Yesterday, the Crashman and I tried out a new little restaurant. It's
called Taste of Texas Barbecue.

For $7.95, you got a half dozen slices of brisket, three babyback ribs, two
slices of bread, and two sides. I got wheat bread, pinto beans, and potato
salad. Crash got white bread, cole slaw, and jo-jo potatoes.

Should have known it was too good to be true. The meat wasn't smoked. It
wasn't even finished off on something involving flame. Crash thought the
ribs were boiled. I theorize that the meat was braised. It was extremely
tender, but also very dry and completely flavorless.

When I say completely flavorless, I mean that, when I put brisket slices
with (Arby's-type) barbecue sauce on my bread, the Wonder-type bread's
flavor overcame that of the meat. Tofu has more flavor than that meat did.

Crash liked his coleslaw. I enjoyed my pinto beans and potato salad.
Actually, if they were to put hard boiled eggs in their potato salad, I
could buy it and pass it off as my own. I'm going to remember that for the
next time Crash wants potato salad and it's too hot to boil taters.

Everything on the menu can be bought in bulk. I have to check out the bulk
purchase price for the brisket. Although flavorless, the meat is much
nicer than the stuff you buy in a deli. I'd gladly use it to make French
Dip sandwiches.

Applebees has good smoked babybacks. Seems weird to go to an international
chain for something like that, but it's the closest we can get to the real
deal around here.

Carol

--
Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

We have some of those Texas places here in NC. I have to say anything would
beat NC barbecued pork. It comes to the table looking already chewed, and
they expect you to pour vinegar on it.
ugh.
Jackie
"Damsel" > wrote in message
...
> Yesterday, the Crashman and I tried out a new little restaurant. It's
> called Taste of Texas Barbecue.
>
> For $7.95, you got a half dozen slices of brisket, three babyback ribs,
two
> slices of bread, and two sides. I got wheat bread, pinto beans, and
potato
> salad. Crash got white bread, cole slaw, and jo-jo potatoes.
>
> Should have known it was too good to be true. The meat wasn't smoked. It
> wasn't even finished off on something involving flame. Crash thought the
> ribs were boiled. I theorize that the meat was braised. It was extremely
> tender, but also very dry and completely flavorless.
>
> When I say completely flavorless, I mean that, when I put brisket slices
> with (Arby's-type) barbecue sauce on my bread, the Wonder-type bread's
> flavor overcame that of the meat. Tofu has more flavor than that meat
did.
>
> Crash liked his coleslaw. I enjoyed my pinto beans and potato salad.
> Actually, if they were to put hard boiled eggs in their potato salad, I
> could buy it and pass it off as my own. I'm going to remember that for
the
> next time Crash wants potato salad and it's too hot to boil taters.
>
> Everything on the menu can be bought in bulk. I have to check out the
bulk
> purchase price for the brisket. Although flavorless, the meat is much
> nicer than the stuff you buy in a deli. I'd gladly use it to make French
> Dip sandwiches.
>
> Applebees has good smoked babybacks. Seems weird to go to an
international
> chain for something like that, but it's the closest we can get to the real
> deal around here.
>
> Carol
>
> --
> Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

Damsel wrote:
> Applebees has good smoked babybacks. Seems weird to go to an
> international chain for something like that, but it's the closest we
> can get to the real deal around here.
>
> Carol

Smoke your own... it's not difficult and you don't have to have a big
smoker. I've done all sorts of ribs on my Weber kettle over low, slow coals
with the lid on. Apple wood is nice, so is hickory. Mesquite is overrated
IMHO; too sharp for my taste.

Jill

J. Davidson wrote:
> We have some of those Texas places here in NC. I have to say
> anything would beat NC barbecued pork. It comes to the table looking
> already chewed, and they expect you to pour vinegar on it.
> ugh.
> Jackie

LOL they do not expect you to pour vinegar on it! They offer you a
vinegar-based sauce. I don't care for the tomatoey-mustardy sauces, either.
In fact, no sauce, thanks (except maybe some hot sauce). I'll admit to not
caring much for pulled pork but the last thing I'd describe it as is
"already chewed" if they pulled it correctly

