Joe Bob calls in this one from … Walsenburg
On the way to NM in July 2004….going through Walsenburg Colorado….
Andy Popejoy’s BBQ
Screeched to a halt when I saw this place. They advertised a smoked Tamale that sounded interesting. The gal inside was braying into the phone forever and several folks left. I stuck it out for my one tamale. It was smoky…..like smoked yesterday and reheated maybe?
Interesting smoky murky musty flavor. I would like a fresh one next time. The Q was out to the side in its own carport hut affair. Not going either.
I think this place is worth another visit. Downtown Walsenburg. Can’t miss it.
Category Archives: REVIEWS
New Container for Sugo!
MeatHenge Mini-Entry
Not this last Saturday, but the one before the Fatted Calf decided to change the container the Sugo Di Carne came in. I thought the previous container was fine, but I understand the motivation. Taylor didn’t like the plasticky container, seemed cheap and all … well, plasticky.
Hoffman Farms & Fatted Calf come together!
I found out first thing yesterday about Saturday’s special. I had to call J. Lee first thing, hands shaking. Fatted Calf’s special this week are Hoffman Farms naturally raised quail, stuff with lemon zested savory sausage AND a fig !!!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEe. Aaaahhhhhh.
Man, I was SURE the Arista roast from last Saturday was the pinicle, the piece of resistence. From where I sit, this meat slinging rolly coaster is still going up, up and up. Up. I need another slab of pancetta, but how do you think I can remember to even SAY pancetta with those stuffed quails waiting for me? I’ll have to stencil PANCETTA TOO PLEASE on my forehead, that is the only way I’ll walk home with what I need on Saturday morning. This is too cool.
See you there!
Dreamland Bar-B-Que – Mobile AL – DELIVERY !!!
Ha !!! No, we didn’t make a trip to Mobile. No, this isn’t Uncle Cindy’s Rib review for 2004. Although she was kind enough to share this slab. What you’re looking at is a frozen, vacuum sealed slab of pork ribs, sauce & bread included. Me being a BBQ/Meat snob, I questioned the whole frozen meat situation. However, pork is pretty damned versatile and I have to say, this easy smoked pork rib meal was worth every penny Uncle Cindy spent.
Jack-N-Grill – Denver Colorado
Joe Bob checks in from Denver Colorado. This time with juicy lookin’ foods
Jack n Anna Martinez only opened their Mexican food joint in 2000, and it has been a huge hit in Denver ever since. They came up from New Mexico in 1994 and had the “Chile Shop” for a few years, roasting chilies and doing catering. The demand was such that they had to open a real restaurant.
I have finally been stunned by a plate of pork.
Tom’s Home Cookin’ – Denver CO
This just in from Joe Bob in Denver:
Tom’s Home Cookin’ has this reputation in Denver for authentic Home Cookin’/Comfort food. I am not sure how they garnered this rep. More like Castle of Mediocrity.
Meat Love & Hearts
Last night Mr. & Mrs. Meathead celebrated their first anniversary. And here is what they did, they went to The House of Prime Rib in San Francisco:
House of Prime Rib was awesome! Much more hoppin’ than I would have expected on a Wednesday night at 8:30pm. The place was packed. Real nice joint. Olde World San Francisco style, lots of charm, and leather booths. We got a nice intimate one that unfortunately happened to be squashed up the backside of a large party crammed onto a four seater table. But they left half way through our meal, and once the cocktails were served, we were too happy to care.
Wild Mushroom Crepinettes – Fatted News
Uh, ya know, I may be cutting my own throat here, but getting to the Berkeley Farmer’s Market at 10am could be too late. Sure they open at 10, but when I got there last week at 9:53, Taylor had already sold out of the Sugo Di Carne (meat sauce). So, now that he has his Wild Mushroom Crepinettes listed, I would have to say getting there by the time he is supposed to open might be a little late. Maybe 9:30 or so? I know this week I WILL come away with the Crepinettes, Sugo and some of the Saucisson Sec.
I for one, would like to see the Wieners with Wild Mushrooms. Yes.
… on with the news
Wendy’s Fast Food – Mandarin Oranges?
Here at MeatHenge Labs we have two semi-small children. What this means is that from time to time we end up at a drive-thru fast food place. Wendy’s is pretty darned close so that tends to be what shows up on our dining room table. Well, here I was waiting for the sewer guy and my wife pulls up waving the Kid’s Meals from Wendy’s. Turns out you have an option other than FRIES. That’s right, a container of Mandarin Oranges! INSTEAD OF FRIES !!! How cool is that ?!? Of course Z wasn’t fooled and got the fries & the oranges, but just the sheer thought of some fast food place offering a replacement for Fries I thought was earth shattering news that warranted an entry. I say, bring it on.
