My oven-baked brisket
Brisket is one of those things that every Texan eats and every Texan has a definitive recipe on how to cook it. We smoke it, we braise it, we roast…
Main dish recipes
Pinto beans, three ways
It doesn’t take much to please me. Give me a big, steaming bowl of charra beans, borracho beans or even plain, porky pinto beans and I will be delighted. Beans…
Making corny dogs at home
Football, cooler weather, and chili cook offs all signify that it’s autumn in Texas. But no October is complete without a trip to the State Fair of Texas. Held in…
In search of West Texas asado
Have you ever had asado? Nope, not carne asada. Asado. You haven’t? Don’t worry; I hadn’t either until a couple of months ago. But I don’t think it’s too farfetched…
Hurricane Ike and some homemade peanut butter
My brother Jacob was married in Portland, Oregon last weekend. A joyous occasion, definitely, but there was a hint of anxiousness as Hurricane Ike barged into our hometown of Houston,…
Marfa and a plate of stacked enchiladas
“Oh Texas, rise and sing along, forever a part of you is gone. Oh Texas, say a word today in praise of the Old Borunda Cafe” From the song “Old…
Carnitas, Houston style
The last time I visited Houston, I arrived at midnight. I was exhausted, but my mom was waiting for me with a to-go container filled with my favorite restaurant dish:…
Me and my stovetop smoker
I can be stubborn. And when a notion gets a hold of my imagination, it doesn’t matter if the experts and authorities wag their fingers and say, “It ain’t ever…
Barbecue shrimp
What would you say if I told you that you could barbecue shrimp on your stove in about five minutes. That’s right, you’d probably laugh and tell me I was…
Lessons learned from my first crawfish boil
It’s crawfish season (or crawdad, as we used to say in Texas when I was growing up), and nothing beats having a group of people over for a big boil….
