'FoodNation' gets some Texas barbecue

Austin8 News ^ | 4/3/2004 | Amy Bowlin

[stainlessbanner]

When the host of a national food show comes to town, it's time to show some Texas hospitality. The host and crew of Food Network's "Food Nation" are in town filming. They were greeted with Harley-style hospitality, and sausage on the side.

Bud Liffick (right), mobile barbecue pit owner

Saturday was all about bikes and barbecue because the show FoodNation was in town filming for a series called "BBQ America."
"Anywhere where there's food cooking over some sort of flame or smoke, we're going to go there and sort of discover it," host Bobby Flay said.

"We've been to Memphis, Kansas City, here in Austin, Miami. We've been sampling and tasting and we're going to try to figure out who has the best barbecue in America. And here in Texas, I'd say it's pretty darn good," Steve Lange, FoodNation executive producer, said.

For FoodNation, the producers were looking for the best of Texas. That meant cooking up some pork on the world's largest mobile barbecue pit and topping it off with a spin on a hog.

"We're two-year champion on our rub and I go all around the country cooking for big events ," barbecue pit owner Bud Liffick said. "It's a 103-feet long with a tractor and we can cook approximately 8,000 pounds of meat."

"The Hill Country, all the great riding in Texas, they figured what better place to put bikers and barbecue together than Austin, Texas?" Chris Lumley, with Central Texas Harley-Davidson, said.

No doubt they've gone hog wild with Harleys on the ground and pork in the pit.

Flay was doing demonstrations for the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, so he wasn't actually at the barbecue. He'll finish filming for the segment later this week.

FoodNation's "BBQ America with Bobby Flay" series starts airing in June.

The world's biggest barbecue pit is in Austin on Saturday.

[steve8714]

Unless they have pork steaks in the mix, they are little better than barbecuebarians.

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[stainlessbanner]

FoodNetwork showed BBQ Wars last night with styles from NC, TX, Memphis, and KC.

[7.62 x 51mm]

"It's a 103-feet long with a tractor..."

Yeooooowza! That's some serious BBQ hardware!

[Fierce Allegiance]

I saw that last night on travel channel (i thought) and am still watering over it. I was shocked NC did not do well. That was the one with the california cowboys judging, right?

[stainlessbanner]

I knew you would be watching that. You're right it was the Travel Channel - I'm surprised it wasn't the "Top 10 BBQs". I wonder who prepared the bbq.....probably some boys from Memphis!

[Arrowhead1952]

Now there is a plate of BBQ.

(Southside BBQ in Elgin)

[battlegearboat]

Bobby Flay is about due for his scandel.

[Fierce Allegiance]

I was only half watching, because i had to witness some of the whoopass the UCONN women put on Tenessee. Connecticut is ok at basketball, but miles behind the rest of the world in BBQ, except at Jeff's Bar & Grill (my house!), thanks to the FR BBQ Network!

[Interloper]

BBQ Pork in Texas?? That doesn't sound right.

I thought Texas=brisket, and North Carolina=Pork.

[Ol' Sox]

See what happens when a New Yorker goes down south looking for BBQ? They mess with his head and serve him pork in Texas.

[Ol' Sox]

Yes, its true that Connecticut lags behind when BBQ is the topic, but we specialize in seafood. Come see us when you want good chowder!

[Fierce Allegiance]

I agree on the seafood. You can see in my profile that I spent some time in Gloucester, MA, where people know a little about seafood, and now live on the CT coast, home of some of the richest and best oyster and other clam beds in the entire world.

I love a good clambake (the real kind-on the beach with hot coals and rocks, and layers of seafood separated with seaweed, etc), just like the BBQ from other regions to go along with the seafood.

GO RED SOX!

[stainlessbanner]

That deepwater seafood from the NE is great - haddock and salmon and crabs are favorites. The South has the edge on sportfishing and catfishies, though!

[Fierce Allegiance]

Here's a point i doubt you will disagree -we have the lock on uptight, stuck up snotbag whining driveling liberals, gun grabbers and rude drivers. Not all of them, but they make up the majority here.

I kick my ass almost daily for not moving south while i had the chance.