JR Smokehouse BBQ - Catering

Well where do I start with this one! I have been a little bit absent of late because I had been planning my boys double 1st/3rd party (their birthdays are a day apart). Both my boys names are places in Texas and I actually found Nash's while scouring for a name on the Texan towns list trying to get something to suit Austin. So when traveling to Texas with 3 small children sounds like a nightmare, what do you do? Bring Texas to them!

I had been pretty much planning this for the last 6 months and food was a big thought for this event. At first I considered trying to cook a brisket myself and after some googling I realised that it was probably a little bit out of my depth. I thought to myself there is no way I would find a caterer to do a brisket but optimistically thought to google it anyway. Totally blown away though when JR Smokehouse BBQ came up in the search. It felt like I'd literally struck oil, Texan oil! (haha yeah mum joke) I was so stoked and knew this was the thing that was going to make the boys Texan BBQ birthday.

So months of anticipating this day were totally worth it. I used to watch a lot of Man Vs Food and lament to Wade that it sucked there were no places like that in Australia. This literally felt like we were in a Man Vs Food episode at this BBQ it was so intense. It was a completely sensory feast as well with the aromas, colours and textures on display. I really actually enjoyed photographing this food for that very reason. I only wish I wasn't so busy with the party that I got to take more photos.

Joel who run's JR is a really rad dude too. He is super easy going and so nice to deal with. We had a few stresses that our hilly yard (that was soggy from the rain) may not be able to accommodate the smoker but with some improvisation on his side he managed to get the smoker on our driveway.

For those who don't know much about the process of smoking a BBQ, Joel puts in a lot of effort. He preps the meats the day before, drove a couple of hours to get to our place and then set up at 8am and pretty much cooked all through the day till food was served around 6pm. His effort and dedication though really pays off because the food was amazing! Being from America himself Joel really knows his BBQ.

On the menu Was Carolina pulled pork rolls, Memphis BBQ ribs, Chicken Cupcakes (All meats smoked with pecan wood) with sides of Ranch Beans, Corn on the cob, Homestyle Potato salad and Coleslaw. Everyone was so stoked on the food and couldn't stop talking about how great it was. In fact people are still talking about it now.

It actually just felt like we were at a legit Texan BBQ though when Joel unveiled the Texan Beef Brisket. This was like the most amazing thing I had ever tried and really authenticated that Texan BBQ vibe for me.  Joel doesn't normally do a Beef Brisket due to the time involved but made an exception for us by modifying it so there was less smoking time involved with a smaller cut of meat. The flavour was intense and it was just amazingly moist and tender. That along with the Cream Cheese stuffed Jalapenos he served as starters sealed the deal for us.

JR smokehouse BBQ not only cooked the BBQ but served and provided cutlery and plates. By  the time they were finished packing up it was about 8:30pm so it was a along day for the guys particularly Joel who had been working since 8am. So not only was it the food that made the boys birthday a great day it was Joel's dedication to the craft. He was always super polite and happy just to be there even though it was a long hard day for him.

 Can not highly reccomend JR Smokehouse enough to anyone looking to cater an event a little differently. The food was just phenomenal and surpassed my expectations. I even actually had some devo moments editing these photos and realising it's over.

http://www.smokehousebbq.com.au/