Old Time Butcher Shop

Ok, this is gonna be a long blog so sit back and be patient, there’s good stuff in here so please read it all. I received an order from a lady in New Jersey. Yes, New Jersey! What? It’s a state up in Yankee country, you know, they say “youse guys” and the Soprano’s live there. Yes, that New Jersey. Anyway, that is great state, why? Because I got an order from there! But I digress…I had the pleasure of talking to this lady by phone, and she was delightful. But get this, she is a former Washington Redskin Cheerleader! No I am not giving out her name because first, she is married, and second, I don’t want you Redskin haters sending her bad mail. As I have matured, I have found that I have become tolerant about people that do not like the Dallas Cowboys and that are Yankees. Quit laughing Sharon, it’s true!

Now here is the reason for the blog… I told you it was long. When I was talking to this lovely lady, she said that she would get her butcher to cut this and do that. Wow, what a concept! We in the Great South have lost that personal contact with someone that knows the art of butchering meat. Now you Vegans just quit reading now, if you were ever reading this. Butchering meat properly, knowing what cuts are best for what type of cooking and knowing their customers wants and needs is a lost art in most of the country. Please do not write and tell me that this grocery store and that chain does that, I am sure your husbands are good people. They may have someone wrapping meat and putting it in the displays but when you ask them a question they look like a tree full of hoot owls, think about it.

I have said all this for two reasons. First, the lady in New Jersey actually reads my blogs. Sharon, I don’t think the Lady would lie, even if she is a Yankee. She even quoted some of my pearls of wisdom. What! Who you calling a swine? No you have it wrong it’s casting pearls before swine, not the other way. Apology accepted. Geez, anyway I digress, where was I? Oh, yes, thankfully there are a few butcher shops still in business. “Local Yocal Farm to Market” in McKinney, Texas, is one of these places that still provides that old Butcher shop type service. Matthew and Heather Hamilton are the owners and operators of this Market and are providing grass fed beef, local produce and local products from small businesses that produce the jams, honey, and pickles that we all love. They are at 213 N. Tennessee St. in Downtown McKinney. Their number is 469-952-3838, website is www.localyocalfarmtomarket.com . This couple is good country people, and you can tell that the first time you talk to them. You can also tell by the great service they provide to their customers. Their team, led by Sarah the store manager, is always eager to help and explain. Sharon and I were there last Saturday and the shop was packed with people. We bought a couple of Beef Shanks and a few other things. The pricing was very reasonable for Grass fed beef with no hormones or antibiotics. The recipe for the Beef Shanks will be on the website this week. Go see Matt and Heather. You will have that old time experience that we miss so much.

Here endeth the lesson,

January, 2012

Ray Benson’s Asleep at the Wheel BBQ Sauce

I have always said that I would not make a BBQ sauce and, so far, I have kept to my word. The main reason for my stance has been that if you put 10, 20 or even 100 people in a room and ask them to describe the perfect BBQ sauce, you would have to call in The Texas National Guard to come and restore peace. Man, you think BBQ Rubs are hard to create that everyone will like, try making a BBQ sauce! I have seen fine Texas Christian Pillars of their community get in fights over BBQ sauce. It got so bad that back in the late 1800’s the Baptist Church outlawed drinking because the men and even some women were using beer bottles as weapons!! That is why the Baptists do not allow their people to drink to this day. Now the Methodists didn’t outlaw drinking- they just won’t let their people drink beer in glass bottles.
Sharon is eyeing me, so I better get back to the reason for this here Blog. I have tasted BBQ sauce all over the United States and several foreign Countries and besides the ones that were made from fermented fish guts, they were all good. I have written several times about BBQ sauce and even tried to explain why Texas has two types of sauce that are used depending where you are in this great state. I had the great pleasure to try Ray Benson’s Asleep at the Wheel BBQ Sauce because of my radio show “Big Al’s Taste of Texas”. Ray has graciously accepted our invitation to call in for an interview about his 40 years in music and his new BBQ sauce. His manager sent me a case each of the mild and the spicy to try and see if it would be a good fit for our website. After trying Ray’s BBQ Sauce, I said “Hell Yes!” His sauce is what Texas BBQ is all about. Ray’s sauce is good on everything that you could put on the smoker, grill, oven, or just whatever you are cooking on. The taste is original and the spicy is just what it says it is, spicy. That means it has flavor and it is not just hot. I am glad that Ray took the time to come up with this BBQ sauce, because now I don’t have to explain any more why I do not make a BBQ sauce- the best has been made. Ray Benson’s Asleep at the Wheel BBQ Sauce is the Best that Texas has to offer and that means it is the best in the world!
Here Endeth the Lesson
Big Al
March 2010

