JimH

Yes and then you can go the other way with rice, it's very versatile. Hell, I lived on nothing but rice when money was tight.

Crunchy Beef Tacos, Mexican Pizza, Nachos Bell Grande, now I'm hungry.

I've been working with pinto beans, 39 cents per pound last time I bought them in bulk. Basic beans, 1 cup of washed pintos to 4 cups water, 2 smashed cloves of garlic, a jalapeno pepper, a slice of bacon or any other pork product. Put it all in a crock pot set to low for 5 to 6 hours. The beans can be used to stretch chili. Doing a little research last month I found a recipe that calls for cooking the beans till just done, then you add rice and cook until the rice is done. Then you brown ground meat with onion & garlic salt & pepper. You mix the beans, meat & a can of tomato sauce put in a cassarole dish, cover that with bacon and put it in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes or until the bacon is browned. Honestly though, I prefer pintos just simply prepared, add rice and it's even better for you.

Chopped BBQ, cheese & onions

Just about anything canned or in jars, too much salt. I don't know how I ever consumed commercial salsa on salted tortilla chips.

They test that as they grind. They take a sample, weigh it then cook and weigh again. I know there's more to than that but that was what I was told by the guy doing the testing at the Blue Ribbon packing plant years ago.

Putting that eel in ice water would have slowed him down enough to handle. When we go fishing we only keep a few for the table the rest we release, most of the time without even touching them. The keepers go on ice as soon as we boat them. You can't beat fresh fish.

You are getting both the flat & the point on that sandwich. Looks like a great sandwich but I always get sauce on the side. The beans were different, a nice change from what you usually find. I've been trying to perfect beans from scratch and will not fault anyone if they use canned beans. I rarely get sides, I usually just get a sandwich, but I wanted to try the two meats and then there was the homemade boudin. It was supposed to be lunch & dinner but only half the boudin made it that far. I was stuffed but happy.

I grew up eating Campbell's beans and Kraft's BBQ sauce. Most places that make their own beans do it ranch style or just plain bland pintos, these were very uniformly cooked and sweet. Don't get me wrong, I liked the beans, they sautéed some onion and added chopped meat (brisket or rib tips?) to them which I prefer over the aforementioned beans. Kraft BBQ sauce has this distinct flavor that just cannot be doctored out of it, it's a very strong vinegar/chili powder flavor profile. They again sauteed some onion and added a sweetner (brown sugar?) but his BBQ doesn't need it. Making your own BBQ sauce is time consuming and they probably only have it because people here expect it. I'm sure they cook with all wood, I think you said it was pecan, because it's the only way you can get that kind of quality smoke flavor. Of all of the places I've eaten BBQ this place is a stand out. The real test is brisket and if he wasn't willing to sell me the sliced beef because it didn't turn out speaks volumes. His ribs have me rethinking my approach to ribs and I'm betting his smoker is a vertical with some of the fat dripping into the fire. Thanks for writing about Boogies it's quite a find.

I had the ribs, sausage & boudin. I like ther sausage but the ribs were out of sight. They were a little too tender ( I prefer the kind that cling little more to ther rib) but the smoke and rub were perfect. They may have the best ribs in the Houston metro area, they are better than mine. The BBQ sauce is Kraft that's been doctored, beans are Campbells also doctored, the potato salad I would pass on next time. I originally asked for sliced beef but he said it was not up to their standard. I need to try their brisket next time. The sausage is peppery with the right amount of fat and loose texture, smokey good just like the ribs.

You guys inspired me to go looking/tasting around. I'm off to Boogies now to try their BBQ.

I didn't try the chicken, "Italian" fried chicken just didn't appeal to me.

I'm glad you liked it, I'll try Pink's next time I'm in town.

The only place I've had good food consistently is Elephant Garden on 6 near W. Airport. Home Style Tofu, Chinese Spaghetti, General's Chicken, Beijing Beef are all good. Next up to bat is the Stewed Tofu then maybe the Crab & Sharkfin Soup.

