Micah's Read of the Week, Vol. 73
The Dark Prince of Texas Barbecue, Up all night with a Twitch millionaire, Christmas Recipe Extravaganza, and more.
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John Mueller, Barbecue Legend, Dies at 52
“The dark prince of barbecue" changed the Texas scene for good.
This one hurts. John Mueller was always my favorite barbecue cook. His beef was magic: smoke, pepper, crunch. He was a wild card, but that always made visits to his various locations that much more exciting.
John Mueller, a barbecue phenom who spent his life tending pits, died on Thursday after a long illness. He was 52.
Mueller bounced between fame and infamy; mercurial, infuriating, hilarious, and generous would all accurately describe him. Through it all, he remained memorable.
John Mueller opened his first barbecue joint on Manor Road in Austin in 2001, years before Austin gained a reputation as a barbecue destination. His barbecue was my dad’s favorite. We went there many times.
Once, in college, my dad brought an entire brisket (and that killer onion barbecue sauce) from Mueller to visit me in Columbia, Missouri. I still have fraternity brothers who ask me about that beef.
It’s hard to overstate how important Mueller’s original Austin spot was to the city’s dining scene.
John Mueller’s BBQ was widely heralded in a city that had until then been a jumping-off point for barbecue trips to Lockhart, Luling, Llano, and Taylor, where John learned to cook from his father, the late Bobby Mueller, at Louie Mueller Barbecue. Two years after it opened, Mueller’s new place won a spot on our 2003 Top 50 list. Joe Nick Patoski wrote that it “quickly [rose] to the top of the local ’cue heap.”
Then one day, Mueller’s was gone. No explanation. No exit interviews with bloggers or social media influencers. Austin barbecue basically disappeared until a former Mueller employee started something special.
In 2011, he opened JMueller BBQ with his sister LeAnn. His peppery beef ribs, juicy sausages, and famous cheesy squash made a splash in the Austin barbecue scene, but Mueller wasn’t alone this time. Aaron Franklin, who had once worked at Mueller’s previous joint, was running Franklin Barbecue on the north side of town. Folks like myself were calling Franklin’s meat some of the best barbecue anywhere. Mueller took it as a challenge. “My goal is to put out some of the best barbecue in the state of Texas,” he told the New York Times in a story previewing what the paper called “Texas’s newest barbecue war.”
The fire glowed brightly at JMueller BBQ, but it lasted only a year. LeAnn famously fired her brother, renamed the business La Barbecue, and turned it into an Austin staple. The siblings made up years later. “I’m glad we forgave each other,” LeAnn said yesterday.
The end of JMueller was weird but only added to the family intrigue around John and the Muellers.
This time, Mueller wasn’t away from barbecue for long. John Mueller Meat Co. opened in Austin early the next year, and those beef ribs were as good as ever. The joint once made our Top 50 list, in 2013. Texas Monthly dubbed him “the dark prince of barbecue,” a nickname he enjoyed, thanks to his ever-present black hat and glasses and penchant for harassing his own customers.
Like the Mueller barbecue ventures that followed, that one didn’t last long. Three years later he left Austin and bounced around Central Texas trying to reestablish himself. Along the way he burned bridges with former business partners, food vendors, and the Texas comptroller’s office. Every time one of his joints closed, I thought it would be the end of the barbecue life for John Mueller. But he knew no other life. Mueller always found another audience to wow with his smoked beef.
In the end, John Mueller was a meat genius worth following.
In an interview with Zagat, he was asked how he fit into the Austin barbecue scene. “I made the Austin barbecue scene,” Mueller responded, leaning against his steel pit. You could almost see the twinkle in his eye behind the dark sunglasses. Some called him arrogant, and he was, but he was also right. Many barbecue cooks in Austin owe their existence to what Mueller started. He changed the game, and will forever leave his imprint on Texas barbecue.
Rest in peace.
A word from Micah
The holidays are a great time to start planning for the next year and beyond. If your plan for 2022 includes looking for a new home, the best thing you can do is start the conversation now. Let’s talk.
Schedule a risk-free mortgage consultation with me right now HERE. Or get started in just a few clicks at micahwiener.com.
Thank you for your support. Happy Holidays!
Back to the read…
Up all night with a Twitch millionaire: The loneliness and rage of the Internet’s new rock stars
This is a wild story. Check this lede:
NEW LONDON, Mo. — Just before midnight, six hours into his 10-hour Twitch live stream, Tyler Steinkamp’s rage begins to erupt.
He’s just scarfed down a dinner of cold chicken fingers over the sink during a three-minute ad break and raced back to his computer, where he is playing the “battle arena” game “League of Legends” as 28,762 people watch.
