Avoiding Malnutrition Through Free Happy Hour Buffets

[indyfrisco]

OK, let's see the .

I will give my experience with this.

Not sure where all in the country it is, but there is a pretty shitty restaurant called Bennigans. When I was a co-op in Dallas for a year, every single weekday after work, my buddies and I went to Bennigans for Happy Hour and the free buffet. Here is what was on the buffet.

Fried Potato Skins
Nachos
Chicken Quesadiilas
Buffalo Wings
[bait]Fresh Salmon Cakes[/bait]
Motzerella Cheese
French Fries
Tortilla Soup
(few other things but those are what I remember most)

Anyhow, pints of any beer were $2 for domestic and $2.50 for imports. I was big into Shiner Bock in college so I usually had that...at $2.50 a pint (Shiner is made in Texas near Austin but for some dumbfuck reason all bars sell it as an import).

Anyhow, my parents staked me all through college. I took my food stipend and spent it on the beer that fed me my free dinner as well as Copenhagen and liquor for the house.

Overall, I give the Bennigans buffet a 3 out of 10. 2.5 of those points are because it was free.

Good times.

[Atomic Punk]

No fucking way Bennigan's would survive this town of fatasses if that were the situation here. In fact, there was one about a mile away from here and I think it's now closed as the drinks were pricey and it seemed you pay for the nice rustic setting. In the same parking lot you had Food Max, which is a bag-it-yourself store (Safeway) with low prices. Those patrons alone would put Bennigan's out of business. They would probably steal the condiments, shakers, and pint glasses while they were at it.

I do have a $25 gift card to Chili's, Macaroni Grill, On the Border, etc. in my wallet. Macaroni Grill is supposed to be good but last time I went there the wait was insane. Fuck that, I'll go to Chili's and get some grub during their 3 pm - 5 pm happy hour.

I get this feeling you may have high LDL and triglycerides in the bloodstream.

[Atomic Punk]

I forgot which thread you told me they have rib racks at Home Depot. Today I saw just one remaining in aisle 3 and snagged it. I also got the kabob rack with skewers.

This weekend I am hoping I will be able to make my latest series of pork ribs as I think certain people will be out of town so I get to eat more than 5 ribs after all of that effort.

Hopefully my Tony Chachere's spice shipment comes in tomorrow. If not, I'll have to use Pappy's, which isn't very good for pork ribs.

[Truman]

"Tony Cachere's spice"?!

Do you have any idea how much freaking salt is in that shit?! For cat's sake, AP, google "rib rub recipe", choose one that looks good, and make your own! It'll be 10 times better than anything you buy in a fricken' can.

Californians barbecuing...

[Atomic Punk]

http://www.tonychachere.com/seasoning/#

Scroll down to the "More Spice Seasoning" section and then tell me how much salt is in that.

Your welcome. :dinswink:

[Truman]

Naw, AP….

It’s a helluva lot more fun to keep you in suspense wondering whether I’m right or not.

You DO know that commercial spice blends do not list the quantity of each ingredient on their labels. This is to prevent brain-dead Cali’s from attempting to reverse-engineer the stuff and eliminate their need to seek out exotic spice blends from such far-off and primitive places as Louisiana. However, I would hope that you know that all FDA-approved spice blends are obliged to list their ingredients in order of proportion

And guess which ingredient is listed first on your li’l wonder can…?

Oh, don’t get me wrong - Tony Cachere’s seasoning is a terrific salt substitute that I regularly use to season chicken and shrimp, gumbos and jambalaya. Heck, I even use a teaspoon-or-two of the stuff in my own rib rub. So if you’re simply looking to season your ribs with a bit of the “bayou blast”, then by all means knock yourself out.

However, if it is your intent to massage a copious amount of the stuff into your baby backs in the spirit of a true rib rub, then you’re about to commit the barbecue version of sticking your fingers under a running lawn mower to check the blade.

Look, AP, barbecuing ain’t exactly Brain Surgery, but a bit of Common Sense is encouraged. Pork + Salt + High Smoke + Low Heat has been known to produce a product best served with a couple of fried eggs and a side of hash-browns.

