{"id":98,"date":"2021-03-13T22:05:16","date_gmt":"2021-03-13T22:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/?p=98"},"modified":"2022-01-08T19:44:33","modified_gmt":"2022-01-08T19:44:33","slug":"the-first-lady-of-barbecue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/the-first-lady-of-barbecue\/","title":{"rendered":"The First Lady of Barbecue"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"98\" class=\"elementor elementor-98\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-section-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c6b4d60 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c6b4d60\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2fad050\" data-id=\"2fad050\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ba139ca elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ba139ca\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-text-editor elementor-clearfix\">\n\t\t\t\t<p>The First Lady of Barbecue<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18a97b2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"18a97b2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-text-editor elementor-clearfix\">\n\t\t\t\t<p>By Derik Strelsky<\/p><p><em>Texas Barbecue<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6899eb7 elementor-align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-info\" data-id=\"6899eb7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-info.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-inline-items elementor-icon-list-items elementor-post-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-39678a9 elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"datePublished\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/2021\/03\/13\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-calendar\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarch 13, 2021\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c091dfb elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"c091dfb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"633\" src=\"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944368166-e1616950003738-1024x810.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944368166-e1616950003738-1024x810.jpg 1024w, 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linkedin\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-linkedin\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedIn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eba91cb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"eba91cb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-text-editor elementor-clearfix\">\n\t\t\t\t<div dir=\"auto\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I could hear the cows bawling in the background as I stepped out of the truck.\u00a0 Just down the street is the old sale barn where every Saturday for decades now Ranchers have been bringing their Cattle to market. \u00a0 Off to my right, just about the only lights on in town are in what at first appears to be an old work shed.\u00a0 Its 4:45 a.m. and as I look closer, I can see a couple of people scurrying back and forth from one place to another.\u00a0 At this time in the morning, it\u2019s hard to see any signs except one and if you know anything about Texas Barbecue it\u2019s a big sign in the form of a little lady.\u00a0 With a somewhat cult following, this woman is often referred to as the First Lady of Barbecue. Yep, I\u2019ve arrived at Snow\u2019s BBQ in Lexington, Texas and just a few yards away moving from pit to pit is the famous Pit Master, Tootsie Tomanetz.<\/span><\/div><div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/div><div dir=\"auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-568 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944323552-300x177.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944323552-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944323552-1024x603.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944323552-768x452.jpg 768w, https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944323552-600x353.jpg 600w, https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944323552.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div><div dir=\"auto\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With her barbecue roots going back to 1966, Tootsie started working at City Meat Market in Giddings, under the guidance of Pit Master Orange Holloway.\u00a0 Being shorthanded, her husband Edward who already worked there told her about a part time job, so she took it.\u00a0 After just a short time and seeing how well she worked, they hired her full time and Tootsie and her husband continued to work there for the next 10 years.\u00a0 In 1976 they bought City Meat Market in Lexington and continued that business for 20 years as she was busy honing her skills as both a Pit Master and a Butcher.\u00a0 Tootsie says that back then, brisket hadn\u2019t caught on as it has today, and that sausage was the big seller.<\/span> \u00a0<\/div><div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/div><div dir=\"auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-569 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944479857-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944479857-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944479857-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944479857-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944479857-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944479857.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/div><div dir=\"auto\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, Tootsie works alongside the owner of Snow\u2019s BBQ, Realtor,ex-Rodeo Star, Bullfighter and Funny Man, Kerry Bexely.\u00a0 Together since 2003 they\u2019ve been making some of the best barbecue in Texas, which of course means the World.\u00a0 During this time, they\u2019ve been named Texas Monthly\u2019s # 1 Barbecue joint twice, the first time in 2008 and then again in 2017.\u00a0 Today you can drive up to Snow\u2019s BBQ at 7 a.m. and see a line of people going across the property, out around into the alley, around that corner into the street and back around the block.\u00a0 Yes, the barbecue is that good.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I asked Tootsie about what she thought about the rise in popularity of barbecue in the world today and she said it was great to see but she wasn\u2019t sold on how long everyone would stay in business.\u00a0 She said, \u201cYou have to love what you\u2019re doing, and you can\u2019t just learn it overnight.\u00a0 It takes years to gain the knowledge and experience needed to make good barbecue.\u201d\u00a0 I also asked her about the types and grade of briskets the competition cookers are using to win in these BBQ cook-offs.\u00a0 She kind of laughed and said, \u201cIt really doesn\u2019t matter, you just need to know what you\u2019re doing and make sure you give each brisket some TLC.\u201d <\/span><\/p><\/div><div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/div><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-570 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Screenshot_20210328-113430-819-214x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we walked through the pit room, she said she had to check on the chicken and I told her I just loved the chicken here because of how juicy it was.\u00a0 I asked her about what temperature she used when cooking the chicken.\u00a0 So, when she came to the pit with the chicken in it, she put her hand on top of it and said, \u201cThis one is running at about 200.\u201d\u00a0 I felt of the pit and kind of laughed, not showing disrespect but knowing that if anyone knew by touch and be accurate, it would be Tootsie.\u00a0 We walked over to where the pork shoulder was cooking and she put her hand on it and said, \u201cThis one is running at about 250.\u201d\u00a0 I put my hand on it and sure enough, it was a little warmer.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p><div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/div><div dir=\"auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-572 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944493516-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944493516-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944493516-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944493516-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944493516-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944493516.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Later that morning, I had some friends that flew all the way in from Australia just to come eat at Texas Monthly\u2019s # 1 pick and together we tasted what is truly some of the best brisket in the world.\u00a0 We also experienced something we found unique.\u00a0 A phenomenon that with your first bite of brisket triggers an involuntary loss of muscle, a phenomenon causing your eyes to roll back in your head and your brain to send weird signals to your mouth and as you\u2019re trying to eat and it says words like \u201coh\u201d and \u201cwow\u201d and then you make noises and grunts like, \u201cummp\u201d and \u201cmmmm.\u201d\u00a0 You just can\u2019t believe some of the sounds coming from you that indicate what a wonderful experience you are having.<\/span><\/div><div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/div><div dir=\"auto\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As I walked through the pit room with Tootsie, I realized that I was walking with a Texas Barbecue celebrity.\u00a0 I was walking with history being made and that I would be telling this story about Tootsie for years to come.\u00a0 I realized that this little woman standing around 5\u20193\u201d was a giant among Barbecue Pit Masters to say the least.\u00a0 Of course, all the praise is well deserved of the 2018 Barbecue Hall of Fame Inductee but my word or the word of any other person writing about barbecue doesn\u2019t mean a thing. \u00a0 No, Tootsie let\u2019s her Texas Barbecue do all the talking on its own.<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-10a2228 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"10a2228\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-text-editor elementor-clearfix\">\n\t\t\t\t<div dir=\"auto\">Snow\u2019s BBQ is located at 516 Main St, Lexington Texas 78947<\/div><div dir=\"auto\">979.773.4640<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The First Lady of Barbecue By Derik Strelsky Texas Barbecue Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter Share on linkedin LinkedIn I could hear the cows bawling in the background as I stepped out of the truck.\u00a0 Just down the street is the old sale barn where every Saturday for decades now Ranchers have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":564,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,28],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/FB_IMG_1616944368166-e1616950003738.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":678,"href":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98\/revisions\/678"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/texas-barbecue.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}