Blanco Barbecue, San Antonio

This is a photo of left overs from a great meal at the Blanco Barbecue in San Antonio.  Yes you can take it with you.

There are two loops in San Antonio, and knock on wood, neither have tolls.  Take one of the loops, I-410 or 1604 to Blanco Road.  If on I-410, then go north on Blanco.  If on Loop 1604, then go south on Blanco.  The place is on the west side (south-bound lane) of Blanco Road.

Pecan Smoked Meats:

I have done a lot of smoking over the years and found that pecan is the most available wood that gives a great flavor to meats.   Oak has to be green or the flavor is too harsh.  Mesquite, green or not, puts a strong flavor into the meats.  Hard hardwoods work the best (pecan and hickory) to gently flavor the meats with smoke.  Blanco Barbecue uses pecan to smoke their meats.

Bar-B-Q Meats



Spare Ribs:

The pork ribs are so lean that you wonder if there's any fat at all.  But there is ... just enough to flavor the meat.  Look how perfectly smoked they are.  Something about a pecan smoked flavor on pork.




Brisket:

Blanco only smokes up Angus beef.  And the brisket has just enough fat to flavor the meat without it being greasy.  Some places have too little fat and the brisket tastes bland.



Pulled Pork:

This dish has to be they're best product.  I know people who do not like barbecue and like Blanco's pulled pork cooked down in their homemade sauce.


Smoked Turkey:

I used to smoke meats for a family reunion and smoked turkey was always the first item that we ran out of.  Look at this turkey ... moist, smoke-pink rim, and lean breast meat.  Doesn't get any better than that.

Smoked Sausage:

The smoked sausage at Blanco Barbecue is the deal breaker.  Many barbecue places have great meats, but fall short on the sausage because it's too fatty or the meat is insipid.  Not at Blanco Barbecue.  The sausage has taste and is as lean as sausage gets.    



Smoked Barbecue Chicken:

Look at this:  the picture speaks for itself.  Half a chicken with crisp skin.  I could just eat the skin.  Anybody out there on a fat free diet, I'll eat the skin and you can have the breast meat.  Contact me, I'm serious.  I'll have the wings and thighs as well.



The Sides



Mac-n-Cheese:

This side is the all time favorite of the staff and most of them are under the age of 20.  The cheese sauce is thick, not runny like in other places.  Get an order of Blanco's lean smoked sausage and mac-n-cheese, and you have a great feast.



Steak Fries:

The French fries still have the skin on them and are sliced big and well salted.




Potato Salid:

Next to the mac-n-cheese, I like Blanco's potato salad.  Great stuff and they have all of those green and red things in in the salad to make it taste better.



Stewed Green Beans:

If you're on a low carb diet, this is the way to go.  Meat and beans.  The green beans are cooked in onions, tomato, and bacon.  Really good stuff.

They do large orders & cater:

Here is ten pounds of brisket.  Remember, this is Angus beef.

Their Monster Platter:

Blanco Barbecue calls this their Mixed Platter: I call it the Monster Platter.  Left to right: ham, sausage, pulled pork, brisket, ribs with sides of mac-n-cheese and potato salad.  And no, I didn't clean the platter.  Had to take a rib and the ham home for later.

For more information on Blanco Bar-B-Q go to blancobbq.com.