Jill

> "Damsel" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Yesterday, the Crashman and I tried out a new little restaurant.
>> It's called Taste of Texas Barbecue.
>>
>> For $7.95, you got a half dozen slices of brisket, three babyback
>> ribs, two slices of bread, and two sides. I got wheat bread, pinto
>> beans, and potato salad. Crash got white bread, cole slaw, and
>> jo-jo potatoes.
>>
>> Should have known it was too good to be true. The meat wasn't
>> smoked. It wasn't even finished off on something involving flame.
>> Crash thought the ribs were boiled. I theorize that the meat was
>> braised. It was extremely tender, but also very dry and completely
>> flavorless.
>>
>> When I say completely flavorless, I mean that, when I put brisket
>> slices with (Arby's-type) barbecue sauce on my bread, the
>> Wonder-type bread's flavor overcame that of the meat. Tofu has more
>> flavor than that meat did.
>>
>> Crash liked his coleslaw. I enjoyed my pinto beans and potato
>> salad. Actually, if they were to put hard boiled eggs in their
>> potato salad, I could buy it and pass it off as my own. I'm going
>> to remember that for the next time Crash wants potato salad and it's
>> too hot to boil taters.
>>
>> Everything on the menu can be bought in bulk. I have to check out
>> the bulk purchase price for the brisket. Although flavorless, the
>> meat is much nicer than the stuff you buy in a deli. I'd gladly use
>> it to make French Dip sandwiches.
>>
>> Applebees has good smoked babybacks. Seems weird to go to an
>> international chain for something like that, but it's the closest we
>> can get to the real deal around here.
>>
>> Carol
>>
>> --
>> Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

"Damsel" > wrote in message
...
> Yesterday, the Crashman and I tried out a new little restaurant. It's
> called Taste of Texas Barbecue.

<snip>

> Carol

How's Crash doing? hobbling or running?

Dimitri

J. Davidson wrote:

> We have some of those Texas places here in NC. I have to say anything would
> beat NC barbecued pork. It comes to the table looking already chewed, and
> they expect you to pour vinegar on it.

i guess nc bbq isn't for everyone but it sure is good for me! :P their version
of a pulled pork bbq sandwich with a vinegar based sauce and some good vinegar
based slaw on the bun can really be awesome if it's done correctly. but i guess
'done correctly' could vary quite wildly. that's what's great about food. there
are so many regional / microregional variation on nearly any food... it's great!
i've been exploring my food heritige for the past few years and i'm loving it.
food culture is like any other culture. if it's not practiced, it will die.
:-( the fact that ****ing mcdonalds, taco bell or kfc could kill many rich
food traditions really makes me want to wretch. think about your grandma's food.
you just may strike gold without realizing it

"jmcquown" > said:

> Damsel wrote:
> > Applebees has good smoked babybacks. Seems weird to go to an
> > international chain for something like that, but it's the closest we
> > can get to the real deal around here.
> >
> > Carol
>
> Smoke your own... it's not difficult and you don't have to have a big
> smoker. I've done all sorts of ribs on my Weber kettle over low, slow coals
> with the lid on. Apple wood is nice, so is hickory. Mesquite is overrated
> IMHO; too sharp for my taste.

Crash has a big honkin' smoker. Like a long, horizontal barrel. I think,
if we ever find affordable raw ribs, we'll smoke a lot of them. The only
times I've found them available for purchase, it would have been more
cost-effective to go to Applebees than to smoke our own. Why the heck are
those things so expensive?

Carol

--
Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

"Dimitri" > said:

> How's Crash doing? hobbling or running?

Something between hobbling and frolicking.

He's getting around surprisingly well, and is becoming more and more
independent. I was in so much pain (shoulders and back) from helping him
that I finally just told him he was on his own. As my pain increased, my
tolerance for hearing, "Hon, I need ...." decreased. I'm becoming more
pleasant each day. Thankfully.

Thanks,
Carol

--
Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 16:25:21 -0500, Damsel >
wrote:

>Yesterday, the Crashman and I tried out a new little restaurant. It's
>called Taste of Texas Barbecue.
>
The *******s.

>For $7.95, you got a half dozen slices of brisket, three babyback ribs, two
>slices of bread, and two sides. I got wheat bread, pinto beans, and potato
>salad. Crash got white bread, cole slaw, and jo-jo potatoes.
>
>Should have known it was too good to be true. The meat wasn't smoked. It
>wasn't even finished off on something involving flame. Crash thought the
>ribs were boiled. I theorize that the meat was braised. It was extremely
>tender, but also very dry and completely flavorless.

The *******s.
>
>When I say completely flavorless, I mean that, when I put brisket slices
>with (Arby's-type) barbecue sauce on my bread, the Wonder-type bread's
>flavor overcame that of the meat. Tofu has more flavor than that meat did.

The *******s.
>
>Crash liked his coleslaw. I enjoyed my pinto beans and potato salad.
>Actually, if they were to put hard boiled eggs in their potato salad, I
>could buy it and pass it off as my own. I'm going to remember that for the
>next time Crash wants potato salad and it's too hot to boil taters.
>
>Everything on the menu can be bought in bulk. I have to check out the bulk
>purchase price for the brisket. Although flavorless, the meat is much
>nicer than the stuff you buy in a deli. I'd gladly use it to make French
>Dip sandwiches.