Seriously, dude, download a good rib rub recipe and add a bit of the magic powder to the mix. You’ll thank me later. I just hate to see anyone fuck up a perfectly good slab of ribs. Even a mexifornian with an electric smoker.

[Atomic Punk]

It's all good. I may do just that because one of my buddies used to own and run a local rib shack and that's what he does.

I used to have Tony's around and am kicking myself for not keeping a supply. I use it on most of my cooked meals and especially pastas and soups.

Speaking of electric smokers... I saw them at Home Depot for $60. I don't know shit about them and a few here has mentioned using them. Now matter how much foil pouches of soak wood chips I drop in the gas grill, you just can't get a really good smoke flavor. Maybe a smoker may be in my future?

[Truman]

Not to go all-:dins: on you, but I DO have an opinion-or-seven on the subject. As a proud native of the Barbecue Capitol, I learned the Art of the Low Smoke from my Dad, who learned it from his. Over the years, we’ve been known to cater the odd event, and managed to scrape together an award-or-two in local competition. I’m now in the process of sharing the Secret with my own sons. I have literally been barbecuing all my life.

That said, I have a serious appreciation for anyone who has a passion for creating good ‘cue.

On the subject of smokers, I’m biased as hell. Good barbecue doesn’t come from a propane or electric unit. Don’t believe me? Check out the local hickory pit in your town. Those split logs out back aren’t there for ambiance.

Oh, propane/electric units are fine for grilling – and heat regulation is a GOOD thing in barbecue - but then again, so is the George Foreman Mean, Lean Grilling Machine you have collecting dust behind the Crockpot in one of your kitchen cabinets. But when it comes to good ‘cue, it is exactly for this reason that these units suck-out-loud:

”No matter how much foil pouches of soak wood chips I drop in the gas grill, you just can't get a really good smoke flavor.”

I have no idea what the air-quality regs are in Cali these days, but if you’re looking to commit 60 bones towards an “electric smoker”, then by all means wait until you can pair that wad up with another $60 for a good charcoal unit. Stay away from the cheap-ass, $30 Brinkman smokers. A 22.5” Weber dome, paired with a good charcoal chimney, is a terrific, versatile starter unit. I use mine for grilling and “Iron Chef Barbecue” (various meats I can smoke in 2-3 hours). For meats that require a bit more attention (ribs, brisket, turkey), I use my Weber Smokey Mountain barrel smoker.

Rack you for picking up the rib rack. Barbecue is way too much work for a paltry 5 ribs apiece, and a rib rack will certainly free up more grill surface space to allow you to smoke another rack or two. Just so you know: In the absence of a rib rack and with limited grill-top space, it is permissible to stack rib racks one-on-top-of-the-other. It’s a bit tricky for “rib mopping” and when you go to apply your “finishing sauce”, but you can produce some fine ‘cue with a bit of patience.

[Goober McTuber]

I am looking to purchase the Weber smoker this spring, and have a couple of questions.

Do you only put charcoal in there or do you also add wood?

If you also add wood, how much does it have to be chopped up? I’ve got a nice pile of firewood for the fireplace, and an inordinate amount of it is shagbark hickory.

[Headhunter]

The cheap Brinkmanns are pieces of shit. They'll rust out on you pretty quick. The higher end smokers are quite nice.

I've had this one for about 12 years, and it's still in perfect condition.



Very nice combo smoker that will give you lot's a versatility.


Now, As a Texas boy, I'll disagree with Truman's assessment of where the BBQ Capitol is located, but the rest of what he's said is spot on. If you use an electric smoker, there's a better than average chance that you're a wannabe bbq twat.

Sack up, and buy a real smoker. One that produces smoke by burning shit with fire, rather than heating a little box up that will smoke when it reaches a certain temperature.

And Cachere's more spice... Just a hotter pepper... Same amount of salt. Try mixing a small amount of that up with some garlic powder, onion powder, Brown sugar, and some type of dried ground pepper (I Like a mix of Ancho and Chipotle). That will give you a good starting point for your own rub. Every man should have his own mix. Even if it's just a mix of other mixes.


On to Goobs...

