Pitmaster IndexKent Black
Owner & Pitmaster
Kent Black
Black's Barbecue (Lockhart Original)18+ years activeLockhart, TX
Signature:Ring sausage (90% beef, 10% pork), made since 1932
Kent Black is the third-generation owner and pitmaster of Black's Barbecue in Lockhart, which opened as a meat market in 1932. With his sons, he has expanded Black's beyond the original Lockhart location to Austin, New Braunfels and San Marcos, while staying with the recipes and techniques passed down from his grandfather, Edgar Black Sr. Black's has made its sausage rings since 1932; Black describes them as 90 percent beef and 10 percent pork.
Philosophy
Black has said: "Take care of the customer and your business will be fine. Take care of your staff, and your business will be fine."
Technique
Black's cooks over post oak. In 2013 Texas Monthly listed its smokers as wood-fired offset smokers and gas-fired rotisseries.
Recognition
- Black's Barbecue — Texas Monthly's The 50 Best BBQ Joints . . . in the World! (2013)
Influences
Edgar Black Sr. (grandfather)