FRENCH dip? (Actually, I'm reading a charming little memoir by an
American woman who lived and cooked for years in a small town in
Normandy right now. Her food is wonderful, but it's not barbecue.)
>
>Applebees has good smoked babybacks. Seems weird to go to an international
>chain for something like that, but it's the closest we can get to the real
>deal around here.
>
You deserve better, lady. My experience up north led me to seek out
black folks for barbecue. At least that's how it was in Omaha and
Terre Haute. By the time I got to Pittsburgh, I'd learned to do my
own. Get Crash a smoker and some lump charcoal. Tell him to get to
it. Bat your eyelashes and giggle while you hand him a side of ribs.


modom

Damsel wrote on 30 Jun 2005 in rec.food.cooking

> Crash has a big honkin' smoker. Like a long, horizontal barrel.
> I think, if we ever find affordable raw ribs, we'll smoke a lot of
> them. The only times I've found them available for purchase, it
> would have been more cost-effective to go to Applebees than to
> smoke our own. Why the heck are those things so expensive?
>
> Carol
>

Just the baby back ribs are expensive...the regular spare-ribs aren't
too pricey...They taste fairly good too, if you do a little
prep...remove the membrane on the boney side and cut off some of the
excessive fat. Some grocery/stupidmarkets will even cut them to size
(make them into two racks from one rack).

--
It's not a question of where he grips it!
It's a simple question of weight ratios!

A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.

Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?

On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 22:03:04 -0500, Damsel >
wrote:

>"Dimitri" > said:
>
>> How's Crash doing? hobbling or running?
>
>Something between hobbling and frolicking.
>
>He's getting around surprisingly well, and is becoming more and more
>independent. I was in so much pain (shoulders and back) from helping him
>that I finally just told him he was on his own. As my pain increased, my
>tolerance for hearing, "Hon, I need ...." decreased. I'm becoming more
>pleasant each day. Thankfully.
>
>Thanks,
>Carol

Sounds like you're on the true path to equilibrium.

Now, what should I look for by way of a midnight snack? I'm leaning
towards soba noodles and smoked chicken leftovers with fish sauce,
chiles and basil. But maybe it'll be a Little Debbie cream pie. Or
two.

modom

modom > said:

> On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 16:25:21 -0500, Damsel >
> wrote:
>
> >Yesterday, the Crashman and I tried out a new little restaurant. It's
> >called Taste of Texas Barbecue.
> >
> The *******s.

YEAH, dammit!

> >For $7.95, you got a half dozen slices of brisket, three babyback ribs, two
> >slices of bread, and two sides. I got wheat bread, pinto beans, and potato
> >salad. Crash got white bread, cole slaw, and jo-jo potatoes.
> >
> >Should have known it was too good to be true. The meat wasn't smoked. It
> >wasn't even finished off on something involving flame. Crash thought the
> >ribs were boiled. I theorize that the meat was braised. It was extremely
> >tender, but also very dry and completely flavorless.
>
> The *******s.

YEAH, dammit!

> >When I say completely flavorless, I mean that, when I put brisket slices
> >with (Arby's-type) barbecue sauce on my bread, the Wonder-type bread's
> >flavor overcame that of the meat. Tofu has more flavor than that meat did.
>
> The *******s.

YEAH, dammit!

> >Crash liked his coleslaw. I enjoyed my pinto beans and potato salad.
> >Actually, if they were to put hard boiled eggs in their potato salad, I
> >could buy it and pass it off as my own. I'm going to remember that for the
> >next time Crash wants potato salad and it's too hot to boil taters.
> >
> >Everything on the menu can be bought in bulk. I have to check out the bulk
> >purchase price for the brisket. Although flavorless, the meat is much
> >nicer than the stuff you buy in a deli. I'd gladly use it to make French
> >Dip sandwiches.
>
> FRENCH dip? (Actually, I'm reading a charming little memoir by an
> American woman who lived and cooked for years in a small town in
> Normandy right now. Her food is wonderful, but it's not barbecue.)

Okay, Italian beef sammiches. Better?

> >Applebees has good smoked babybacks. Seems weird to go to an international
> >chain for something like that, but it's the closest we can get to the real
> >deal around here.
> >
> You deserve better, lady. My experience up north led me to seek out
> black folks for barbecue. At least that's how it was in Omaha and
> Terre Haute. By the time I got to Pittsburgh, I'd learned to do my
> own. Get Crash a smoker and some lump charcoal. Tell him to get to
> it. Bat your eyelashes and giggle while you hand him a side of ribs.

Yup,there are several very good black owned and operated barbecue places up
in St. Paul. Crash does have a smoker and a chimney and hickory and lump.
What he doesn't have is ribs that we can afford to buy and smoke.