Really depends on what you're cooking and the set-up. In a barrel smoker like mine, where the smoke and heat both ascend directly to the meat you may want to use a mixture of briquettes (I think you're talking about the Kingsford type stuff, not true charcoal) as using wood only can over power the meat with smoke. It also depends on the pungent nature of the wood you're using. I personally use a mixture of mesquite and pecan. It also depends on how long you'll be cooking said meat. Something like seafood would cook quickly, so I'd go 100% wood. A turkey, which I smoke for 2 hours per pound, would be ruined if you used 100% wood, so I use briquettes to maintain the heat, and toss smaller chunks of wood in from time to time to maintain a good level of smoke.

Also spring for a "good" thermometer for the pit. You want to know exactly what the temp is in your pit at all times. NA dBTW. low,med, and high are not temps. they are guestimations. Getting one that reads out in degrees.

[indyfrisco]

So much to comment on and don't have the time right now but...

HH,

Was that a typo? You smoke turkey 2 hours per pound? Fuck I go slow and low but not that bad. Turkey I smoke for about 30-40 minutes per pound at about 180*-190*. 20 lb. bird in 10-13 hours. I also use a mixture of charcoal and wood. Mostly charcoal for the first 30 minutes with a little wood for smoke to get up heat, then on to 100%wood for about 5 hours, 50-50 wood/charcoal for the next 5 hours and then charcoal only for the last hour or two.

I have the Lyfe Tyme indirect unit that has a firebox on the side. It is really heavy duty and holds its heat well. A 20 lb. bird should not take 40 hours to cook. Sorry, man. And I, too, am from TX and agree with the BBQ capitol comment. I guess we can agree on that.

[Headhunter]

Yep, I smoke a turkey for 2 hours per pound. No typo at all. I know, you think it's going to dry out? right? Nope. Not on My watch. I cook it right about 165. Like Truman, This was passed on from generations. Gramps started the tradition. I thought my old man was on crack when he started to teach me. 165 seems awfully low, until you eat the bird. You'll never eat a more tender smoked bird. And nobody gets sick (sup Mikey?)

[Headhunter]

And BTW, I'll only crack a 20-25 smoked bird every few years. It's a lot on the liver to BBQ that long. Most of the time, I'll brine a 10-13 LBS turkey, and start the night before. Toss it on the Q Wednesday evening after work, and drag it off for Thanksgiving.

[Dinsdale]

Not to offend any of the smoking purists...but an electric unit works MUCH better for fish.


Everything else...no comaprison to a wood-fired unit.

Fish? An electric Little Chief is the way. Smoking fish (we'll say salmon, for the sake of discussion) isn't just flavoring and cooking meat, it's firing off a chemical reaction, and that is much easier to regulate with an electric. Let the box get too hot with salmon, and it takes a big hit.

Whereas with beef, pork, poultry, or anything else...give me a bigazz metal barrel-type thingy (did I mention an old water heater makes a great que?). Or a Traeger.

[Headhunter]

I knew the Traeger was going to come into this discussion at some point. I've heard nothing but awesome things about it. Might have to hook myself up someday, but they are still pretty expensive to import down here. $1000 plus shipping & handling. Might make the sacrifice some day.

[Truman]

Hey, Goobs…

Rack you for considering a charcoal smoker.

But it you’re gonna go with one of these…



Then for God’s sake, make sure you pick up one of these…



Unless you’re into diesel fuel-flavored meat, save the lighter fluid and Kingsford Matchlight for the campfire. Simply fire up a coupla pieces of wadded-up newspaper in the bottom of your new chimney, and you’re in business….

Now… What to burn?

Straight outta the chute, I’m gonna recommend a charcoal/hardwood blend. Why? Well, the key to good ‘cue is creating consistent, low heat. Save the open flames for burning steaks. Charcoal briquets are of a uniform size, and will burn down to the white-hot coals desired for barbecue much more quickly than a couple of logs of good hardwood. Save the all-hardwood experiment for after you’ve learned the intricacies of your smoker. And yes, every smoker is different.

That said, however, charcoal alone won’t add the flavor you desire to the meat.

Soak your favorite hardwood in water to cover for at least an hour-or-so in a gallon pitcher or five-gallon bucket. Hickory is absolutely terrific with chicken, pork, and beef, but I also like fruitwoods (apple, cherry, pear, and sassafrass) with poultry and pork, and pecan and mesquite are solid picks for beef and turkey. Resinous woods such as pine or cedar are not an option – unless you’re looking to poison your dinner guests.