Ray Benson’s ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL , My salute

For the last 35 years of my life I have been listening to Texas music. Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, David Alan Coe, and all the other Texas outlaws made the change from Nashville back to Texas in the early 70’s. They started playing their kind of music instead of what the Nashville execs wanted them to play. Well they started a revolution in country music that is still strong today. I am not sure they call themselves outlaws anymore and Waylon has passed away but the essence of the music is still there with a lot of young artist that continue the tradition. I said all that to say this. Through all this revolution there was one thing that was constant and that was the sound of Asleep at the Wheel. Ray Benson started the group in 1971 and I started listening to them in 1975. So that is my Boni Fides for all of this. What Sharon? No, I do not know how to spell Boni Fides but I am sure this here laptop will spell it right. It’s French or Latin that means that I know what the hell I am talking about. I think. Well anyway, Asleep at the Wheel and Ray Benson has kept alive the genre, (good word huh?) of what is called Western Swing that was created by the great Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. Now, with all due respect to Bob and his band; Ray has taken Western Swing to an all new level. In my humble opinion, what now Sharon? Yes I can be humble at times, geez, anyway where was I, ah yes, Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel has made Western Swing, Texas Western Swing! And that my friends is the pinnacle of Country Music. There renditions of Bob Wills music can only be described as better that the original. The new Music that Ray is writing shows the depth of his commitment to this kind of music.
I started this blog to talk about Ray Benson’s Asleep at the Wheel BBQ Sauce, but I got to thinking how much I love this music and how through all the years Asleep at the Wheel has kept the music of Western Swing true to its roots. Now I have to write another Blog about how great his BBQ Sauce is and how honored Big Al’s Texas Rubs is proud to endorse and sell his Sauce.
God Bless Texas! God Bless Texas Western Swing! And God Bless the Band that keeps it Alive!

Here Endth The lesson.
Big Al
March 2010

I love me some Tolbert’s

2 years ago Bon Appétit did an article on the top 10 chili restaurants in the U.S. Well you knew right off that the gentleman had no idea what he was talking about!!! Of the 10 restaurants there were only 2 below the mason – Dixon line and the only one in Texas was Tolbert’s in Grapevine. At least he got that right. Kathleen Tolbert Ryan and her Husband Paul Ryan run one the finest Texas restaurant that it has been my pleasure to eat in. Their restaurant is located in downtown Grapevine in the historic district in a building that was built in 1911. Her dad Frank X. Tolbert started the restaurant in 1976 in Dallas. He is the co-founder of the Terlingua Chili Cook-off which is held the first Saturday of November, in the Big Bend Area of Texas. I have been invited to be a judge at the cook-off this year and I am honored to be asked. Now let’s talk food. I started off with a bowl of their Original Texas Red that is Texan for Chili. Man o man that was some good stuff! It was served with onions and cheese on top with a whole chili pepper. If you want it hot order the 5-alarm. It was a very nice presentation. I then had the Chicken fried steak, which is Angus beef sirloin that is hand breaded and topped with cream gravy. I had mashed potatoes and hand cut and battered onion rings. The mashed potatoes were great. Freshly mashed and not out of a box. Their menu will appeal to the whole family from great appetizers to Farmer’s Market Salads and soup, Steaks, Burgers and a nice selection of Tex-Mex dishes. Their wine list included several Texas Wines, and a good selection of California, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Chili, and Argentina. The is a good selection of Draft, bottled and import Beer, all cold
Their Republic of Texas Margaritas, are made with Republic Tequilla that is USDA certified organic. Fantastic!!!
I award Tolbert’s Restaurant the 10 gallon Hat award!!!
Great atmosphere
Great Food
Great Service

