Buc-Ee's Iconic Brisket Is Backed By A Pitmaster With Food Network Chops

Buc-ee's is one of the hottest names in food, which is pretty impressive for a chain of convenience stores, and it's all thanks to a brisket star who made it all the way to the Food Network. Less than a decade ago Buc-ee's was a Texas-only institution, having started back in 1982 in Lake Jackson. Today it has almost 70 locations from Wisconsin to South Carolina, and it's become internet-famous for the popular Buc-ee's snacks you can score at its massive convenience stores. But while people certainly love the wall of beef jerky flavors and unique treats like Beaver Nuggets, the star of the show is the BBQ brisket. The man behind it is a legendary pitmaster named Randy Pauly. 

Pauly was a big name in the world of barbecue well before Buc-ee's. He grew up with a butcher grandfather and father who worked in the meat business, learning how to barbecue on a ranch in North Central Texas. Once a firefighter in Houston, Pauly became a decorated champion on the competition barbecue circuit, winning his first world championship at the age of 20. He went on to lead the BBQ team Holy Cow Cookers, which has won nine Grand Championship titles. His career took him all the way to competing on season two of Food Network's "Chopped Grill Master." But his role with Buc-ee's may have brought him the most recognition.

After decades of winning in the barbecue competition circuit, Randy Pauly was the man Buc-ee's went to when it wanted to up its food game as the chain continued expanding. The goal was to bring good barbecue to the masses in a more accessible way than the great BBQ hotspots of the South, with their long lines and limited inventory.

Pauly works in the Buc-ee's test kitchen developing recipes, but his biggest role is probably training the staff at each new location. The brisket recipe he developed is very similar to his award-winning competition recipes, using a lot of the same professional processes. Buc-ee's employees are trained to prepare and smoke a brisket just like the best barbecue joints — there are no shortcuts. 

The briskets at Buc-ee's are smoked in a real old-school smokehouse for up to 18 hours. They are then made into sandwiches, or just sold by the pound. In a store filled with thousands of items, the brisket sandwich is the chain's top selling item — and the sliced brisket is number two. You can even order a whole brisket at Buc-ee's, if you ask a day in advance.