Once your coals have fired and you’ve dumped them into the bottom of your smoker, sprinkle several handfuls of water-soaked hard-wood chips (chicken and pork tenderloins) or chunks (brisket, ribs, or turkey) on the edge of your coals, adjust your smoker’s vents to regulate the heat, and immediately start pounding beers over the next several hours while the meat cooks. Barbecue, is, after all, a man’s sport.

Lot’s of help here, Goobs.

Headhunter appears knowledgeable, despite the fact that he’s Texan, thinks that Shiner is good beer, and hasn’t a clue how to prepare anything that doesn’t moo. (Kansas Citians barbecue everything with its back to the sun)

And, Indy, I hear, brews a world-class sauce. A quick read suggests that he smokes meat worthy of his product.

Ever consider runnin’ with the big dogs, Indy?

http://www.americanroyal.com/Default.aspx?tabid=65

Medal here, and I’m a believer. Anything less is Famous Dave’s.

Nice to hear from the U&L. Fresh Salmon is an oxymoron here in Flyover Country, and crappie and bass don’t translate well to barbecue. Good to have another perspective.

[indyfrisco]

Truman,

I wanted so badly to go to the Evansville cookoff this past year, but we had a vacation planned on the day of the cookoff. I want so badly to enter a contest because I know I will do well in it. I don't have the equipment to run with the big boys in the big cookoffs where you need to prepare like 50 lbs. of meat. I will begin with a ribs only contest using my sauce. I want a medal or two that I can throw on my label.

I have 18 more months until my house is paid off. At that point, I plan on putting more money into both my business and my cookoff pursuits. I'm treating my BBQ sauce business like a marathon, not a sprint. I'm in no hurry to make a million $. I'm doing just fine right now. My priorities are family first, Frisco's dreams a distant second. I will have zero debt in 18 months or less. At 30 yrs old, that isn't bad.

[Headhunter]

Shiner is good beer... To make bread with. That's about it. Not much of a beer drinker, really. Give me a bottle of Beam over a beer any day of the week. If I am drinking beer, it's likely to be a Heineken or Guinness.

As to meats, it's pretty rare I'll smoke beef. The odd brisket, but that's it. More of a pork and poultry person. I have a certain affinity for Baby backs (I can hear the KC spin firing up already) and other cuts of pork. Making good beef ribs is an art form, but only because of the inferior nature of the cut of meat. Silk purse/sows ear kind of thing.


And I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that in high school, Indy preferred smoking sausage...

[Goober McTuber]

And, Indy, I hear, brews a world-class sauce. A quick read suggests that he smokes meat

Indy Fellatio smokes meat? Who would have guessed?

Thanks to all for the advice.

[Dinsdale]

I knew the Traeger was going to come into this discussion at some point. I've heard nothing but awesome things about it. Might have to hook myself up someday, but they are still pretty expensive to import down here. $1000 plus shipping & handling. Might make the sacrifice some day.

Really? I think my buddy (who conveniently moved right up the street not too long ago) paid about $400 for his, but that's been about 3-4 years ago(time flies). Also, he's a firefighter-hero-type, and he scores a deal on everything.

Traeger isn't quite as cool as a wood-fired unit, but it's close. But there's something about walking out the back door and flipping a switch, and cooking a few minutes later that's appealing. I suppose the pelolets could be an issue, but since Traeger is right down the highway from here, not too many locals worry about it(although you can't even get pellets for pellet stoves this winter...the biggest pellet supplier's warehouse had a big fire...but that's not really the topic).

=http://www9.yatego.com/images/44aa33ede ... -33820.jpg[/img]



I think I just got a boner.


But you folks with the charcoal-chimney crack me up. Yeah, my Dad used to use a similar technique 35 years ago...only back then, we called it a "coffee can." Costs about $5, and as a bonus, comes filled with coffee. I actually have a few extras I could send you guys, if you're struggling with finding one. Hell, for a nominal fee, I'd even poke the hole in the bottom for you.


BTW -- the Troops in Iraq are given a copious amount of small packages of jerky...from the U&L, of freaking course(brilliant marketing strategy by Tillamook Country Smokers-btw...those guys will be buying their "comfort food" by the truckload down the road).