His face is broadcast onto the screen, alongside convulsions of neon warfare and a raucous chat box overflowing with 280 messages a minute. An anonymous audience is demanding his attention and unloading on him for every mistake. He has four hours of on-camera time to go.
Ok. So if you’re like me, that doesn’t make a lot of sense. But if you’re wondering if this guy is actually a big deal, keep reading.
At 26, Tyler is a millionaire and one of the Internet’s most popular streamers. For 50 hours a week, he broadcasts himself playing video games from his cramped living room in his 900-person Missouri hometown to 4.6 million followers, watching from around the world.
He earns more than $200,000 a month in Twitch ads and viewer subscriptions. Sponsorships with Nike and Doritos, contracts with giant esports teams, fan donations and merchandise sales have earned him millions more.
That sounds pretty good. I’d like to earn $200k/month. But, there’s a downside.
But the punishing need to stay relevant in a supersaturated market is also fueling severe burnout. After five years of building an unapologetically aggressive persona for an audience of mostly young men, Tyler is exhausted by the expectations of an unforgiving crowd. Tyler, whose father is Black, has endured years of personal insults and sometimes explicitly racist abuse. And as his online world has grown, his real one has shrunk dramatically. Tyler has millions of fans but no friends; before spending a recent day with a Post reporter, no one besides his girlfriend and family had visited his house in several years.
Tyler estimates he’s made more than $5 million over the past few years, but he has no credit card, financial adviser or clear sense of how to spend it. His rare splurge this year was on a $170,000 Acura NSX sports car, which he keeps in a big tool shed.
I’m confused. So is his mother.
When he moved back home, Tyler’s mom, Christina Lutz, could tell something weird was happening. She’d go to work as an elementary school secretary, making $14,000 a year, and come home to hear her son had made $700 sitting in front of a computer all day. “I could not understand why people were paying him. I still don’t,” she said.
This is a profile of a miserable man who faces unbelievable pressure and stress.
In the past, he’d take month-long breaks to ease his throat and rest his brain. But he is a celebrity now, and that means he has sponsorship requirements to fulfill, events to attend, corporate contracts to uphold. His latest Twitch deal includes a performance quota; he streams 200 hours a month.
He must play constantly to hold on to his top rank in each “League” season, which he typically ends with a 40-hour marathon. He allows himself to eat only during the commercial-length breaks between games, which can last 30 minutes or more. He forces himself not to yawn, because yawning means boredom. Bored viewers go somewhere else.
At least he’s helping his family out.
Tyler helps fund his stepdad’s roadside fireworks stand and pays his mom $70,000 a year to bring him dinner every evening: calzones or Salisbury steak or chicken and rice. She quit her old job but still feels torn: “Is your kid supposed to take care of you and pay your income?” When people ask, she tells them she’s a personal chef, but doesn’t mention it’s for her son.
I don’t think I understand Generation Z. I honestly don’t know what else to say.
Christmas Recipe Extravaganza
Cosmopolitan Spritz
Let’s start things with a cocktail. This one can be made in batches, and tailored to each drinker’s taste, making it perfect for a party.
Cosmo mix
18 oz. vodka
9 oz. Cointreau
6 oz. fresh lime juice (about 7 limes)
6 oz. naturally sweetened cranberry juice (such as Ocean Spray 100% Juice)
Cocktail
24 oz. chilled club soda
24 oz. chilled cava or other sparkling white wine (about one 750-ml bottle)
12 dashes of orange bitters
12 sprigs rosemary
Stir vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, and cranberry juice in a pitcher to combine.
Do ahead: Cosmo mix can be made 10 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
To make 1 cocktail, fill a Collins glass two thirds full with ice. Pour in 2 oz. club soda and 2 oz. cava, then 3¼ oz. Cosmo mix. Add a dash of bitters and gently stir once. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.
baked feta with olives, sopressata and thyme
Every holiday party needs some appetizers. This one is basically a baked charcuterie board that is just as easy to assemble.
I made this last weekend. It was good. I would suggest using the best quality feta, salami, and olives you can find.
1 [7-ounce] block of feta
¾ cup diced hard soppressata or salami about ½ of a 6-ounce log
1 cup roughly chopped pitted mixed green olives
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
Fresh cracked pepper
Place the block of feta in the center of a medium-sized oven-safe baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine the soppressata, olives, garlic, orange zest, thyme, olive oil and honey. Toss until just combined. Pour around and slightly over the block of feta. Top with a few cracks of black pepper.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes.
Broil, watching carefully, until the feta forms a golden crust around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Using a spoon, carefully toss the olives on the side and sprinkle with some fresh thyme leaves.
