{"id":117981,"date":"2025-08-04T10:46:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T10:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/117981\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T10:46:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T10:46:12","slug":"why-you-should-mix-brisket-into-deviled-eggs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/117981\/","title":{"rendered":"Why you should mix brisket into deviled eggs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Of all things, it was a trip to New York City that inspired Jill and Jeff Bergus to open Lockhart Smokehouse.<\/p>\n

\"Owners<\/p>\n

Owners Jill Grobowsky Bergus and Jeff Bergus pose with the brisket deviled eggs at Lockhart Smokehouse in Dallas’ Bishop Arts on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.<\/p>\n

Juan Figueroa \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

The couple are both native Texans, Jill from Temple and Jeff from DeSoto, but they are both fond of New York, having previously called it home. <\/p>\n

Back in those days, their careers were a far cry from the owners and operators of three barbecue restaurants. Jill worked at CNN and Jeff worked in fashion at Geoffrey Beene (At one point, Jeff had the opportunity to apprentice with Italian fashion visionary Giorgio Armani. That\u2019s a different story and long one, he says). When Jeff was offered the opportunity to lead a division at JCPenney, the couple moved back to their home state.<\/p>\n

New York stays with you, though, and on a return trip to the city, Jill and Jeff dined at Hill Country Barbecue Market. The food the pair ate at the spot, located on West 26th Street not far from Madison Square Park and the ever-photogenic Flatiron Building, was a revelation for them. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf this could work in New York City, why couldn\u2019t we do something similar in Dallas?\u201d Jill remembers thinking.<\/p>\n

Eat Drink D-FW<\/p>\n

The latest food and drink reviews, recipes and info on the D-FW food scene.<\/p>\n

What tied it together further was that the Manhattan restaurant, churning out post oak-infused barbecue on an island more than 1,700 milesfrom the Texas Hill Country, served sausage from Lockhart\u2019s Kreuz Market.<\/p>\n

When Jill saw that, she thought, \u201cThat\u2019s my family.\u201d <\/p>\n

Kreuz Market, one of the stalwarts in the central Texas barbecue pantheon, was purchased by Jill\u2019s grandfather from the Kreuz family in 1948. Today, it\u2019s run by one of her cousins, Keith Schmidt.<\/p>\n

Cousin Keith helped Jill and Jeff as they worked to open their first Lockhart Smokehouse in Dallas. There are nods to Jill\u2019s lineage in the restaurant the couple opened on West Davis Street in Dallas\u2019 Bishop Arts district<\/a> in 2011. A massive Kreuz Market sign, discovered in a family member\u2019s attic, hangs near the bar. The restaurant serves Kreuz sausage, too.<\/p>\n

About 14 years later, Jeff and Jill find themselves regularly traversing between Dallas, Plano<\/a> and Arlington<\/a>, trying to keep up with three restaurants and balance time with their two sons.<\/p>\n

Behind the brisket deviled eggs<\/p>\n

When asked why deviled eggs have become a calling card for the restaurant, Jill simply replies with the word \u201cbrisket.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can put brisket in just about anything and make it better,\u201d she says. \u201cPlus, we smoke \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Finely<\/p>\n

Finely chopped brisket is the star ingredient in the brisket deviled eggs at Lockhart Smokehouse.<\/p>\n

Juan Figueroa \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The brisket deviled eggs are smoked for 10 to 15 minutes and served warm to diners at Lockhart Smokehouse.<\/p>\n

Juan Figueroa \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

For foodies, it should be noted that Lockhart Smokehouse\u2019s brisket deviled eggs have been around for more than a decade. It\u2019s rather en vogue for high-end restaurants right now to elevate the humble appetizer with origins in Ancient Rome, topping them with dollops of caviar and paper-thin slivers of truffle. Lockhart Smokehouse\u2019s version isn\u2019t part of the current trend.<\/p>\n

Trial and error is what Jill says yielded the restaurant\u2019s own brisket-infused recipe. Originally, the vision was to rotate the meat used in the deviled eggs at the restaurant, maybe to use what was leftover. The \u201cbrisket was too dang good though,\u201d Jill says.<\/p>\n

You can make them at home with brisket leftovers or your pick of meat. When asked whether to use lean or fatty brisket in the recipe, Jill says a mix of the two is best. <\/p>\n

Another piece of advice from Jill: Save your time when it comes to the eggs and use pre-peeled and pre-hardboiled ones. It\u2019s what they do at the restaurant.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s room for customization in the recipe, Jill says, so don\u2019t be afraid to change it up to suit your preferences. Swap out onions for pickles, or hold the crunchy addition altogether; use more or less sriracha; substitute a spice rub for salt. You might see me try to cut some of the mayo with low-fat sour cream, a viscous plain yogurt or even blended cottage cheese.<\/p>\n

The restaurant gets its smooth filling with a blitz in the blender, though this step is optional if you\u2019re in the market for texture.<\/p>\n

As a note: It\u2019s tougher to replicate one component of the Lockhart Smokehouse\u2019s appetizer at home. The restaurant finishes its brisket deviled eggs in a smoker swirling with the fog of post oak wood and serves them warm. The deviled eggs turn out just fine, though different, without 10 to 15 minutes in a smoker. Jill hasn\u2019t had a chance yet to try using an easy at-home smoker, like a Traeger, for a more authentic restaurant experience \u2014 but, hey, it\u2019s worth a shot for adventurous home cooks.<\/p>\n

Lockhart Smokehouse Deviled Egg Recipe, as shared by Jill Bergus\"A<\/p>\n

A bird’s eye view of the mise en place for the filling in the Brisket Deviled Eggs at Lockhart Smokehouse in Dallas’ Bishop Arts neighborhood on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. <\/p>\n

Juan Figueroa \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/p>\n