[Dinsdale]

Nice to hear from the U&L. Fresh Salmon is an oxymoron here in Flyover Country, and crappie and bass don’t translate well to barbecue.

Smoked sturgeon and halibut don't suck, either. And in a couple of months or so, they pretty much give away fresh albacore 'round these parts. Neither fresh nor smoked tuna sucks, either...but canned tuna does.

[Mikey]

And where are you getting your "fresh" tuna from...the Columbia River?

[indyfrisco]

If it is ahi tuna and you put any kind of heat on it other than wasabi, you fucking suck.

[Truman]

Truman,

I wanted so badly to go to the Evansville cookoff this past year, but we had a vacation planned on the day of the cookoff. I want so badly to enter a contest because I know I will do well in it. I don't have the equipment to run with the big boys in the big cookoffs where you need to prepare like 50 lbs. of meat. I will begin with a ribs only contest using my sauce. I want a medal or two that I can throw on my label.

I have 18 more months until my house is paid off. At that point, I plan on putting more money into both my business and my cookoff pursuits. I'm treating my BBQ sauce business like a marathon, not a sprint. I'm in no hurry to make a million $. I'm doing just fine right now. My priorities are family first, Frisco's dreams a distant second. I will have zero debt in 18 months or less. At 30 yrs old, that isn't bad.

Lookin' to come correct here, Indy.

It certainly wasn't my intent if I came across even remotely harsh in my previous post. Posted it earlier: I'm biased as hell. That said, rack the piss outta you for havin' the cubes to bottle your own sauce!

Don't know what the glass aisle of your local Kroger looks like, but the barbecue sections here down at the local Hy-Vee and Price Chopper feature barbecue sauce sections eight feet long and seven feet high. I could literally sample a different local barbecue sauce every single night for the next eight months, and never taste the same sauce twice. Hence my skepticism for "foreign" sauce. Hell, the best sauce I've ever tasted was created by my barbecue partner-in-crime. But my pal has yet to grow a sack big enough to market "Clyde's Boomer Sooner Sauce (Best Barbecue Sauce North of the Red)."

---------------

You're looking to sell a world class sauce. Click the link. Don't know about the 'cue you smoke at home ('cept that it's probably very good!), but a "Best Barbecue Sauce on the Planet" award from the American Royal - considered along with Memphis in May and the Jack Daniels World Championships the penultimate in barbecue competition - wouldn't exactly hurt the ol' marketing effort. And the medal would look bitchin' on a bottle of Brent's Best.

Just sayin', Indy. Hell, we even allow Texans to win our contest on occasion...

Best wishes,

Truman

[Truman]

Shiner is good beer... To make bread with. That's about it. Not much of a beer drinker, really. Give me a bottle of Beam over a beer any day of the week. If I am drinking beer, it's likely to be a Heineken or Guinness.

As to meats, it's pretty rare I'll smoke beef. The odd brisket, but that's it. More of a pork and poultry person. I have a certain affinity for Baby backs (I can hear the KC spin firing up already) and other cuts of pork. Making good beef ribs is an art form, but only because of the inferior nature of the cut of meat. Silk purse/sows ear kind of thing.


And I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that in high school, Indy preferred smoking sausage...

Just yankin' your chain, HH.

Texans CAN be an amusing bunch; i.e. pork ain't real barbecue and mesquite is the only wood of choice. That said, I've sampled plenty of mighty-fine Texas 'cue - beef AND pork - over the years.

No spin here on baby backs... They are the rib of choice on Truman's smoker. Gotta admit that pork butt defeats me. Shred all the fat out of a five pound butt, and you have enough edible meat for a sandwich-or-two. And I admit I have zero appreciation for mustard-based vinegar sauces OR cole slaw as a condiment on my sandwich. I'm sure it's a Carolina thing.

Smoke on, HH. Lookin' forward to bouncin' a recipe or technique off of you down the road.

[Truman]

I knew the Traeger was going to come into this discussion at some point. I've heard nothing but awesome things about it. Might have to hook myself up someday, but they are still pretty expensive to import down here. $1000 plus shipping & handling. Might make the sacrifice some day.