Maybe we can scrape our pennies together and do a birthday barbecue in a
month. If not ribs, brisket. That's far more affordable, at least in our
neck of the woods.

I think that the reason "Taste of Texas Barbecue" is in Minnesota is that
the Texans ran this guy out of the state for misrepresenting braised meat
as barbecued.

Carol

--
Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

Monsur Fromage du Pollet > said:

> Damsel wrote on 30 Jun 2005 in rec.food.cooking
>
> > Crash has a big honkin' smoker. Like a long, horizontal barrel.
> > I think, if we ever find affordable raw ribs, we'll smoke a lot of
> > them. The only times I've found them available for purchase, it
> > would have been more cost-effective to go to Applebees than to
> > smoke our own. Why the heck are those things so expensive?
>
> Just the baby back ribs are expensive...the regular spare-ribs aren't
> too pricey...They taste fairly good too, if you do a little
> prep...remove the membrane on the boney side and cut off some of the
> excessive fat. Some grocery/stupidmarkets will even cut them to size
> (make them into two racks from one rack).

Thanks for the encouragement. Spare ribs are a lot more plentiful than
babybacks here. And one store has something called St. Louis style spare
ribs. Anyone know anything about those?

I've never wanted to make my own spareribs because I didn't like the greasy
ones my mom made. Not her fault. Ribs and kraut was what she knew. We'll
give them a shot.

Carol

--
Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

modom > said:

> On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 22:03:04 -0500, Damsel >
> wrote:
>
> >He's getting around surprisingly well, and is becoming more and more
> >independent. I was in so much pain (shoulders and back) from helping him
> >that I finally just told him he was on his own. As my pain increased, my
> >tolerance for hearing, "Hon, I need ...." decreased. I'm becoming more
> >pleasant each day. Thankfully.
>
> Sounds like you're on the true path to equilibrium.

Yeah, and I didn't even cast any yarrow stalks!

> Now, what should I look for by way of a midnight snack?

Lemon sherbet.

Carol

--
Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

On Thu 30 Jun 2005 09:01:08p, Damsel wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Thanks for the encouragement. Spare ribs are a lot more plentiful than
> babybacks here. And one store has something called St. Louis style spare
> ribs. Anyone know anything about those?
>

From Lobel's Butcher Shop:

"St. Louis pork ribs are essentially full spare ribs that have the brisket
bone removed. The result is a rack of ribs that is uniform length and density
so they cook evenly whether you decide to smoke, grill, barbecue, or oven
roast."

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974


---
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Virus Database (VPS): 0526-3, 06/30/2005
Tested on: 6/30/2005 9:09:23 PM
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http://www.avast.com

Wayne Boatwright > said:

> From Lobel's Butcher Shop:
>
> "St. Louis pork ribs are essentially full spare ribs that have the brisket
> bone removed. The result is a rack of ribs that is uniform length and density
> so they cook evenly whether you decide to smoke, grill, barbecue, or oven
> roast."

Thanks, Pookie!

Carol

--
Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

Damsel wrote:
(snip'n'edit)
> I think that the reason "Taste of Texas Barbecue" is in Minnesota is that
> the Texans ran this guy o ut of the state for misrepresenting braised meat
> as barbecued.
>
> Carol>
================================
Carol, have you & Crash eaten Famous Dave's ribs?
He's not black (he's Native American) and it is a chain
but the ribs are good and the sider are too.
We had a black guy here in Fargo - Vernon Tate -
who had a place called Ribs West. Won our RibFest twice,
but he couldn't market against Dave's. & went out of business :-(
Now I go to Space Aliens Bar & Grill (no lie!) for ribs.
There are only 2 Space Aliens that I know of, Fargo & Bismarck.
Is that enough to be a chain? They're really hokey but the food is
good.

Taste of Texas was here for a fancy schmancy food tasting thing
(Tickets $20+ - I got a free one) and their stuff was pretty much as
you described it!

Lynn from Fargo

Damsel wrote on 30 Jun 2005 in rec.food.cooking

> Monsur Fromage du Pollet > said:
>
> > Damsel wrote on 30 Jun 2005 in rec.food.cooking
> >
> > > Crash has a big honkin' smoker. Like a long, horizontal
> > > barrel. I think, if we ever find affordable raw ribs, we'll
> > > smoke a lot of them. The only times I've found them available
> > > for purchase, it would have been more cost-effective to go to
> > > Applebees than to smoke our own. Why the heck are those
> > > things so expensive?
> >
> > Just the baby back ribs are expensive...the regular spare-ribs
> > aren't too pricey...They taste fairly good too, if you do a
> > little prep...remove the membrane on the boney side and cut off
> > some of the excessive fat. Some grocery/stupidmarkets will even
> > cut them to size (make them into two racks from one rack).
>
> Thanks for the encouragement. Spare ribs are a lot more plentiful
> than babybacks here. And one store has something called St. Louis
> style spare ribs. Anyone know anything about those?
>
> I've never wanted to make my own spareribs because I didn't like
> the greasy ones my mom made. Not her fault. Ribs and kraut was
> what she knew. We'll give them a shot.
>
> Carol
>

I don't have a smoker...I just use the way my mom used to do it...Well
I never did remember her method...But Barb's sweet and sour Spare rib
recipe had 'Mom's' Techinque almost pat...So Thats what I use. But a
BH&G mag I was reading the other day suggested using the foil method on
the grill as well. (Got the peach chipotle glaze idea outta there too).

