Snowy BBQ
What could be better than a platter of legit texas BBQ? Having your Mom overnight it to the frozen Minnesota tundra direct from Texas, that’s what! Saturday we were treated (pun intended) to a HIGHLY robust dinner, consisting of brisket, chicken, pork ribs, and pork steaks, along with bacon-ranch potato salad, brussel sprouts, pork ‘n beans, cornbread muffins, mac and cheese, apple crisp, and raspberry pie.
The meat was supplied by Snow’s BBQ, in Lexington, TX, courtesy of my wonderful Mother. The sides were supplied by me and Heather.
THE MEAT:
The chicken was very flavorful and tender. Very smoky. The pork steaks were unique – this meat could probably be pulled for pork sandwiches or whatever, but they chose to keep it in one piece. I don’t think the freezing process was particularly kind to this one, because it was just slightly dry, but the flavor was top notch. The ribs deserve second prize in this group – great texture, consistency, and flavor. At the top of the heap we find the brisket. Even frozen and re-heated, this is the best brisket I’ve had, even compared to other fresh, high-quality texas examples. High praise for this one.
I should also note that the picture above represents about HALF of the meat we received! Needless to say, this experience will be repeated!
THANKS MOM!
Incredible dinner!
Since I have a habit of photographically documenting unusual and excellent culinary events, I thought it would be appropriate to mention the dinner Heather and I enjoyed Saturday night at a very nice French restaurant called Meritage in St. Paul. I didn’t photograph the food, but I did save the tasting menu. This was one of the most spectacular and delicious meals I have ever consumed.
The first course, before the Crab salad, was a shot glass filled with red liquid. Heather didn’t hear the description before she downed it, and was a little shocked when she got a big slimy oyster along with the bloody mary! We did not get the wine flight, but we did get a half-bottle of a really great Oregon Pino Noir. It was a 2006, but I don’t remember what specific vineyard it was from.
Busy weekend – food/wine tasting, Cirque du Soleil, Renaissance Festival
We really packed it in this weekend. We began Saturday afternoon with a swank $150/person food and wine tasting on Rasberry Island in St. Paul (free tix from Heather’s employer).
Heather and I continued on to Saltimbanco – a Cirque du Soleil show at the Target Center (tix were Heather’s Birthday present from her parents).The guy on the bicycle was probably the most impressive act, although the two strong dudes climbing all over each other was pretty wild too.
On Sunday we met John and Jamie (and others) at the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee.
Exhaustion ensued.
Here’s a link to the photo album for the weekend, and a slideshow of the album.