Really? I think my buddy (who conveniently moved right up the street not too long ago) paid about $400 for his, but that's been about 3-4 years ago(time flies). Also, he's a firefighter-hero-type, and he scores a deal on everything.

Traeger isn't quite as cool as a wood-fired unit, but it's close. But there's something about walking out the back door and flipping a switch, and cooking a few minutes later that's appealing. I suppose the pelolets could be an issue, but since Traeger is right down the highway from here, not too many locals worry about it(although you can't even get pellets for pellet stoves this winter...the biggest pellet supplier's warehouse had a big fire...but that's not really the topic).







I think I just got a boner.


But you folks with the charcoal-chimney crack me up. Yeah, my Dad used to use a similar technique 35 years ago...only back then, we called it a "coffee can." Costs about $5, and as a bonus, comes filled with coffee. I actually have a few extras I could send you guys, if you're struggling with finding one. Hell, for a nominal fee, I'd even poke the hole in the bottom for you.


BTW -- the Troops in Iraq are given a copious amount of small packages of jerky...from the U&L, of freaking course(brilliant marketing strategy by Tillamook Country Smokers-btw...those guys will be buying their "comfort food" by the truckload down the road).

Unlike barbecue, jerky is cold smoked - like bacon. That might qualify as "barbecue" in the U&L, but not here in Flyover Country. Tell me you knew, Dinsapedia....

--------------

Er... Sorry, Dins, but despite your spin, "Oregon-style" barbecue is gonna be a tough sell to the rest of the World. For some reason, I don't believe that "Portland" will be included in the description of of Great American Barbecue Cities. And while stories of thousand dollar "smokers" (:meds:) and wood pellet manufacturers are compelling, the bottom line remains:

How good is the local 'cue?

I mean, compared to real 'cue?

I know, tough to come to terms with, Dins, but you're just gonna hafta accept second best in this department. Take solace in the fact that you have mountains and beaches, and we don't.

Oh, and thanks for clueing us in on Dad's coffee can. Surely a technique known only to the U&L.

Just so you know: Comparing your Folgers can to a modern charcoal chimney is like comparing a Model A with a '68 Mustang.

'sayin'.

[Atomic Punk]

Those chimney starters are only $12.97 at Home Depot. I looked at that wood pellet thing a few months back and the fact you need those pellets is why I didn't give it a second thought.

My buddy at work told me he has a smoker where the smoke box is actually welded on the back of the rig for a more even flow. I haven't seen it, but it's the one he used for his rib shack. I gave him some of Brent BBQ sauce and he said his kids can't handle the heat... even with Brent's medium sauce.

I would be okay with the 22.5 inch Silver or Gold version Weber but... I was given the top of the line Weber gas grill by my dad. Having 3 propane tanks is clutch though. It is what it is. I did buy a few bricks that I cover in foil to give certain meats and poultry the cross grill marks. Brining poultry is something I've recently learned and it's a HUGE difference in the quality.

Truman, my shipment of Tony's came in today and I guess I forget how potent that stuff is and how it can ruin meat as a rub. I stand corrected. A little goes a long way.

[indyfrisco]

AP,

That's why there is a Mild. I wouldn't give my medium to kids and most women....well, most women in these parts at least. Texas women could sure handle it. My mom loves spicy, but she couldn't eat my Hot on ribs I smoked for her.

[Dinsdale]

And where are you getting your "fresh" tuna from...the Columbia River?

This may come as a shock to you, Mikey, but Oregon is indeed located on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. It's right down the highway from here...really.

Words can't describe how plentiful albacore is in season. Some years, they've been known to literally give the stuff away at the coast.

Unlike barbecue, jerky is cold smoked - like bacon. That might qualify as "barbecue" in the U&L, but not here in Flyover Country. Tell me you knew, Dinsapedia....

Why yes, I did know that. Making jerkey is good education for such things.

Er... Sorry, Dins, but despite your spin, "Oregon-style" barbecue is gonna be a tough sell to the rest of the World.

Cool. Tell you what -- let's both sit down and grille a chinook, and we'll see who wins that one.

For some reason, I don't believe that "Portland" will be included in the description of of Great American Barbecue Cities.