I'm not a pineapple and pork lover so I do this recipe with a favorite
BBQ sauce instead.

The pineapple sauce made in this recipe is very good in yoghurt by the
way. And not bad as a topping for cheese cake...From my un diabetic
days.


@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

Barb's Sweet And Sour Ribs

none

4 lb country style ribs or spareribs; (4to 6 lbs)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 cup water
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate; thawed
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 can crushed pineapple (15 1/4 oz.); undrained
1 small onion sliced (see my note)

Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper; wrap in heavy duty foil, folding
over several times to seal. Place packets on cookie sheets or shallow
baking pan. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Skip this part if using BBQ Sauce

*Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch and
*ginger. Gradually add water, stirring until smooth. Add orange juice
*concentrate, vinegar, soy sauce, and pineapple with juice. Mix well.
*Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and clear.

Start up again here.

Remove ribs from foil and drain. Place cooked ribs in shallow baking
dish; add sliced onion. Pour sauce over ribs. Return to oven and
bake,
uncovered, at 350° for 1-1/2 hours or until tender. If desired, serve
over rice. Makes about 6 large servings.

Notes: Source: Minneapolis Tribune Sunday Food Section, 5/26/85.
Have made these -- quite good. I don¹t think they take all of the
second time period to finish baking, though.

Alan's notes: Use 2 medium onions instead of 1 small



** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.66 **



--
It's not a question of where he grips it!
It's a simple question of weight ratios!

A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.

Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?

modom > wrote:

> Now, what should I look for by way of a midnight snack? I'm leaning
> towards soba noodles and smoked chicken leftovers with fish sauce,
> chiles and basil. But maybe it'll be a Little Debbie cream pie. Or
> two.

Well, it's not midnight, but we've been super-snacky today. I had four
(four! small ones, but four!) bowls of split-pea soup. Carin had a bowl
of butternut squash bisque at the cafe where our friend was playing
music. James had kipper snacks and toast. I don't think we're gonna
bother with dinner tonight -- we all snacked ourselves out of wanting to
eat any more today.

serene

"Lynn from Fargo" > said:

> Carol, have you & Crash eaten Famous Dave's ribs?

Yeah, we ate there frequently when the restaurants first opened. Even
bought the frozen meats. Then the frozen stuff started to go downhill.
Soon after, the restaurants' "pulled" meats were actually chopped meats.

We'll look for some ribs and/or brisket when we shop for the weekend's
festivities. I have a feeling Crash can do better than Famous Dave can.

Oh, another thing that tarnished my view of Famous Daves ...
They had a young man who was in a halfway house working for them. We were
there when they publically fired the guy for missing work one day. The
reason he missed was that there was a lockdown, and no one could leave for
any reason. I was horrified. I e-mailed the director of personnel and
Dave himself. They never bothered to respond.

Famous Dave sucks
Carol

--
Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

Monsur Fromage du Pollet wrote:
> Damsel wrote on 30 Jun 2005 in rec.food.cooking
>
>> Crash has a big honkin' smoker. Like a long, horizontal barrel.
>> I think, if we ever find affordable raw ribs, we'll smoke a lot of
>> them. The only times I've found them available for purchase, it
>> would have been more cost-effective to go to Applebees than to
>> smoke our own. Why the heck are those things so expensive?
>>
>> Carol
>>
>
> Just the baby back ribs are expensive...the regular spare-ribs aren't
> too pricey...They taste fairly good too, if you do a little
> prep...remove the membrane on the boney side and cut off some of the
> excessive fat. Some grocery/stupidmarkets will even cut them to size
> (make them into two racks from one rack).

"Country ribs", which aren't ribs at all but a portion of the butt, are even
less expensive than spare ribs and have twice the meat. Usually around
holidays (Canada Day counts!) stores put these and regular spare ribs on
sale in anticipation of outdoor gatherings.