Tolbert’s Restaurant
423 South Main Street
Grapevine, Texas 76051
817.421.4888

I am a Radio Star!….yeah right

Well the first show is in the can…..what? No Sharon we didn’t throw it away, it is radio talk that means we have done the first show. Jeez. Anyway Stephanie and I have done the first show and I tell you, it was hard! I really thought we had planned well and now I realize that it is not the easiest thing to do. Man, a one hour show is like six hours long. The first 15 minutes went by so fast I thought it was going to be easy, but as we got longer into the hour it sure slowed down. Our show is an interactive food show about Texas cooking and Texas. We did have some folks call and no, they were not Kin. I am very grateful for that and frankly we had a good time doing it. But it is going to take a lot more planning on our part to make it a hit. I just hope our Sponsors didn’t listen. They have not called and canceled so maybe we dodged the bullet for this one. We are on KAAM 770 Am on Wednesdays at 2:00pm. You can listen on the website www.kaamradio.com . Oh, it is Called “Big Al’s Texas of Texas” with Stephanie Martinez. I know we will get better and have some fun in the bargain.
Here endeth the lesson
Big Al
February 2011

Big Al’s Taste Of Texas starts this week!

This week we start our “Big Al’s Taste of Texas” Radio Show on KAAM 770 AM. Our first show will be February 23rd and will run every Wednesday at 2:00 pm CST for one hour. My co-host Stephanie Danielle Martinez and I will be talking about the Texas food scene and all it entails. We will have a Restaurant review each week and encourage call-ins to discuss cooking and anything else related to food in Texas. We will have live interviews with Chefs, Restaurateurs, and Celebrities. We also will provide updates and schedules on Festivals throughout Texas.
Texas Wines have become a big part of the Texas Food scene and we will have phone interviews with Texas Wineries throughout Texas.

The World’s Best Chili is in Washington D.C. Please!

Ok, I have said it before – I am a Texas Snob when it comes to cooking. I was surfing the web the other day (my wife told me to put that I was on the web, like at age 58 and with the name of Big Al… I was surfing in the ocean!) Anyway, I came across this article about “America’s 10 Best Chili Places.” It was by some guy that works for the French magazine whose name translates to Good Appetite. Ya’ll didn’t know that I parley you France did ya? I thought that I would read about the great chili places in Dalhart, El Paso, San Antonio, Austin, Cut and Shoot (yes, that is a town in Texas!), Amarillo, Dallas and just about any Texas town that has two or more people living in it. But NO! This gentleman (and I would assume he is a Yankee), named cities like Seattle, New York, Cincinnati, and Cambridge. Yes, dear readers, Cambridge! That’s in Massachusetts, and Lord knows exactly where that is, but I do know it is above the Mason-Dixon Line.
Out of the 10 Chili Places he listed (are you ready for this?) there was only one in Texas and only one in the south! What? No, I will not tell you where he lives, so unsaddle your horse and put your shooting irons away. There was one in New Mexico, which is not bad since they got their good chili sense from us Texans. What? No, I will not tell you where I live, so you boys in New Mexico, unsaddle your horses and put them shooting irons away. Now I am sure this ole boy is a nice fellow, for a Yankee, and I have never met him, and I would bet he loves his mother, respects the flag and doesn’t kick little dogs and children. But how in the wide, wide, world of sports does he think he knows where the best Chili Places in America are? Yes dear, I have unsaddled my horse. What? No, I am keeping my shooting iron right here. Them New Mexico boys are sneaky!!
Now there are more ways to make TEXAS Chili than there are people in Texas and New Mexico. But there are certain things you just do not put in Chili! Beans are the first and here are the rest: spaghetti, chicken, turkey, and anything else that is not beef, deer, hog, goat, horse, cat, or dog. Oh settle down, I was kidding about the last three (though I would not put using horse past those boys in New Mexico.) Now you use chunks or various degrees of ground beef, and you put in some chili spices, onions, garlic, and some of “Big Al’s Chili Mix” (it’s my blog, by the way), add water and some cooks put in tomatoes. Beer is ok too if you have more than a six-pack – can’t run out of drinking beer now can you? That will make you a good Chili. You want it hot? Well, that’s your business, but I also sell hot sauce, so get to ordering!
The only Texas restaurant he listed was Tolbert’s Restaurant in Grapevine, Texas, which is just outside of Dallas. At least he got that right. Great place, great chili.
I am going to close this tirade by saying that New Mexico is a great state with great people and if there wasn’t Texas, I would live there. I will also say that I am sure these other places have what they think is great Chili, and I am sure this here fellow had good intentions telling us about these other restaurants. But they need to stick with basting lamb with some kind of sauce and leave Chili to the people who know how to make it and eat it.
Here endeth the lesson

