Our Man has eaten at Hill Country, and it was good. He knows his ‘cue in general, and knows Kreuz Market, the famous Lockhart, Texas spot that Hill Country does a “reverent re-creation” of, according to Sietsema.
Here’s what to order:
Clod, aka beef shoulder. “Kreuz clod is like smoked pot roast – big, coarse-textured, and well caramelized. Hill Country’s clod ($18 per pound) is smaller and more delicate, a citified version of a country classic.”>
Brisket. “The brisket comes in two variations. ‘Moist’ is fattier than anything I’ve ever seen in Texas, where good barbecue is invariably fatty. ‘Lean’ is too lean. The solution: A quarter-pound of each will run you about $8, and you can chop them roughly together before folding them into a slice of white bread, Texas style.
Sausage. “The plain sausage is unassailable, perhaps because it’s imported from Kreuz Market, with a beef filling that is authentically loose in its casing.”
As is tradition with barbecue, the sides are weird and not great, but Sietsema liked the corn-kernel pudding.
Hill Country
30 West 26th Street
(212) 255-4544