Cooper's sauce recipe?

B

Beau Vine

1,000+ Posts
Anybody have a recipe for the type of sauce that Cooper's dips your meat in when they take it out of the smoker?

TIA.
 
Ketchup, white vinegar, brisket juice, s&p , maybe a little lemon, smoked in a pot on the pit.

Something like that I think but I can never get it quite like Cooper's. I could drink that stuff.

Can someone list the ingredients off of a bottle of it?
 
What do you put it on? Surely you don't put it on some meat product at Coopers. I went there again this past weekend with some friends. It was a group thing, and against my better judgement I actually ordered food. I bet I paid $10 for fat. I thought they would have trimmed it up before they weighed it. That is pretty common most places I go. Trim the fat after they cut it at the pit. Nope. I was pretty mad, but didn't say anything as it was a bachelor trip meal.
That place is terrible.
 
Dumbest post ever, especially since you can pick your piece of meat at Coopers.

I went to Cooper's Saturday and the brisket was best I've ever had, which is why I brought up the topic.

And I'm also one of those people who hate fat on meat. My brisket chunk had relatively none.
 
Last time I went there I should have just gotten som beef jerky, It was that dry. I rate Coopers right up there with Matt's El Rancho as the most over rated places in the state.
COOPER'S SUX.... bottom line. Also, most of the people I know feel the same way. I generally feel like asking them what they hell they are doing there.
 
Side note: I went to Louie Meuller's the other day and the brisket sucked. Cooper's and Meuller's are two of the top BBQ spots in the world. Sometimes you just get a bad piece of meet.

Cooper's is definitely top-10 in Texas.
 
Yeah, the black cauldron of "juice" is what is being talked about, I think. It's thin, vinegary, and perfect. It doesn't coat the meat -- it just adds something.

As for Cooper's sucking. Wow. I have hit as many of the major bbq joints in this state as just about anyone. I was going to Cooper's before the first big Texas Monthly article. It is my favorite place. I have never had a bad meal there. Then again, this is my order, ALWAYS:

1/4-1/2 lb brisket -- I pick my piece, of course. I like some fat, but not overly so.

1 big chop -- I like a smaller one, with lots of angles and corners on it, to pick up more seasoning and smoky flavor.

1/2 lb goat (if I'm there on a weekend and they have it). Damned good stuff.

Sit down with that, a bowl of free beans with fresh diced onion, a cup of vinegary "sauce," and enjoy. Save most of the chop and some of the brisket in foil. Throw in the cooler. Go flyfish the Llano till dark. Eat cold leftover brisket and chop in the truck on the drive home. Openly weep in celebration of a perfect day.

I willl certainly admit that there are things that Cooper's does that do NOT impress me. Their sausage is glorified ekrich. Their smoked sirloin is tough. Their chicken is ok, but not great. Their ribs are actually good, but I've had better (the Country Tavern in Kilgore owns that category).

But their brisket, chop, and goat make it my go-to place.
 
If you just ask the guy's inside to trim the fat they will. Jesus.

I am guessing the bottled sauce doesn't have the meat drippings in it because it won't last as long, but I am pretty sure the stuff in the cauldron has it.

Also, after you get your Cooper's on, go across the street to Inman's and get some of their fresh homemade white loaf bread. You're welcome in advance. Try Inman's turkey sausage too. I love it. Some don't but I think it is excellent. Before there was Cooper's there was Inman's as the go to place in Llano to eat.
 
First thing we eat on the way back from Spring Break skiing.

Cooperscopy.jpg
 
I will say I was sick and so not totally 'aware' of what was going on this time. I was in a bit of a fog. I did assume the guy would trim the fat. I got a piece of prime rib and it was towards the end. I guess I could see where it was my fault for not saying, "Hey trim the fat off the end of that thing.' I just assumed they knew I didn't want to pay for pure fat.
I have eaten there 3 times. And 2 of the 3 were bad. I will say that even bad BBQ isn't 'bad' in my book, but it I just haven't found the place to be something special. I live near Belton and I really think Schoef's is just as good or better, and Cyclone's isn't bad either. Cyclone's is served family style, Schoef's is served at the box just like Coopers.
Kruetz's is the best I have had..... followed by David's in Pantego, and Gonzalez Meat Market is good too.
 
Well, I'll say that one mistake is getting prime rib at a barbecue joint. I just don't think that prime rib is a good choice for smoking or cue. It's like making a hamburger with beef tenderloin -- sure, you can, but why? And it's certainly not a good indicator of a cue joint. Stick with the classics -- brisket, sausage, ribs, etc. (and at Kreuz, Smitty's, and Cooper's, throw the pork chop in there, too).

And at Cooper's, you tell the guy EXACTLY which piece you want -- that's the beauty of it. I've asked him to cut into the slab of brisket a bit, so I could get a middle slice. They'll do it. Not every slice of meat is ideal, so don't be afraid to ask for what you want.

Hell, I used to piss off old John Meuller when I'd ask for 1/2 lb of brisket, and make it about half outside cuts. He'd argue with me. I'd argue back. It finally got to where I'd go in, ask for it, and he'd grin and shake his head, saying "I'm too tired to fight with you" and give me what I wanted.
 
Hey now . . . I found the keys . . . eventually. I will concede that perhaps I need to come up with a better key-stashing plan (note -- this applies to my technique of dropping the key in the sand in the dark at San Luis Pass as well). But in my defense, my bloodstream was easily 50% grease at the time, so my thinking was clearly impaired.

Cue does funny things to me.
 
Back to the topic at hand...

I think Cooper's sauce is made of vinegar, tomato sauce (not ketchup), pepper (obviously), garlic salt, onions, and water...

Now, trying to get the right mixture...that's another question.

By the way, Cooper's brisket is hit or miss. Sometimes it's the best in Texas, sometimes it's dry as hell. Good to get there on a busy day when they're going through a bunch of brisket to ensure a fresh cut.

If you guys are really on the hunt for a great BBQ place, here's one for you. Rocky Creek BBQ. It's a small shack opened up by an old man on Hamilton Pool Road. Only open Thur-Sun. THE absolute best brisket in the state...and I've had it all. Go visit him sometime...you won't regret it.
 
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