In 2017, Big T got his first smoker as a birthday gift from his parents after moving to Texas from the Chicago region and falling in love with real Texas Barbecue. He would stay up overnight to barbecue and stumble into work with samples for friends and colleagues. After a few months gone, and a bigger waistline - they convinced him he has what it takes to compete with the 'big dogs' in Texas Barbecue. Fast forward to early 2018, when Big T rescued a Boxer-Terrier mix, Brix, that had such influence on his life, he rebranded and named his barbecue business after him.

Big T is a transplant that has fused his love for food with Central Texas Style Barbecue. Most of the recipes are simple and let the meat shine. There's nothing to hide, and he'll share all of his secrets because the one thing no one can match is his passion for smoking meats to perfection. His love of food comes from his mother, Mama Sales, where the first two ingredients are always butter and love. Big T doesn't use much butter on his barbecue (the sides are another story), but that first bite of brisket will unveil a great deal of love. Just don't forget to save the bones for Brix.

GREAT piece by Daniel Vaughn for Texas Monthly HERE