Yeah, probably not...since all the BBQ joints around here are run by Texas and KC transplants(and some from Tennessee, too).

And they actually bring in some authority group from KC to judge the state-bbq-off thingy they have at the Coast every year.

Only real BBQ joints out here on the West Side are a small chain that's run by two long-time Texas transplants, and Snoop Dogg's uncle's place. Never eaten at Snoop's(Reo's, it's called), but it's not really a BBQ joint, per se...even though his smoker/bbq was right out in the parking lot for the forst few years(that was a hoot in winter). The rib-shack is well-known as nothing but a money-laundering front for Snoop's vast drug cartel(tell me you knew?).

How good is the local 'cue?

I mean, compared to real 'cue?

Sometimes excellent(you don't seem to understand that almost everyone here is from somewhere else...including many people from Texas and the Flyover Zone), sometimes subpar...just like where you live.

But if that's Kansas City's other claim-to-fame (besides spawning IKYABWAI retards at a prodigous clip), then I will continue to laugh.

"Hey, Jethro...we figured out how to light a fire in a 55 gallon drum, and cook meat on it! We're on the map, baby!!!"

[indyfrisco]

55 gallon drum[/i]

That's what my dad uses for a charcoal chimney. You know how everything in Texas is bigger...

[Goober McTuber]

If it is ahi tuna and you put any kind of heat on it other than wasabi, you fucking suck.

You bait-eaters are funny.

[Dinsdale]

You bait-eaters are funny.

No shit.

In civilized society, smelt, minnows, herring, and sardines(which are all pretty much the same freaking thing) are used to catch salmon(by the bait-chucking barbarians). Same goes for prawns, shrimp, and all that other nasty crap some of you scum actually put in your holes.

They work well for sturgeon, too. Well...for real sturgeon, anyway, and not those pale imitations of the midwest...which would be a fairly fucked region for fishing, if Oregon didn't show them the way, decades ago(how are those salmonids of the Great Lakes treating you, Flyovers? You're welcome-btw).

[indyfrisco]

Ahi Tuna is the only sushi I have ever eaten and I am addicted to it. Of course, I only get it when I go into the city, but it is FAR from bait.

[Dinsdale]

sushi

Never.


And not only is it not my dealio, I have contempt for the idiots that eat it.

For one, there is absolutely no better way to catch a raging case of hepatitis A than by eating sushi...bar none. And that isn't some silly bout of "stomach flu"...hep is the real-deal, which can shorten your life expectancy by quite a bit.

And when you eat sushi, you support the Moonies, who are an evil fucking lot. Many people don't seem to realize that the Moonies essentailly have a monopoly on sushi distribution in the USA. So, if that's what you want to give financial support to, then fuck you.

You're in effect financing the overthrow of the United States, you fucking asshole.


I have a BIG problem with Moonies, their political aspirations(which include the removal of the US Constitution), and their recruiting. And every time anyone in the USA eats sushi, they're financing it...because that's where the Moonies get much of their money.

BIG problem with it over here.

[indyfrisco]

I don't think of politics when I eat something.

I can't stand the influx of Mexicans and how they are driving up unenployment for actual citizens I also can't stand that when I go to a website that askes what country I am from and then I have to choose between Spanish and English, but damned if I'm not going to be eatng a shitload of Mexican food in Dallas all next week on my business trip. The Mexican place here in this little Midwest town is actually DAMN good, owned by the Spic-yards themselves, but I eat it and lots of it.

I have sushi maybe 3-4 times a year. If that makes the chinks rich, so be it.

[Dinsdale]

If that makes the chinks rich, so be it.

Moonies are Korean-based.

But, it appears you've made your stance clear -- you support the overtrow of the US government, and oppose the US Constitution. Or you knowingly give financial support for those who do.


Yup...if you eat sushi, you basically support terrorists. Way to go, Yankee Doodle.

As an aside...last week, I went out with some skank from Texas. Mentioned that Mexican food and Tex-Mex were two different things(yeah, thanks for that, skank). Then went on to say that obviously, Texas has the finest Tex-Mex available on Planet Earth...then said the true-Mexican food was much better here...

Which I found quite ponderous. If for no other reason, I though most of the "Mexican" faire around here was pretty much Tex-Mex anyhow.


