I Got SCHOOLED at Austin’s Michelin-Starred la Barbecue! Watch the video where I got to taste all of this food and more!
Special Thanks to John Lewis, Tom Micklethwait, Danielle “DivaQ” Bennett, Chuck Charnichart, and @kevinsbbqjoints for their contributions to this video
Welcome to Behind The Food TV! On this channel I document my journey to become a better cook. I travel to meet chefs and pitmasters at the top of their game – and somehow convince them to teach me the techniques that make their food special. I enjoy getting to know them, their families, and their communities – and I hope you enjoy it all just as much!
When I get home, I love to try these new techniques I’m learning – and I post those videos over on my new channel @BehindTheFoodTV along with my other BBQ experiments and tests – so if you’re looking for my BBQ cooking videos, they are all moving over there!
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Welcome to the I Got SCHOOLED video series from Behind The Food TV (formerly Eat More Vegans Carnivore BBQ)! In this series it’s my turn to learn. The best chefs and pitmasters in the world have agreed to teach me…..and you the secrets that make their food so good! You can watch the whole series here:
🔴 If you liked this video, you’re going to LOVE these!:
🎥 I Got SCHOOLED by the #1 Rated BBQ in Austin Texas
🎥 I Got SCHOOLED by the Best BBQ Joint in East Texas
🎥 I Got SCHOOLED by the Most Misunderstood Man in BBQ
🎥 I Got SCHOOLED by the Best Sausage Maker in Texas – the Sausage Sensei
🎥 I Got SCHOOLED by The Best New BBQ Joint in Texas – Bar-A-BBQ
🎥 I Got SCHOOLED by the Coal Miner Pioneering Eastern KY BBQ
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Chapters in this video:
00:00 My Journey to Become the Best Cook I Can Be
01:24 Ali’s Story – Falling in love with food
04:00 Brisket – trimming
06:45 Barbecue Royalty
09:17 Sausage grinding and seasoning & Ribs – trimming
13:04 The John Mueller Days
15:47 Brisket & Ribs – seasoning & Sausage – casing & linking
18:57 John Mueller Leaves, la Barbecue is Born
22:49 Brisket & Ribs – the cook
26:38 Sausage – the cook
27:20 Unbearable Loss
34:21 Brisket & Ribs – wrapping
35:48 The Challenges They Faced
39:05 Sausage – crisping
39:46 The Dynamic Duo
43:39 Brisket, Ribs & Sausage – Done
45:32 Texas Monthly & the Michelin Star
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I truly hope you found watching this as rewarding as I found making it. Watch the video where Ali and I got to taste all of this food and more! https://youtu.be/pIFryVNO8co
Great job brotha. This was great! I didn't cry 😭😭. Can't wait to visit this place on the bbq trip.
This is really well done, and an incredible story. Thanks for telling it!
I wonder if La Barbie ever frequented La Barbecue? Would have been interesting, imo.
She got a Michelin star because she is a girl. Plain and simple. Franklin doesn’t have one and Blacks doesn’t either. 🤡🤡🤡
Outstanding. Truly
Cant stand black pepper! That said , sausages look Hella good!!
Hey bro, what type of set up do you use for your camera as a chest helmet? What mounts what type camera?🤙
Didn't they steal her brothers company? So courageous. Love conquers all… ?
Not sure why people are so surprised that women can cook anything considering they fed the entire family for years growing up. Who do you think our fathers??😂😂😂😂
Great watch!
Sweet barkign Jesus, that is a Genius way to make sausage links. I have wasted so much life and mental processes doing it wrong….
❤ this is Kevin from Miami FL. And I am so moved and touched with this video. Very powerful and beautiful story of bbq, love, and struggles, and strength, as I sit here typing my comment I have tears coming down my face.
I consider myself a weekend back yard bbq person who likes also to bend the bbq rules and I have been blown away with your story. Of you and your partner . It's always been a dream of mine to open my own bbq place . Your video is very inspirational and I loved it so much. I think more women should see your video and I would definitely share this with my friends and my wife and daughter . Thank you so much for sharing your video with the world. What you have is amazing and incredible. I wish you the best and lots of luck . Hope one day I could have the opportunity to visit your restaurant and maybe have the honor to be your student and learn a few things. 😊
LeeAnn had exact same scowl on her face as both John and her Dad. Never looked like any of them were ever really happy at their jobs or maybe they just were anti-social. The one thing I didn't like about eating at Louie Mueller's when Bobby was there and then at John's place on Manor Road. I like to deal with friendly folks…RIP to Bobby, John and LeeAnn I hope y'all now can have a smile on your faces…
This episode touched me in so many ways, a True love story and a BBQ place I would love to visit, so much emotion and insight, makes me sad, but so happy to watch
#SmokesMeats
Great story and video that you helped bring to life!! Us austinites love our bbq, and la bbq is a staple here❤
I would never frequent a "woke" BBQ. I'm so tired of "we're queer and we're here" being shovbed in my face.
