animal Style. The burger was juicy, balanced, and satisfying without trying to reinvent the cheeseburger.

And while I almost never order fries... P. Terry's fries absolutely destroy In-N-Out's.

Yes, I realize the irony that I rarely order them.

Why It Didn't Score Higher

In-N-Out still gets the nod from me by the slimmest of margins.

There's something about that unmistakable grilled-onion-and-mustard combination that remains one of the great fast-food burgers in America. But the gap is much smaller than I remembered.

Price: 7.9/10

My meal came to a little over eight dollars. Nobody is confusing that with cheap. Not in the way we talked about cheap ten or fifteen years ago.

But context matters.

In 2026, a quality burger for eight dollars starts to feel almost refreshing. The burger itself was substantial, and had I shown a little restraint while ordering, I probably could have spent even less.

Why It Didn't Score Higher

Eight dollars isn't pocket change. But compared to many fast-food and fast-casual burgers pushing fifteen to twenty dollars, P. Terry's occupies a sweet spot that feels increasingly rare. It's not cheap. It's value.

And those aren't always the same thing.

Calories: 7.0/10

I ordered the triple. That was my decision. Naturally, it became a serious meal.

The upside?

I skipped the fries entirely.

From a calorie standpoint, I'd rather spend those calories on another beef patty than a side of fries. Could I have ordered less? Absolutely.

Just as I could have spent less money.

Why It Didn't Score Higher

A triple cheeseburger isn't pretending to be health food. But if you're going to indulge, I'd rather indulge on the burger than waste calories on something I didn't really need. Everything comes back to making choices that fit into an otherwise balanced diet.

Final Thoughts on P. Terry's

When I started reviewing fast food, I thought I was searching for the best burger. Lately, I've realized I've been asking the wrong question.

The better question is:

Which restaurants deserve our business?

Taste still matters. Price matters. Calories matter.

But increasingly, I find myself paying attention to something else.

How does a company treat the people who make the food?

P. Terry's deserves credit here. Rather than asking customers to help support employees through larger tips, the company is creating opportunities for employees to become owners. That's a different philosophy. And one I deeply respect.

It doesn't magically make the burger taste better.

But it absolutely makes me feel better about where my money goes.

Last Bite

I still think In-N-Out has the better burger by the narrowest of margins. P. Terry's unquestionably has the better fries. Even if I rarely order them.

But the thing that impressed me most had nothing to do with the food. It was the company.

Some restaurants ask customers to tip because they want to support their staff.

P. Terry's seems to be saying something different:

Give us your business because we're investing in our people.

That's a message worth rewarding.

Taste: 8.8/10

Price: 7.9/10

Calories: 7.0/10

Overall: 24/30

Ali Khan Bonus Points (Company Values): +2

Final Score: 26/30

One of the easiest fast-food recommendations I've made all year.

NADC Burger Review: Is the $16 Smashburger Worth It in 2026?

Smashburgers used to be cheap. In fact, before "smashburger" became part of the culinary lexicon, many of us simply called them steakburgers. Growing up in the Midwest, I remember watching the cooks at Steak 'n Shake press little pucks of beef onto a flat-top grill until the edges crisped into something magical. Back then, nobody thought they were eating gourmet food. Fast forward a couple of decades and the smashburger has become one of the defining foods of modern American dining. Shake Shack helped elevate the style nationally, Los Angeles pop-ups turned it into an Instagram sensation, and now it seems like every city has a dozen places claiming to make the perfect smashburger. I even spotted one while traveling through Spain last month. Which brings me to NADC Burger. Created by Michelin-starred chef Phillip Frankland Lee and professional skateboarder Neen Williams, NADC has become one of the hottest names in the smashburger world. The concept is refreshingly simple: one burger, a handful of sides, and an obsessive focus on ingredients. That simplicity also comes with a price. Nearly $16 for a single cheeseburger before tax and tip. So I wanted to answer the question I've been asking throughout this entire season of Outrageous Foods: Is it actually worth it? Watch the video:

NADC Burger Review by the Numbers

Taste Score: 8.9/10

There's no getting around it. This burger is outstanding. The first thing that struck me wasn't the Wagyu beef or the Martin's Potato Roll. It was the juiciness. Quite simply, this may be the juiciest smashburger I've ever eaten. The beef is aggressively seasoned, the American cheese melts beautifully into the patties, and the burger sauce ties everything together without overwhelming the meat. On paper, none of these ingredients feel particularly luxurious. Martin's Potato Rolls, American cheese, ketchup, mayonnaise—they're all supermarket staples. Yet somehow, they combine into something that feels distinctly NADC. That's harder to accomplish than it looks.

Why It Didn't Score Higher

As good as the burger is, it isn't attempting to be fine dining. It's not as decadent as Au Cheval or as deeply layered as some of the country's best chef-driven burgers. Instead, NADC succeeds because it embraces restraint. Everything serves the burger rather than competing with it.

Price Score: 5.8/10

Sixteen dollars for a cheeseburger is no longer shocking. That's the strange reality of dining out in 2026. NADC uses Wagyu beef, premium New School American cheese, and clearly invests in quality ingredients throughout the menu. Even so, you're still eating a burger on a Martin's Potato Roll with sauce, pickles, onions, and cheese. By the time tax and tip enter the equation, you're approaching twenty dollars for a single burger.