Meat Alert !!! – Condition RED
meat above; beef roast with a bacon blanket of love
Some days it pays to just stop by your butcher to see how the day was, chew the fat so to speak. Guess what week this is ?!?! That’s right, you guessed it. It’s Smoked Beef Brisket Week at Rick’s Quality Meats in El Cerrito!
To those of you who understand brisket, really deeply understand that cut, this is something special. To those of you who don’t, please lend an ear.
The brisket for the most part is a really fatty tough cut of meat that can ONLY be dealt with over a long slow heat. If you’re willing to put in the time, the result is something that just can’t be matched in the meat arena. In a smoker this means 8 to 12 hours, no kidding. This is a premium true barbecue moment. This week is special.
Briskets come out of the Beef in about 12 pound slabs and Rick is probably doing maybe 6 slabs or so. He only does briskets once in a slow while and each time they’re ALL SOLD before they come out of the smoker. This is without the Meat Alerts.
MeatHenge is giving you a heads up so you can call RIGHT NOW, or tomorrow and get yourself a half slab of brisket. This is special and doesn’t happen frequently. Let Rick take the time to smoke these hunks for you and just show up late Thursday for your treat. If you hesitate even the smallest, you’ll lose. I have my name on one, you call and git yours. This will be good enough to make a special party for.
Plan to make a trek in to little E.C. and get the ONLY decent smoke beef brisket in town. GO !!!
Rick’s Quality Meats
510.233.9390
1600 Liberty Street
El Cerrito, CA 94530
p.s. please let Rick know you got this notice from Meathenge. I don’t get any kickbacks, it’s just nice to know whether MeatHenge works or not.
Heirloom ‘Maters & Fatted Calf News
Hey, the Fatted Calf Newsletter just rolled in. Looks like we have a really nice layout for tomorrow. If there is any chance you could possibly make it in to the Farmer’s Market in Berkeley, do so. Just because Taylor is there every weekend right now, doesn’t mean he won’t hit the big time and open his own shop somewhere and ditch the market. So go now, while you can.
The image above is from our July 4th meal this last Saturday. If you look to the right of the image you’ll see two little puffy crepinettes and Taylor’s wieners. One little crepinette got a little dark, that darned caul fat really splatters. I can assure you, the inside was perfectly done. The large pile of meat to the left are two cut up chickens and a load of country style pork ribs all smoked with raw hickory chunks. Lovely, lovely, lovely.
I put a home made dry rub on both the chickens & pork the day before. Well, okay it was a wet rub. I doused everything in olive oil first, then the powdery love.
I forgot to get most of the makin’s for sauce, so I had to improvise with the sauce. For some odd reason it came out REALLY well. Ha ! I like to make most of my sauces on the thin side. This way you’re getting mostly meat flavor and the sauce just adds a little something plus some juicy squeeze.
I hope to see you at the market!
Here’s another reason to try out the Farmer’s Market. Check out those heirloom ‘maters from last week. Absolutely amazing. Get off yer rear and get out the door before this summer is over, foo.
On to the Newsletter …
Molten Cheese with Icey Meat
Yup, been about 6 days since my last post. Between the July 4th weekend and about enough inspiration to get my lazy ass out of bed in the morning, this post is about all I can handle at the moment. Inspiration will return, I’m sure. Let’s take a quiet interlude and explore the evil & dark world of ‘frozen prepared foods’, like the ones we find at Costco and large retail super outlets.
New Orleans Style Iced Coffee
Well, here we are. Summer. In this part of the world that means cloudy mornings and foggy late afternoons broken up by wind & racoons. Mid day though you can expect a spell of nice sparkly warm weather. Wouldn’t it be nice to have something that gets you up and going and yet isn’t steaming hot? Yes, it would be nice. For quite some time now The Blue Bottle Coffee Company has had their New Orleans Style Iced Coffee at their stall in the Berkeley Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. Well, I have a gift for you, from them, right now.
Saucisson Sec – Meat Voids & Globey
This week Globey tries his turn at a cured meat slice
Saturday, along with assembliges of bunk beds, rendered me some really spectacular meats. The little 2 lb ham roast and the Hock & Simmered Bean Experiment I’ll share with you tomorrow. Right now I’d like to show you some Saucisson Sec.
Trevino’s Mexican Food – Richmond, CA
Today’s lunch makes about 2 decent meals this week. For me, that’s a pretty good ratio. Most of the time it is some dumb sandwich or something equally manky, grey or dripping something you wouldn’t normally ingest. Today I decided to go somewhere different, even if it is the same type of food, Mexican.