Big Al
Texas, Febuary, 2011

May the Smoker Gods Have mercy on my Soul

As you may be able to guess from my headline I have create a Faux Pas in the circle of wood smokers everywhere. I have used an electric smoker!!!! I know, I know, please let me explain. I, I, was tired, I was desperate, I was coming out of a 2 week drunk and didn’t realize what I had done. What dear? I can’t say that? It’s not true, but if I don’t say that, what can I use to explain the reason I used the “Smokin Tex”. What?! The truth, they will kill me, you will lose you honey pie, your baby lamb…why are you laughing? Ok, OK, let go of my ear, I will tell the truth.
Smokin Tex Electric Smokers, in my humble opinion, is the best electric smoker on the market today, bar none. Their stainless steel construction and thick insulation make it the premier smoker in its field. Their Home office is in Plano Texas, quite honestly just down the road from my home. I went over there just before Thanksgiving to see what they were all about. I had planned on doing a sizzling exposé on their blasphemes ways. No not really, but I did not think that they could produce smoked meat up to the standards of the Great and all Powerful Big Al! The round BBQ King of the world, the only BBQ man of, What! I mean, yes maam? Ok, I digress. Well you couldn’t ask for nicer people. Scott, their sales manager, took me on a tour and we talk about their product for awhile. As I was leaving, Scott asked me if I wanted to try one of their units. Well I said sure I would love to try it. He pulled out a unit gave me some brief instructions and help me load it on my truck. As I was driving home I thought what nice people, I really hate that this unit will not cook as good as my old smoker pit.
I got it home, set it up, well that was easy and went to the store to get some meat to cook. I decided to cook chicken, and ribs. I prepared the chicken with Big Al’s Mesquite Rub and put it on the ribs too. Now Scott told me just to put 3-4 chunks of whatever wood I wanted to smoke with, in the box at the bottom of the unit. I of course did not believe that just 3-4 chunks of wood would last anytime at all but I did what he said to do. I used pecan wood since I had put Mesquite Flavor on the meat. Why didn’t I use Mesquite wood? The answer to that question will be in another blog. So I closed the door set the temperature on 225 degrees Fahrenheit (why don’t they put degree symbols on the keyboard?) Anyway, 3 hours later, I went out to the unit open the door and pulled the chickens off. They look like smoked Chicken, there are cooked nice, they even tasted, dare I say it Great! 2 hours later pulled off the ribs and by gosh, by golly they were cooked perfectly! Once again my expertise has risen to the top, my years of cooking and sacrifice has paid off. What Now? Ok it was the Smokin Tex. I mean that was easy, I have cooked two briskets for catering jobs and ribs for my New Son-and Law for Christmas and they were delicious, perfectly cooked and yes had a bark on them! I am taking the unit back tomorrow, I wonder if they would believe that Terrorists high jacked me and took the unit. Oh one more thing plug the unit in to an outlet it works a whole lot better, It’s electric DUH. As soon as mama shay gives me my allowance I am buying one! Here is their information:
Smokin Tex
Plano, Texas
1-888-922-1511
www.smokintex.com