Popeye's red bean & rice. I've been dipping into my store of frozen vac-packed BBQ this week. It's not cool enough yet to turn on the oven and I've been getting home too late to grill. Subway has been the go-to outlet for meals. I visited Suya Hut before the storm, it was good and worth going back for more.

Still without power? My sister finally got back on the grid yesterday, I offered her my box fan but she didn't want it. Red Beans & Rice, Seafood Gumbo, Chili.

How about the Italian Fried Chicken - have you tried that? ← Is Rizzi's a take out place or dine in? I spent a week in the summer 20 years ago in Jersey/Philly area and the pizza and calzones were to die for. Italian fried chicken at Rizzi's? ← It's both, they have about 8 tables but most of their business is take-out. The crust isn't as good as the crust you had up North but it's close.

If you are in the mood for Chinese, try Elephant Garden. It's just North of W. Airport on Hwy 6 close to the Sonic. The menu is different, more Chinese less Americanized. The young lady that works there is very helpful, steering me away from menu items she thought I might not like. I worked all day so it was Javed Nehari tonight, they are undergoing some renovation so the menu was limited, goat/chicken biyrani and the nehari.

No, I haven't had the time to get back there. I have tried Smokin' Mike's on Hwy 6 just North of West Airport (in the same strip center with Javred Nahari), I thought the sausage was great but pass on the rest. I have no experience with Pakistani food but I did like the beef nehari at Javed Nahari, the owner is very nice - even scored a free dessert first time there. Edited to correct spelling

If you get the chance check out Rizzi's over on Dulles Ave. They don't have a wood fired oven but the pizza tastes like I remember from Philly/New Jersey.

Ditto, ditto, ditto. Chopped, mixed with a sauce for sandwiches, enchiladas and tacos.

I'm going to have to check out Nyonya when I get the chance. I didn't make it back to Best Burger last night. Those fries were the first crinkle cut I've ever enjoyed, when I first looked into the bag and saw them I was "Oh well, I came for the burger" but they were a big supprise. I'm now ruined for all other crinkle cut fries.

I don't know where I saw a review of Best Burger in Stafford, whether it was here or somewhere else. Today I was in the area and had some time on my hands so I went to look for it. I ordered a bacon cheesburger combo to go for $5 + change I got the burger, fries and a fountain drink. The flamebroiled burger was good, the beef patty looked uniformly thin but was irregulary shaped so it may be hand made. I ordered it no lettuce/tomato so all that accompanied the patty/bacon/cheese were grilled onions, pickles , mustard and mayo. The grilled onions were not carmelized so they kept their structure. Overall the burger was good. The fries were something I've never had before. I guess I should say I have had them before, mushy crinkle cut store bought fries. Sometimes thery are just mushy and sometimes they are greasy and mushy. These fries were neither mushy nor greasy they were crisp, crisp in a way I've never had crinkle cut store bought fries. I don't know what they did but they were crispy on the outside and creamy (it's the only word to describe it) on the inside. I tried the first one in the car on the way back to my office in Sugar Land and they stayed crispy all the way back to the last fry eaten at my desk. I'm going back for dinner. They have a Chinese food menu also but I'm going to stick to the burgers for the time being. If someone on this thread mentioned Best Burger, then big thanks! Edited: spelling

It sounds like you got the short end of the stick so to speak. St. Louis style ribs are trimmed spares, you remove the tips/cartlidge and square the rack by cutting away the shortest ribs at the small end. They cook more uniformly when trimmed St. Louis style. Were they fall off the bone tender or did you have to work a little to get the meat? I've found that higher initial heat then a long slow cook can render out all but the cartlidge when doing untrimmed spares. If you did that with trimmed spares it would leave them just short of dry. If the meat was pink to the bone, not white, then the smoke ring penetrated all the way through. I'm living vicariously through you, Morgan-Webber & jscarbor. I wish I had the ability to hit all of the BBQ/Ethnic food joints that you three frequent, keep up the good work!

I tried a new place today, Brenda's Taqueria, on Bissonnet between the Beltway & 59 South. I had the the al pastor & fajita tacos. The al pastor were good, the fajita tacos were OK.