Jill

Damsel wrote:
> "Dimitri" > said:
>
>> How's Crash doing? hobbling or running?
>
> Something between hobbling and frolicking.
>
> He's getting around surprisingly well, and is becoming more and more
> independent. I was in so much pain (shoulders and back) from helping
> him that I finally just told him he was on his own. As my pain
> increased, my tolerance for hearing, "Hon, I need ...." decreased.
> I'm becoming more pleasant each day. Thankfully.
>
> Thanks,
> Carol

I'm very glad to hear he's doing better Also glad to hear you are
re-asserting your Head Trollopness LOL

Jill

Damsel wrote:
>
> Yesterday, the Crashman and I tried out a new little restaurant. It's
> called Taste of Texas Barbecue.
>
> For $7.95, you got a half dozen slices of brisket, three babyback ribs, two
> slices of bread, and two sides. I got wheat bread, pinto beans, and potato
> salad. Crash got white bread, cole slaw, and jo-jo potatoes.

Okay, what are jo-jo potatoes?

> Should have known it was too good to be true. The meat wasn't smoked. It
> wasn't even finished off on something involving flame. Crash thought the
> ribs were boiled. I theorize that the meat was braised. It was extremely
> tender, but also very dry and completely flavorless.

That's worse, maybe that the new bbq place I tried recently.
The meat (ribs) was smoked but it was very dry and tough and the
sauce was totally bland.

> Applebees has good smoked babybacks.

I have a coupon for there - maybe I'll go and try their
ribs.

Kate

On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 23:01:08 -0500, Damsel >
wrote:

>Monsur Fromage du Pollet > said:
>
>> Damsel wrote on 30 Jun 2005 in rec.food.cooking
>>
>> > Crash has a big honkin' smoker. Like a long, horizontal barrel.
>> > I think, if we ever find affordable raw ribs, we'll smoke a lot of
>> > them. The only times I've found them available for purchase, it
>> > would have been more cost-effective to go to Applebees than to
>> > smoke our own. Why the heck are those things so expensive?
>>
>> Just the baby back ribs are expensive...the regular spare-ribs aren't
>> too pricey...They taste fairly good too, if you do a little
>> prep...remove the membrane on the boney side and cut off some of the
>> excessive fat. Some grocery/stupidmarkets will even cut them to size
>> (make them into two racks from one rack).
>
>Thanks for the encouragement. Spare ribs are a lot more plentiful than
>babybacks here. And one store has something called St. Louis style spare
>ribs. Anyone know anything about those?

St Louis ribs are just a way of cutting the bones to a specific
length. They'll do fine. Smoke 'em low and slow. Five or six hours
at 225-250.
>
>I've never wanted to make my own spareribs because I didn't like the greasy
>ones my mom made. Not her fault. Ribs and kraut was what she knew. We'll
>give them a shot.
>
Cook 'em long enough and most of the fat melts off in the pit. The
rest is just part of the sauce.


modom

On Fri, 01 Jul 2005 04:37:46 GMT, Monsur Fromage du Pollet
> wrote:
>
>I don't have a smoker..

Next birthday?


modom

On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 18:45:05 -0500, jmcquown wrote:

> LOL they do not expect you to pour vinegar on it! They offer you a
> vinegar-based sauce. I don't care for the tomatoey-mustardy sauces, either.
> In fact, no sauce, thanks (except maybe some hot sauce). I'll admit to not
> caring much for pulled pork but the last thing I'd describe it as is
> "already chewed" if they pulled it correctly

I tried Hawaiin style pulled pork twick last month. The first was a
shock and the second was better, so maybe it grows on you. Too greasy
and not seasoned enough (well, they do use salt) for me.

modom wrote on 01 Jul 2005 in rec.food.cooking

> On Fri, 01 Jul 2005 04:37:46 GMT, Monsur Fromage du Pollet
> > wrote:
> >
> >I don't have a smoker..
>
> Next birthday?
>
>
> modom
>

Maybe...we'll err I'll see...

--
It's not a question of where he grips it!
It's a simple question of weight ratios!

A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.

Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?

Monsur Fromage du Pollet wrote:
> Damsel wrote on 30 Jun 2005 in rec.food.cooking
>
> > Crash has a big honkin' smoker. Like a long, horizontal barrel.
> > I think, if we ever find affordable raw ribs, we'll smoke a lot of
> > them.

> Just the baby back ribs are expensive...the regular spare-ribs aren't
> too pricey...They taste fairly good too, if you do a little
> prep...remove the membrane on the boney side and cut off some of the
> excessive fat. Some grocery/stupidmarkets will even cut them to size
> (make them into two racks from one rack).


You usually find them on sale around this time of year, under $2 a
pound easily. As you say, full rack spares. Good eating.