Here Endth the lesson
Big Al
Dec. 2010

To Sauce or not to Sauce, That is the Question”

My last blog I talked about the 2 sauces we primarily use in Texas. If you hadn’t read it shame on you, there will be a test later. Anyway As I said in my last blog, I wish I had a nickel every time someone asked me what sauce to use on their BBQ and when to apply it. Well I will tell you, the answer to that question is as the number of stars in the heavens. (cute huh?) Really, I do not know how to answer the question! What I like is 180 degrees opposite of what you may like. Most sauces are so full of sugar, hot peppers, MSG, preservatives, and the like that how can you taste the meat? I mean my gosh, people what in the heck (cleaned that up huh?) did you buy the meat for. If you just wanted the taste of BBQ sauce, why don’t you slaver it on a piece of white bread and be done with it! It would be a lot cheaper than that piece of meat, chicken or fish, yes fish! Anything that you put on the three main food groups (that’s beef, fowl and fish) should be to enhance the flavor of the meat not cover it up! When I first started making my Rubs, I researched and tried a lot of Rubs and Seasonings, some were not bad, some were not good but just about everyone I tried covered the real taste of the animal and vegetable that I put it on. The other thing I found is that most used 2 or 3 ingredients, including sugar and MSG that I could read and then the rest it took one of them Ivy League college degrees to pronounce. BBQ was meant to be simple. There is more energy efficient ways to cook, (I put that line in to sound Politically Correct) there are better and faster ways to produce a meal but that is not why we BBQ. We BBQ for more reasons than there are Chinamen in San Francisco (there goes my PC rating) but the one thing we all BBQ for is the taste! Why in the world would you cover that up with sauce? Rub, Seasonings, Sauce, and whatever you put on BBQ should enhance the flavor; intensify the experience of the product you have labored, yes labored for hours to produce. You bought a piece of meat, carefully picked it out, tenderly brought it home, started the smoker, grill , pit, box, hole in the ground, whatever that you paid big money for, and then, after hours of babysitting it, watching it, yelling at your best friend, wife , mother-in-law, my brother-in-law (that means you uncle Dave) and your kids not to lift the lid! , You take it to the table carried like the crown jewels, high above your head so everyone can uh and ah as to the perfect color, texture, smell of this perfect piece of meat. Then, Then! You set it on the table, cut it up and pour BBQ sauce all over it, BBQ sauce that you paid $.98 a quart for. That my friend is an affront to the Gods of Smoke and Fire. But if that is what you want to do, I may not agree with you, I know that I will not agree with you, but I will fight for your right to do it! This is The United States of America and you have the right to screw up anything you put your mind to.

Here Endth the Lesson,
Big Al
Nov/2010

The War between Tomato based and Vinegar based BBQ Sauce

In Memoriam
I found out today, November 30, 2010, Al Bruno Died. He had fought a long and courageous battle with Cancer. I only met Mr. Bruno one time and just spent a little over an hour with him. I was a guest on his weekly Radio show, “Dining with Bruno”, on KAAM 770 AM. I took an instant liking to him and I think he liked me. He was from New York but had been in Texas for close to 20 years. He called Texas his adopted State and truly loved it here. I, being a Native Texan and Him being from New York, you would not think that we would have anything in common, but we had one thing in common that brings people together no matter where you are from. That commonality was Food. When Al Bruno died, I know that Jesus wept. You never know where you find good friends; if he had lived I am sure we would have been good friends.
Rest in Peace My friend; you were a true TEXAS Gentleman.
Big Al

