This Food Truck in Texas Makes Amazing BBQ Brisket … Without Using Any Meat

Memorial Day is coming up next week and you know what that means! Yes, it’s the official kick-off of summer, but it also means that it’s the start of barbecue season. Whoohoo! Why are we so excited over something that typically means that there won’t be a vegetable in sight? Well, we can answer that: you can have a barbecue in all of its barbecue sauce-covered meaty goodness without any meat at all. From sticky barbecue tempeh “ribs” to grilled seitan (also known as “wheat meat”) kebabs, you can use plant-based ingredients to recreate all the classics. Since we love vegan barbecue food so much, one food truck, in particular, has caught our attention.

At BBQ Revolution in Austin, Texas, Le Cordon Bleu-educated chef Blake Newman is serving up classic Texas barbecue fare without the meat. According to Austin Monthly, Newman was a lifelong meat lover, but started cooking vegan meals in order to improve his health and he later learned about factory farming. Honestly, we can’t stop drooling over their photos:

Texas is known for its meaty, juicy BBQ and BBQ Revolution doesn’t disappoint – even though they leave meat out of the equation.

And here’s where the magic happens. Newman smokes all his plant-proteins for three hours over a pit of pecan and mesquite wood.

The result is brisket and ribs that taste smoky and have a crisp skin. You can also pair their famous plant proteins with vegan versions of classic barbecue fare like baked beans and mac and cheese.

Or cornbread and coleslaw. Aw, yeah.

According to Newman, “I don’t feel we’re that much different than any other barbecue, except for the fact that we just don’t use the same [protein]. We use the same techniques that they use. Barbecue doesn’t have to include meat. Barbecue is a technique and an apparatus.”

Newman may be dishing up some of the best barbecue around, but in an article in Austin Monthly, he disclosed that not everyone has been receptive to the idea of meat-free barbecue, “I’ve been told I should be shot in the face for the disgrace that I bring to barbecue.” But, he’s had positive responses, too: “I also get people who thank me beyond belief. Usually people taste it and say, ‘Wow. I was wrong.’”

To learn more about BBQ Revolution, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Can’t make the trip all the way to Texas? You can still have a vegan barbecue! We highly recommend checking out the Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone. With over 8,000 vegan recipes (and over 10 new recipes added daily), you’re going to find something you love!

Lead image source: BBQ Revolution/Facebook