Brian

A.C. wrote:
> J. Davidson wrote:
>
> > We have some of those Texas places here in NC. I have to say anything would
> > beat NC barbecued pork. It comes to the table looking already chewed, and
> > they expect you to pour vinegar on it.
>
> i guess nc bbq isn't for everyone but it sure is good for me! :P their version
> of a pulled pork bbq sandwich with a vinegar based sauce and some good vinegar
> based slaw on the bun can really be awesome if it's done correctly. but i guess
> 'done correctly' could vary quite wildly. that's what's great about food. there
> are so many regional / microregional variation on nearly any food... it's great!


I saw an episode of one of the Food Network shows, Food Finds I think,
where they visited a small Q place up in the mountains, Virginia, West
Virginia, someplace like that. Anyway, they made whole hog, qued slow.

When done, they pull all the meat and put in back in the skin, then
started sprinkling cider vinegar and a red-pepper based spice mixture
on it. Then they called out this little old shriveled up guy to do the
taste test. He sample and tell them what it needed more of, until it
was just right.

I have tried something similar with pulled butt I've made, tastes
great. Eat it in sandwiches or wrapped in tortillas, wow.



Brian

Damsel wrote:
> "jmcquown" > said:
>
>
>>Damsel wrote:
>>
>>>Applebees has good smoked babybacks. Seems weird to go to an
>>>international chain for something like that, but it's the closest we
>>>can get to the real deal around here.
>>>
>>>Carol
>>
>>Smoke your own... it's not difficult and you don't have to have a big
>>smoker. I've done all sorts of ribs on my Weber kettle over low, slow coals
>>with the lid on. Apple wood is nice, so is hickory. Mesquite is overrated
>>IMHO; too sharp for my taste.
>
>
> Crash has a big honkin' smoker. Like a long, horizontal barrel. I think,
> if we ever find affordable raw ribs, we'll smoke a lot of them. The only
> times I've found them available for purchase, it would have been more
> cost-effective to go to Applebees than to smoke our own. Why the heck are
> those things so expensive?
>
> Carol
>

Buy spare ribs or rib tips. much cheaper than baby backs.

--
Del Cecchi
"This post is my own and doesn’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions,
strategies or opinions.”

Kate Connally > writes:
> Okay, what are jo-jo potatoes?

Battered and deep-fried potato wedges.

--
Richard W Kaszeta

http://www.kaszeta.org/rich

Damsel wrote:
> "Lynn from Fargo" > said:
>
>
>>Carol, have you & Crash eaten Famous Dave's ribs?
>
>
> Yeah, we ate there frequently when the restaurants first opened. Even
> bought the frozen meats. Then the frozen stuff started to go downhill.
> Soon after, the restaurants' "pulled" meats were actually chopped meats.
>
> We'll look for some ribs and/or brisket when we shop for the weekend's
> festivities. I have a feeling Crash can do better than Famous Dave can.
>
> Oh, another thing that tarnished my view of Famous Daves ...
> They had a young man who was in a halfway house working for them. We were
> there when they publically fired the guy for missing work one day. The
> reason he missed was that there was a lockdown, and no one could leave for
> any reason. I was horrified. I e-mailed the director of personnel and
> Dave himself. They never bothered to respond.
>
> Famous Dave sucks
> Carol
>
John Hardee's in Rochester.

--
Del Cecchi
"This post is my own and doesn’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions,
strategies or opinions.”

Del Cecchi > said:

> Damsel wrote:
> >
> > Famous Dave sucks
> >
> John Hardee's in Rochester.

We proudly took two of our friends to Roscoe's in Rochester. In the past,
we'd had wonderful sandwiches there. We left in humiliation. All three
sandwiches sucked. The person who ordered ribs had the only edible meal in
the group. I've seen the John Hardee's signs when we've visited Rochester.
We'll give them a shot when we're there next.

Thanks,
Carol

--
Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

Enjoyed our last visit to Applebees
but
A drink and dessert tripled the price of the entree. OUCH !

I suspect they purposely show big pics of gooey desserts,
then micro-print the prices.... and me without my glasses.

<rj>

"Damsel" > wrote in message
...
> "Dimitri" > said:
>
>> How's Crash doing? hobbling or running?
>
> Something between hobbling and frolicking.
>
> He's getting around surprisingly well, and is becoming more and more
> independent. I was in so much pain (shoulders and back) from helping him
> that I finally just told him he was on his own. As my pain increased, my
> tolerance for hearing, "Hon, I need ...." decreased. I'm becoming more
> pleasant each day. Thankfully.
>
> Thanks,
> Carol
>

Good News - from what I understand very soon he'll be without pain - at least in
the area of the surgery.

After all we all need a little "fro-lick-ing" now and then.