For the last 35 years I wish I had a nickel for every time I have been asked what kind of BBQ sauce to use or what kind I like. Well sit back boys and girls and let Uncle Big Al talk about BBQ sauce. Just recently I met a man named Alphonse Bruno, now he had a bunch of names in between the first and last but since I don’t parley vou Italian, I called him Al and he called me Big Al. Signore Bruno (how you like that for a little culture?), originally from New York City came to God’s Country about 20 yrs ago and realized that he had arrived in the Promised Land. We sat down on his radio program and talked BBQ. He has a great radio show on KAAM 770, Dallas- Ft.Worth called “Dining with Bruno” every Wednesday afternoon from 2:00pm to 3:00pm. I had the honor to spend the entire hour talking about what I love best (besides my wife, She made me put that in). We talked of BBQ and BBQ Sauces, and I really enjoyed spending the time with Mr. Bruno.* But I digress. There are more types of BBQ sauce than there are fleas on an East Texas Hound dog (and I don’t mean Elvis). But maybe I should say flavors of BBQ sauce instead, since there are just 3 major types. They are Tomato-based, Mustard-based and Vinegar-based. Now I know there are some misguided folks out there that say there are 4 types. The mustard-based is something that, to my knowledge is not used that much here in Texas. Oh sure, some transplanted east coast people may still use that at home but they would never ask for it in public (it’s like an Aunt that drinks too much, you love her but you would not take her to a wine tasting). The forth they say is Mayo-based but that is just crazy, Geez, Mayo is what you put on sandwiches. Man, you can start fights in any bar and have mothers grabbing their children out of the way, not only in Texas but all across this great country of ours when men get together and start BBQing. From the East coast to the Left coast, from the Canadian border to the Rio Grande, everyone has an opinion (like a part of your anatomy) about what makes a good BBQ sauce. But being from the Great State of Texas, I will try to keep my thoughts on the two types of sauce we use here, which is the tomato-based and the vinegar-based. Honestly you can split the state right into from east to west. From just below Nacogdoches in the east to El Paso in the west, the southern side of that line most BBQ places serves a vinegar base sauce. North of that line is a tomato based BBQ sauce. Now before I get a lot of letters, postcards, pipe bombs, and dead horses in my bed ( I just watched The Godfather Movie again), I will say that this is not an exacting nor definitive ( that means the last word or best, hey I looked it up ok?) study. I will also say at this point that I like them both. I would hate to know that I would have to live the rest of my life not having one or the other. I think there are two major factors that caused the difference. The first is Climate and the next is Culture. Texas is the largest State in the continuous 48 states. I know, I know Alaska is the biggest but I do not include them because they did not have the good sense to connect to the State of Washington! It’s true, look it up! Anyway our climate in Texas changes more from North to South than a woman changes her outfit getting ready for a party. (I have a wife, I know) When you have snow in the Panhandle you will have people wearing shorts and getting tans in the Valley. For all you Yankees, the Valley is a section of Deep South Texas that grows the best fruit and produce in the world! Now both the north and south of Texas was inhabited by people from many southern states and just like people seem to gravitate to people they know or from the same area. The occupation of Texas was no different. People from Tennessee settled close to other people from Tennessee and so forth and so on. Each of those brave groups brought their ideas, taste, and preferences with them. But at some point, and here is the part that becomes my educated opinion (maybe I should leave the educated part out) we see a gradual shifting of likes and taste due mainly to the climate of the areas. When it gets hot in south Texas brother it gets hot. So, we see that people find a way to eat lighter, that means sauces not as heavy as they were use to. See what I am getting at? Good. The vinegar based BBQ sauces are lighter and because of the meat that they were cooking, the lesser cuts of beef and pork, they used that sauce as tenderizer. In the north part of Texas, the people found the area not too much different from where they came from so there was not a need to change their likes and dislikes. Thus whatever they were use to using as a BBQ sauce; they just kept on using it. I said all that to say this, try them both. The beautiful thing about BBQing is the diversity! What other types of cooking could use so many different techniques, flavors, and passions and still come up with the great taste of BBQ,
Here endth the lesson,
Big Al
Nov, 2010
*I wrote this Blog 3 days before AL Bruno died, I thought about not putting it online but I know that he would want me to put it up just as I wrote it.