By RYAN SCOTT OTTNEY

PDT Staff Writer

NEW BOSTON — When Mark Litteral decided to open a new Texas barbecue restaurant in New Boston, he went right to the master — celebrity chef and author Myron Mixon from TLC Channel’s “BBQ Pitmasters.”

Mixon is a world champion barbecue chef with more than 1,900 trophies. He has written books and been featured on the Food Network, the Travel Channel and the Discovery Channel. Litteral spent time studying barbecue techniques with Mixon personally, at his cooking school in Georgia.

Now Litteral is just a few months away from opening Ray’s Texas BBQ in the former City Pizza location, next to City Limits, in New Boston.

The newly remodeled restaurant will feature a cafeteria-style format. Customers will walk through a line, place their order and pick-up pre-packaged containers of side dishes. Beer will also be served at the beverage bar. At the end of the line customers will pay for whatever is on their tray.

Litteral just installed a large wood-burning smoker oven for smoked pork, brisket, and chicken and turkey. He said their chicken and pork are all locally raised and slaughtered from the Jackson area. The restaurant will also serve ribs and sausage and all of their barbecue will be Texas-style, which means they will not have sauce already on them but you can choose your own sauce at your table.

“They’re all specially made sauces. We have a hickory-based sauce that is just out of this world. We’ll also have a vinegar-based sauce, and you’ll find that in the South a little spicier. We’ll have a mustard-based, from the Carolinas. There’s a citrus-based sauce, out of the Key West and Florida area. I may even have a white sauce for the chicken, but that’s usually served hot so I’ll probably have that behind the counter,” he said.

City Pizza will still be on the menu also.

“We’ve decided to add a little more to what we had,” Litteral said. “We purchased a New York-style brick oven, so we’re going to cook pizzas in it. It will be more upscale pizza.”

Litteral said he hopes to have the doors open before the end of May. Chef Mixon is expected to make an appearance at the grand opening, signing copies of his book.

Ryan Scott Ottney can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 235, or rottney@heartlandpublications.com.