Brussels Sprouts With Pomegranate, Feta and Roasted Shallot Dressing
I made this last weekend too! It was good. I don’t like pomegranate seeds, so I replaced them with dried cranberries to continue the Christmas theme. Plus, it’s a good way to use the leftover feta you buy for the appetizer. Two birds. One stone.
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 medium shallot, halved lengthwise through the root
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/8 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, divided
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
Place the Brussels sprouts and shallot halves on a large, rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with 1/8 teaspoon of the salt; toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes, then toss and continue to roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are browned and crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Remove from the oven.
Transfer the shallot pieces to the small bowl of a food processor or mini-food processor; keep the sprouts on the baking sheet. (A smoothie-sized blender will also work.) Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, the vinegar, mustard, honey, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the pepper and process until smooth. This makes twice as much dressing as you need for this recipe.
Drizzle the Brussels sprouts with 2 tablespoons of the dressing and toss to coat, then transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the pomegranate and the feta and serve.
Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Bread Pudding
This looks like it would be incredible as a side for turkey or ham. Plus, it’s another opportunity to feature brussels sprouts.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, finely sliced
12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup salted butter, divided
10 large fresh sage leaves, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
5 large eggs
3 cups whole milk
1 (14-ounce) loaf brioche bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 1 1/4 cups)
5 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots have softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add brussels sprouts and garlic; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring often, until sprouts have softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and 1 tablespoon butter. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are softened and slightly caramelized, about 4 minutes. Add sage, and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
Beat eggs and milk in a medium bowl; season with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Cut remaining 3 tablespoons butter into cubes. Add cubed butter, brioche cubes, Gruyère, and Parmesan to brussels sprouts mixture in skillet; gently toss to combine. Pour egg mixture brioche mixture; let stand 15 minutes to allow bread to absorb egg mixture. (At this point, you can place it in the fridge for several hours or overnight. When ready to cook, take it out of the fridge, and let it come to room temperature before baking.)
Bake in preheated oven until golden and center is set, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Pumpkin Cream Pie
No holiday meal would be complete without dessert.
Here’s something that everyone knows but refuses to say out loud: pumpkin pie stinks. It’s just the most blah dessert out there. This one keeps the pumpkin pie on the table for the weirdos who actually like it, and adds something that makes this look pretty good.
Pumpkin Pastry Cream
1 3/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup pumpkin purée
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Gingery Graham Cracker Crust
12 graham crackers (about 6½ ounces), processed into crumbs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more as needed
Sour Cream–Whipped Cream
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
Make the pumpkin pastry cream: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and pumpkin. Set on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until just starting to steam. Meanwhile, in a medium heatproof bowl, combine the egg yolks, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; whisk until smooth. When the pumpkin-milk is hot, add a small splash to the sugar-egg mixture. Whisk to combine. Add another small splash and whisk to combine. Continue this process until you’ve added about three-quarters of the pumpkin-milk. Now pour the tempered sugar-egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium to medium-low heat, whisking slowly but constantly (making sure to scrape along the edges, too), until the mixture thickens like a dense pudding, with your whisk leaving a distinct trail. (This took me about 6 minutes, but it can significantly vary by your stove.) Remove from the heat. Add the butter and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Cover the top with plastic wrap to avoid a skin forming, then refrigerate until cool.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan with butter.
Make the gingery graham cracker crust: In a medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, brown sugar, ginger, and salt. Pour the melted butter on top. Mix until the crumbs are completely moistened. If you grab a palmful of the mixture and gently squeeze, it should easily hold together (but not seem overly saturated or greasy). If it doesn’t hold together, add another tablespoon of melted butter or even water, mix, and test again.
Press the cracker mixture into the greased pie pan, evenly distributing along the bottom and up the sides (a measuring cup really helps here). Bake for about 13 minutes, until the crust is browned. Let cool at room temperature, then freeze for at least 30 minutes before filling with the pastry cream (this makes filling it a lot easier and neater).
Make the sour cream whipped cream: In a medium bowl, whisk the sour cream and brown sugar until smooth. Add the cream and whisk until soft-ish peaks form. You want it a little stiffer than you would for, say, dolloping on top of a sundae, because the pie needs to cut cleanly without the whipped cream slouching all over.
Assemble the pie: Fill the just-frozen graham cracker crust with all the pumpkin pastry cream, spreading evenly to completely fill the crust. Top with the whipped cream. Using a spoon or offset spatula, create swoops and swirls. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to 18 hours before serving. Sprinkle with more pumpkin pie spice just before serving.
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