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• by:
• Demers, John

Like the cowboys of the old Chisholm or Goodnight-Loving trails, veteran food writer John DeMers gazed at the highway ahead and settled in for a long, long ride. More than 14,000 miles later - all of them in Texas - DeMers has eaten in hundreds of barbecue joints. The 119 places featured in Follow the Smoke range from very plain (a shack with an ordering window) to slightly fancy, from Port Arthur to Amarillo, McAllen to Texarkana, Austin to El Paso. The one thing they all share is a commitment to do the work and put in the time - 18 to 22 hours, in some cases - to produce meat that's ever so smoky, tender and juicy. So pull on your boots and loosen your belt buckle: John DeMers is about to take you out for the ride, and the meal, of your life. Follow the Smoke is enhanced with 35 recipes for barbecue meats, rubs, sauces, favorite fixin's and desserts.