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Quick rundown: What does a pitmaster leave behind after 39 years at Kreuz Market? This week, we reflect on Roy Perez’s retirement and the meaning of the hot coals he helped carry from the old Kreuz pits to the new location in 1999. Around the Fire meets the Lockhart craftsmen building pits for some of Texas’s best-known smokehouses and follows InterStellar BBQ and la Barbecue to London. Pitmaster Picks stays with Roy as he demonstrates brisket and shoulder clod, while Events Radar points toward three September gatherings worth putting on the calendar.
Some BBQ legacies are written in recipes. Others are carried through years of showing up, tending fires, maintaining standards, and teaching the people working beside you.
In 1999, when Kreuz Market moved out of the building it had occupied for 99 years, pitmaster Roy Perez helped transport hot coals from the old pits to the new location in a metal wash tub.
The image has become part of Kreuz Market history. But the meaning reaches beyond the coals themselves.
Roy also carried years of knowledge into that new building. He understood the pits, the meat, the pace of the restaurant, and what generations of customers expected when they returned.
My own connection to Kreuz began in 1990, when family friends whose family had visited for generations introduced me to the place. I remember Roy behind the counter, working around the pits and already looking every bit like the Texas pitmaster he would become known as.
We continued returning over the years. As I got older, the meaning of Roy carrying those coals became clearer to me.
Tradition does not continue simply because a restaurant keeps the same name. It continues because people make the effort to carry it forward.
After 39 years at Kreuz Market, Roy retired on September 5. Lockhart Mayor Lew White marked the occasion by proclaiming the date Roy Perez Day.
His retirement leaves us with a question that reaches beyond one pitmaster and one historic BBQ joint:
What does a pitmaster leave behind?
The Pitmaster Who Carried Kreuz Market’s Fire
Roy’s story is about more than a famous set of chops, a Hall of Fame honor, or one memorable walk through Lockhart. It is about the standards, knowledge, and traditions that remain after a pitmaster steps away from the fire.
Now it’s your turn
Roy Perez made me think about the different ways a pitmaster’s influence can remain long after a particular meal is over.
Is a pitmaster’s legacy measured most by the food, the traditions they preserve, or the people they influence?
Tell us who comes to mind, what made that person’s work memorable, and what you believe they passed along.
Have a take on this? Share Issue #26 on Facebook and see what your BBQ crowd remembers.
Until next week, keep chasing the smoke,
Mike
BBQ Fandom | ExploringBBQ.com
This week’s stories show how far Texas barbecue can travel: from the Lockhart craftsmen building pits for some of the state’s best-known smokehouses to two Michelin-starred Austin restaurants bringing their cooking across the Atlantic for a London residency.
Mill Scale Builds the Pits Behind Modern Texas Barbecue
Brothers Matt and Caleb Johnson have turned Mill Scale Metalworks into an influential part of Lockhart’s barbecue community. Their smokers can be found at restaurants including Kreuz Market, Burnt Bean, Goldee’s, and InterStellar.
The brothers describe their pits as functional art, but insist cooking performance comes first. Their work shows how Texas barbecue traditions are carried forward not only by the people tending fires, but also by the craftsmen building the tools.
MySA | September 7, 2026 | Free
Terry Black’s Sets September 15 New Braunfels Opening
Terry Black’s Barbecue will open its eighth restaurant in New Braunfels on September 15. The new location will feature visible smokers, a 1,400-square-foot pit house, private dining space, and a two-story covered outdoor deck.
Its arrival adds another major name to a New Braunfels barbecue scene that continues to grow into a destination of its own.
MySA | September 2, 2026 | Free
Austin BBQ Stars Join Forces for a London Residency
Two of Austin’s Michelin-starred barbecue restaurants are taking Texas BBQ overseas. John Bates of InterStellar BBQ and Ali Clem of la Barbecue have combined signature meats and sides for a monthlong residency at The Ned in London. The menu brings together pork ribs, peach tea-glazed pork belly, pulled lamb shoulder, beef short rib, chopped-cheese sausage, and other Texas-inspired offerings through October 4. It is another sign that the influence of Texas barbecue now extends well beyond the state’s borders.
The Independent | September 4, 2026 | Free
If Roy Perez’s story made you think of a pitmaster, BBQ joint, or tradition that has stayed with you, forward this issue to the friend who would understand why it matters. Some stories are meant to be carried forward.
This week’s pick spends time with Roy Perez at Kreuz Market, exploring the history, cooking, and character behind one of Texas BBQ’s most recognizable pitmasters.
I Got SCHOOLED by The Most Iconic Pitmaster in Texas BBQ
Video | October 25, 2025 | YouTube, Behind The Food TV
Behind The Food TV visits Kreuz Market to explore its history with Roy Perez, Keith Schmidt, and photographer Wyatt McSpadden. Roy demonstrates how Kreuz prepares brisket and beef shoulder clod while sharing stories from his decades behind the pits and reflecting on what comes next.
September’s calendar brings three different reasons to get on the road: a free community festival on the Gulf Coast, a pitmaster homecoming in North Texas, and Southern Living’s Hill Country Tailgate in Fredericksburg.
JDS Give Back Festival
September 11 to 12 | Clute, Texas
The fourth annual JDS Give Back Festival brings two evenings of live music, a free carnival, local vendors, and a BBQ cook-off to Clute Municipal Park. Admission is free, making this a family-friendly reason to spend the weekend near the Texas Gulf Coast.
Texas Monthly BBQ Fest: BBQ Homecoming
September 19 | Grand Prairie, Texas
BBQ Homecoming brings Texas pitmasters, live-fire cooking, dinner, music, and dancing to EpicCentral for an evening celebrating the state’s barbecue community. The event is ticketed, and a portion of ticket proceeds will support Feeding Texas and its statewide network of food banks.
Want the full September calendar?
Southern Living Hill Country Tailgate
September 26 | Fredericksburg, Texas
Southern Living’s inaugural Hill Country Tailgate brings award-winning pitmasters, Texas barbecue, live country music, handcrafted cocktails, and college football on big screens to Contigo Ranch. The ticketed evening also includes interactive experiences and access to a tour of the 2026 Southern Living Idea House, making it a full Hill Country destination event rather than a traditional cook-off.
ExploringBBQ Highlight
BBQ Wood Flavor Guide: Best Woods for Texas BBQ
The guide explains how post oak, hickory, pecan, mesquite, and fruitwoods affect different meats, with an emphasis on producing clean smoke rather than simply adding more smoke.
Book Choice of the Week
The Prophets of Smoked Meat: A Journey Through Texas Barbecue
Hardcover | May 14, 2013 | Daniel Vaughn
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For the next BBQ run
Supporting Texas BBQ does not always mean ordering the biggest tray on the menu. Sometimes it means showing up, bringing someone with you, and keeping the places you care about in the rotation. Gear up for the next BBQ run.
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