One of these days, I'll defer to the Southwesterners to clarify Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine(which I think has been covered before), and maybe get some history and clear definitions of the differences(not that I'm completely ignorant on the subject, but a Texan seems like a good person to ask).

Another strange thing...chick lived in Hillsboro, aka Hillsburrito, which has long been a major Mexicam enclave around here, dating way back before the open-border policy. And funny thing is, I've never found much Mexi food worth a shit in that city(of about 90K people, plus illegals), whereas in my slightly-less-Hispanic burb, super-grubbin Mexican food abounds. From full-service restaurants/lounges, to the hole-in-the-wall burrito stands(the best of which is a couple-minute walk from my house)...we got it going on with the mexifood. Yet the surrounding burbs suck for Mexican. And my very favorite burrito joint is near my buddy's house in Milwaukie, across the river, and that burb is pretty much devoid of Mexicans...go figure.

[Mikey]

What most people think of as "Mexican" food (tacos, burritos, tostadas, enchiladas, etc.) is really pretty much representative of what you find in northern Mexico within probably a couple hundred miles of the (US) border, and probably not all that regognizable to most Mexicans in Mexico. Pretty much cheap and easy to make.

In reality "real" Mexican food, like any other, is as varied as the climates and cultures within the country. The northern areas around the border are basically dry desert shit. Go down south to the more tropical areas and you'll find food more influenced by the ingredients that are readily available there, like tropical fruits and more seafood if you're near the water. In other areas it's more influenced by the traditional native food.

That being said, we've got a lot of good "Mexican" food around here in LoCal, from taco stands to more expensive sit-down places. But most of the best stuff is pretty cheap and served in places run and frequented by, shall I say, people who speak English as a second language. I'm sure that LoCal mex is different than Tex-Mex though (I'm not sure how 'cause I've never spend much time in Texas). I do remember being in Santa Fe and Albuquerque and having chile verde and chile colorado that was nothing like anything you get around here. They also serve a lot of posole there, which you don't find around here.

Edit: Check out the wiki entry. It's pretty interesting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_cuisine

[Dinsdale]

BTW -- this weekend's sea bass* is getting eaten without being smoked.

Caught just inside the Pacific Ocean, in case Mikey was wondering...in Oregon, no less.


* -- I think one need only travel a couplefew hundred miles before a "sea bass" becomes an entirely different animal that what you're used to locally. Here, a sea bass is any of the many varieties of Pacific Rockfish, which most probably know by the generic name "red snapper." (Although there is one species of rockfish that is commonly called a red-snapper, commercially, the term is applied to any of the Pacific Rockfish)


Tasty stuff, that rockfish. No steelhead were harvested this past weekend(or not by me and mine, anyway). But, a rockfish was harmed in the making of this post.

[Mikey]

He don't look like no red snapper to me.

Sin,

Gandolph Fitch

[Atomic Punk]

Sea bass on the CEN CAL coast is mostly Rock Cod and Red Snapper. If I remember correctly, Rock Cod is a plentiful lower quality fish that finds its place being battered and fried.

Mikey is right about "real" Mexican food. What you get in the US depends on where the restaurant owners come from. I know in New Jersey I never found a real Mexican restaurant because the one the local Latinas talked about was run by people from South America under the guise of being Mexican.

In Fresno Country alone, it would be hard to find a place that cooks real Mexican food the same way unless it was a chain.

Tex-Mex appeals to those that have never had the real deal as they want a margarita, be around fancy decor, white clientele, and pay for shitty tasting food.

If anyone here can clain a place like the chain "Chevy's" is great Tex-Mex, well maybe it is. I sure wouldn't call it Mexican food. It's a blend of what Texas ranch-style food is mixed in with what the Mexicans brought al norte. Texas cooks combined their chili and beans with what the Mexicans brought among other Texas cuisine. Fajitas are the best example of Tex-Mex and that is one of the very few items I like.

I love Mexican food but rarely eat the real stuff due to the high fat content. So, to make it easier, you go to a no frills hole-in-the-wall, where you are not going to pay more than $10 total with tip and drink that is decent eats in order to make you feel better.

Fuck paying a joint like Chevy's over $20 for that crappy experience.