GREAT story!! I will never understand why anyone would ever question or challenge the gender of who's making the BBQ or any food for that matter. Ask any person about who makes the best (insert meal here) and it's always their MOTHER so it would only seem natural to me that a female is great at BBQ. In today's age and time what does it matter the sexual orientation of a person when they make the BBQ that you love, and you pay for? What a strong, dedicated person. Continued success.
Great story and video! Very cool getting to access the top BBQ restaurants.
This guy keep getting schooled in every video 😂😂😂
👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿🙏🏿
From Va, I’ve been to several top 50 spots and La Barbecue’s brisket still stands out as one of the best! Not to mention the best disco bathroom on the planet !
I just started following your channel AL ,and i must say one of the best there is , so in depth ,and the best part is how you show how these people and their businesses came to be through the good and bad with the in depth and one on one interviews , awesome , Kudos to you , Cheers from Canada
So Barbs b que video next???
All these stories are amazing. We get to see the people side of bbq. It brings another whole level of appreciation of bbq. 🙏🙏🙏
This is an amazing story! I can only imagine some of the hurdles people go through in the barbecue world to gain respect when you're trying to prove that what you bring to the world has a unique flavor. I can't imagine what Leanne and everybody had to go through, but still have the ability to show all her critics that she is more than capable of putting forth good product. Really appreciate you putting this story out!
Congrats to LA Barbecue!! And congrats to you for another amazing video!! Please keep them coming. Really appreciate it.
Def a touching video and a great story behind it all. I wasn't ready for the hot and fast briskets.
Well done. I may catch heat for this but I will say it anyway. The idea that women can cook “just as well” as men, as if it’s some sort of surprising revelation, is utterly ridiculous. Cooking is a skill, not a gendered trait, yet somehow the culinary world continues to be dominated by the perception that men are the ultimate chefs. Sure, the industry has historically been filled with men at the top, but that has far more to do with systemic structures than any actual difference in ability. The notion that a woman needs to "prove" she can cook at the same level as a man is outdated nonsense. The proof is on the plate, not in the gender of the person behind the grill.
And let’s talk about this tired narrative that women must "buck the system" to find success. This framing assumes that every woman in BBQ or any other male-dominated field is some kind of rebel, breaking rules and defying expectations at every turn. In reality, most of them are simply excelling within the exact same framework that has always existed. They aren't overthrowing tradition—they're working within it. They’re using the same techniques, the same dedication, and the same grit that every successful pitmaster has ever used. The only difference is that the media insists on framing their success as an act of defiance rather than simply acknowledging their expertise.
At its core, BBQ is about skill, patience, and craftsmanship. Some people do it better than others, and gender has nothing to do with it. The real story isn’t about “bucking the system or not playing by the rules”—it’s about mastery, perseverance, and respect for the craft. Women in BBQ don’t need to be labeled as revolutionaries just for doing what great pitmasters have always done. They’re not rewriting the rules; they’re playing the same game—just at different levels, like everyone else.
As long as people keep pushing the gender "narrative" we will never move past it. Stop with the BS on who is cooking the food. If a women cooking good BBQ is still surprising and people keep pushing that narrative, people will thinking that and you are literally training women to think they are trying to break some bs glass ceiling.
What an inspirational story. I’m a chef of thirty years and this story is all over America in the food industry and I feel this hard.
Awesome job on this one as always Al
Wow. What an inspiration! I cook for fun and not professionally, and this was a masterclass in ignoring adversity and embracing "I'll do it my way". Gurlz rule even in barbecue! Chase your dreams, don't accept "you can't", and make your own reality. ❤❤❤❤❤
These videos just keep getting better, Al. Best one yet, thank you.
Just got to watch this in its entirety. Wow, great job with a great (sad, too, obviously) story. I was of course familiar with La Barbecue, but I did not know about Leann. From the cooking side of things…..wow, that’s hot and fast! I’m going to HAVE to try a hot and fast brisket. Thanks for the great video Al!
Another great video that truly tells a story
Fantastic stuff!!!!!
It's great to see a video where I thought I knew the story but was blown away by the real story and the amazing people whose real stories inspire a large BBQ community. I'm ready to fly to Texas and experience some great food. Thanks Al!!
Wonderful story Al! Well done again!
Well told story as always.
Are you going to try her method for brisket?
Great video! Are they running the stack wide open when cooking that hot?
Where is the video on the turkey??? It was in the preview on the moist not soaked in butter turkey. Please share that detail!
The most touching story on the channel. Привет из России!
You guys keep coming up with your own creative recipes for your videos. From the world class bbq tips to the FAN FREAKING TASTIC! interviews. WOW! Thanks!
I would drive 100miles for a Brisket Bobby Dawg!