Why It Didn't Score Higher

The burger is expensive because it's good. The problem is that it's still expensive. If you're dining with a family, adding fries, drinks, or a beer quickly turns burger night into an eighty- or hundred-dollar outing. That's simply the new math of dining out.

Final Thoughts on NADC Burger

What fascinates me most about NADC isn't the Wagyu. It's what the restaurant says about where American burgers have gone. A style of burger that once represented inexpensive roadside comfort food has evolved into something chefs obsess over. Michelin-starred restaurateurs are opening burger concepts. Social media has transformed smashburgers into culinary status symbols. And somewhere along the way, sixteen-dollar cheeseburgers stopped feeling unusual. Could you make something approaching seventy percent of this burger at home? Absolutely. Martin's Potato Rolls are readily available. American cheese is easy to find. Burger sauce is essentially ketchup, mayonnaise, and pickles. Even smashburger technique is surprisingly approachable on a flat-top or cast-iron skillet. And yet... I still wanted another NADC burger. That's perhaps the highest compliment I can give it.

Last Bite

NADC serves one of the juiciest smashburgers I've ever eaten. It's distinctive, expertly seasoned, and genuinely memorable. Whether it's worth twenty dollars after tax and tip depends entirely on your budget. But one thing seems increasingly clear. The age of the twenty-dollar cheeseburger has arrived. The only question left is how often we're willing to pay for that last thirty percent that separates a very good homemade burger from a truly great one. Overall Score: 14.7/20 Outstanding burger. Expensive habit.

Torchy's Tacos Review: Does Texas' Cult-Favorite Taco Chain Still Live Up to the Hype in 2026?

Torchy's Tacos wasn't supposed to become a national chain. It started in 2006 as a tiny Austin food trailer, where founder Mike Rypka famously rode around on a Vespa handing out free chips, salsa, and taco samples just to convince people to stop by. Apparently, it worked. Today, Torchy's operates more than 120 restaurants across 16 states and generates nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue. The average location reportedly brings in close to $4 million a year—more than the average Chipotle. But success has brought criticism. Spend five minutes on Reddit and you'll find plenty of people insisting Torchy's isn't what it used to be. Some blame private equity. Others point to rising prices or say the tacos simply aren't as good as they were fifteen years ago. So I wanted to find out for myself. In my latest episode of Outrageous Foods, I reviewed Torchy's based on the three things that matter most to me: taste, price, and calories.

Watch the full review!

Torchy's Tacos Review by the Numbers

Taste Score: 8.2/10

I'll say it. The tacos were really good. Maybe I got lucky. Maybe Austin locations are simply better than newer outposts around the country. Whatever the explanation, both tacos delivered exactly what I wanted. The Trailer Trash remains one of Torchy's signature creations, while the Beef Barbacoa proved that sometimes the simpler taco is the better one. The tortillas held together, the fillings were generous, and every bite reminded me why Torchy's developed such a loyal following in the first place.

Why It Didn't Score Higher

Great tacos still exist all over Texas, particularly at independent taquerias and taco trucks. Torchy's isn't trying to compete with the neighborhood taco stand around the corner—it's trying to deliver a consistent experience across more than one hundred locations. That's a much harder job.

Price Score: 5.2/10

Torchy's isn't cheap. Two tacos make a meal. Three make a very satisfying dinner. Depending on what you order, you're looking at somewhere between the mid-teens and twenty dollars before you've even thought about chips, queso, or a drink. I skipped all of that. Just tacos. Tap water. Even so, the bill adds up.

Why It Didn't Score Higher

Viewed against other fast-casual chains like Shake Shack or Raising Cane's, Torchy's doesn't seem wildly overpriced. The problem is that tacos have traditionally been one of the best values in dining, and that's becoming increasingly difficult to say as prices continue to climb across the board.

Calories Score: 8.3/10

This may have been the biggest surprise of the meal. The Beef Barbacoa was remarkably reasonable from a calorie standpoint, proving that red meat doesn't automatically have to become a nutritional disaster. Leaner cuts, fresh toppings, avocado, and tomatillo salsa kept the calorie count in check without sacrificing flavor. Even the indulgent Trailer Trash wasn't outrageous. Three of them would still land around 900 calories, which is a substantial meal but hardly the calorie bomb I've seen elsewhere in fast food.

Why It Didn't Score Higher

Calories have a funny way of sneaking up on you. One taco feels harmless. Add chips, queso, a fountain drink, and dessert, and suddenly the math changes dramatically. The tacos themselves deserve credit. The full Torchy's experience is where restraint becomes more difficult.

Final Thoughts on Torchy's Tacos

Torchy's has become something of a victim of its own success. When a tiny Austin food trailer grows into a national chain, expectations inevitably change. Some people remember the original. Others blame expansion. Still others blame private equity or rising prices. Maybe they're right. Maybe they're remembering a different Torchy's than the one I visited. All I can tell you is what landed on my tray. The tacos were flavorful, generously portioned, and surprisingly reasonable from a calorie standpoint. While the prices have certainly crept upward—as they have almost everywhere else—I walked away with more respect for Torchy's than I expected.

Last Bite

Torchy's may no longer be Austin's best-kept secret, but it also isn't the disaster some corners of the internet would have you believe. Independent taco trucks will always be part of what makes Texas special. But if I'm traveling, on a road trip, or simply looking for a dependable taco almost anywhere in Texas, I'd happily stop at Torchy's again. Overall Score: 22.0/30 The tacos still hit. The prices don't. But in 2026, that's becoming true almost everywhere.