;-)

Dimitri

Damsel wrote:
> Del Cecchi > said:
>
>
>>Damsel wrote:
>>
>>>Famous Dave sucks
>>>
>>
>>John Hardee's in Rochester.
>
>
> We proudly took two of our friends to Roscoe's in Rochester. In the past,
> we'd had wonderful sandwiches there. We left in humiliation. All three
> sandwiches sucked. The person who ordered ribs had the only edible meal in
> the group. I've seen the John Hardee's signs when we've visited Rochester.
> We'll give them a shot when we're there next.
>
> Thanks,
> Carol
>
I prefer "sauce on the side" at both places, but especially at roscoes.
But otherwise I always have enjoyed my meals there. Unfortunately
not on the plan at the moment.

--
Del Cecchi
"This post is my own and doesn’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions,
strategies or opinions.”

Damsel > writes:
> Yeah, we ate there frequently when the restaurants first opened. Even
> bought the frozen meats. Then the frozen stuff started to go downhill.
> Soon after, the restaurants' "pulled" meats were actually chopped meats.

Yeah, Famous Dave's is one of those examples of a restaurant that
started out decently, and slowly started to slide in quality as they
expanded until they just weren't worth visiting anymore.

I liked Famous Dave's in their early days, but around the time they
opened the Roseville, MN location I noticed that their quality was
starting to slide (and they renamed the sandwich from "pulled pork" to
"chopped pork"). Oddly, this led to a very positive experience with
Famous Dave himself---I was grabbing a hot dog and fries from Paws
Dogs (really good Chicago-style hot dog place that used to be in the
Gas Station at 494 and France Ave in Edina, MN, that isn't there
anymore), and the guy in front of me in line was Famous Dave. We were
waiting for our fries, and he started small talking with me, and I
told him that I was disappointed in the recent quality slide in his
pork sandwich. He ended up buying my hot dog and fries for me, and we
went outside and sat at the picnic table and discussed why I didn't
like his restaurant as much as I used to. He promised to look into
it, and thanked me for my comments. Really nice guy (especially since
I'm especially non-Minnesotan in that I'm very blunt in my opinions).

Then, about two months later, I went to brunch at the Famous Dave's in
Uptown (which I have no idea if it's still there, I have been to
Uptown since '02[1]) with my girlfriend at the time. Famous Dave
himself was there, and during my meal he recognized me and came over,
said hello, and then disappeared into the kitchen and came out 15
minutes later with a really nicely done pork sandwich. Nice touch.

Alas, the quality never really recovered, especially after Famous Dave
decided to spend more of his energy on politics than his restaurant.


[1] Speaking of which, I'll be back in Minnesota for vacation in
September. Any cool new restaurants to check out?


--
Richard W Kaszeta

http://www.kaszeta.org/rich

On Thu, 30 Jun 2005 22:03:04 -0500, Damsel >
wrote:

>"Dimitri" > said:
>
>> How's Crash doing? hobbling or running?
>
>Something between hobbling and frolicking.

<clap!><clap!><clap!>

>He's getting around surprisingly well, and is becoming more and more
>independent. I was in so much pain (shoulders and back) from helping him
>that I finally just told him he was on his own. As my pain increased, my
>tolerance for hearing, "Hon, I need ...." decreased. I'm becoming more
>pleasant each day. Thankfully.

When the DH had a hernia repair, I was Florence Nightengale for about
3 days. My patience finally fled when I was on Day 4 of bedpan duty.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

In article >,
Richard Kaszeta > wrote:

> [1] Speaking of which, I'll be back in Minnesota for vacation in
> September. Any cool new restaurants to check out?

Harry Singh's is open again, this time in Uptown around
25th and Nicollet.

The jerk pork is only available on weekends now. It is
the best thing on the menu, though I've never had anything
bad there....

Mike Beede

Carol,
Sorry you had such a bad experience with Dave's - the one here is new
enough that it hasn't had time to slide far. I have the Famous Dave's
cookbook (gorgeous and I forked over the full $35 for my copy!) The
best recipes are ones for stuff that's NOT on the menu. I bought the
cookbook months before I ever ate at Dave's. Got hooked by the
Pineapple Upside Down Cake and the Corn Relish. All the BBQ recipes
call for FD's Sauces - available all over town & not too pricey.

I wish I could duplicate Vernon Tate's coleslaw. The cabbage/vegetable
mix was right out of the bag, but he ladled on this homemade slaw
dressing that was palest pink and had the kick of a mule. It was either
made with tabasco or cayenne for the pinkness and had a definite appley
flavor - I think it was frozen apple juice concentrate - kind of syrupy
so it didn't water down the consistenccy of the dressing. I need to
experiment . . .

Lynn from Fargo
BBQ at work for July 4th - Texas Baked Corn, Pineapple Baked Beans,
Scratch Potato Salad, Garlic Coleslaw and Red White & Blue Jello Stuff
with whipped cream. (Bring your own meat for the grill)