Barbecuing Memories

Several years ago, Bob, my son Mikey and my nephews Rob and Larry decided to have a cook-off. (I told you we were all competitive in the kitchen!) It was August and about 105 in the shade here in the city of the sun – El Paso. We set up a couple of grills and the BBQ competition began.

This post is really about my son Michael, Mr. BBQ, Jr. He loves to barbecue, just like his father. I love looking at pictures of him when he was just a baby. Look.

Now he’s all grown up. He got his degree from UTEP, has an excellent career, is married to my wonderful daughter-in-law Jennifer and has a love of video games, cars, all gadgets of a digital nature, and Barbecuing.
Back to the BBQ Cook-off. Da Boys grilled their hearts out – then jumped into the pool to cool off. We invited some family and friends to judge the entries. These guys were serious.

Surprisingly, Bob won for his now (family) famous Ribs and Homemade BBQ sauce. Mikey came in second for his BBQ Chicken. I declared them all winners, the food was fantastic. As you can imagine Lily and I supplied the sides and desserts.

We took a picture of the four smoky-hot grilling maniacs.
Not long after I had this picture up for all to see, I got an email from my son with a picture back.
He said I had messed up the photograph and had just “cleaned it up” for me. Well, what he did was switch faces all around so that he would be shown as Mr. BBQ. I tell you, these kids don’t have anything better to do!

But it didn’t stop there. I’m always putting up pictures of my kids on the computer, just like you guys do. Here's one I had of the two of them. He looks like a giant next to Lily.

Sometimes I alternate between them. So, my son said he had the solution.
Half him...half her!!!

Am I sad that he and Jenn moved to Dallas? Yes a little. Am I sad that Lily is moving to Dallas to finish school? Yes a little. But both my children will be in the same city and they will be able to watch over each other. PLUS, when I go visit, I can see them both at the same time. I was feeling a little guilty about always posting about my daughter while making few references to my son. If you haven't gotten the idea yet, I adore my kids. Bob and I are very blessed to have them.

May your relationship with your children be strong and loving. May it last as long as you do. Hugs to everyone. Here is a photo and the recipe for the real Mr. BBQ Winner...Bob.
Ribs with Bob's BBQ Sauce

Ribs, ribs, ribs, as many as you want, beef or pork
1 recipe Bob's BBQ Sauce, recipe follows

Bob's BBQ Sauce

1 medium onion, finely chopped
¾ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup ketchup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ tablespoon vinegar
½ tablespoon apple cider
¼ cup water
Dash of pepper
3 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon pineapple bits
Juice from ½ a lemon
2 teaspoons mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Sauté onion in unsalted butter until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes on low medium heat. Add remaining ingredients one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Prepare the night before barbecue and allow to thicken overnight in refrigerator.Ribs:Boil ribs in beef broth or seasoned water for one hour (that's one hour after the water starts to boil), covered, over medium low heat. Prepare grill 15 minutes before ribs are done boiling. Boiling the ribs does three very good things for the meat: it gives it flavor, it tenderizes it and it then takes much less time on the grill and avoids burning the meat.

Place ribs on medium heat on the grill for 5 minutes on each side. Then, put heat to low and generously mop barbecue sauce over tops. Turn frequently and each time you turn them over, add more barbecue sauce. Cook until desired doneness of meat and the barbecue sauce is just moist. Serve with anything...and lots of napkins!

Here's a picture of the second place winner...Mikey's BBQ Chicken.

Tequila

Margaritas, Sunrises, shooters - you name it; you can't make it without tequila. It's another one of those wonderful gifts Mexico gave to the world.

What is tequila? Well, it's an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sugars (agua miel) derived from the piña of the Blue Weber agave cactus-like plant. It's cactus-like because it looks like it would be a cactus, not because it is. Actually, the agave is related to the Lily. Its leaves grow to an average of 10 feet tall. At the plants' maturity, which is approximately 8 to 12 years, a center stalk (the flower) grows up from the center to a height of about 15 feet. These plants are said to be pollinated by bats!

At maturity, the leaves are cut off to expose the piña. The piña is what is used to make the agua miel that after being roasted and repeatedly crushed, produces 98% of the agave sugars needed for fermentation.

Tequila is named after the city in the state of Jalisco in Mexico where is it produced. The city of Tequila's origin can be traced back to the Aztecs. The Tiquila Indians established the settlement 35 miles NW of Guadalajara. It is a small hillside town located at the foot of a dormant volcano. This town has over 30 tequila producing factories.

Tequila evolved from the drink pulque, which was prepared by the Zapotec Indians. They used the pulque in religious ceremonies and for medicinal purposes. After the pulque, came Mezcal. The Spanish, needing a stronger "spirited" drink, took the pulque and fermented it for several days and then finally distilled it. The sugars used for fermentation came from the sap taken from the roots, stalks and leaves of the wild agave plant. Tequila is made from the piña (core) of the Blue Weber agave. There are at least 100 different types of agave plants.

The first major distiller of tequila was Jose Cuervo. His distillery was established in Mexico in 1795.


The different levels of tequila are:
Blanco (Plata) - un-aged tequila
Gold - un-aged tequila with additives to give is its amber color
Reposado - aged in oak barrels from 60 days to 1 year
Anejo - aged in government* sealed barrels for a minimum of 1 year.
Back Medallion - is anejo tequila aged in charred oak barrels
*Tequila production is government-regulated in Mexico much the same way cognac production is regulated in France.

A few of the more popular tequila brands are: Aguila Blue Agave; Chinaco; El Conquistador; Herradura; Jose Cuervo; Montezuma; Sauza; Constitucion. A new comer on the tequila block is Tequila Nacional, owner, El Paso's own, Park Kerr, author and businessman.

So, if you have a special occasion coming up or would just like to have a special little something to sip on after a long hard day, try tequila. The flavor reflects the very nature of the Hispanic community; warmth, strength, courage, and soul.

Here’s a stimulating way to start your day. Tequila muffins and coffee!

Tequila Muffins
These are like scone muffins. The batter is nice and thick. They are not very sweet like cupcakes, but will certainly fill you up along with your coffee.

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons melted butter
½ cup Gold Tequila
¼ cup milk
½ teaspoon grated orange peel
½ cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 400º F.Mix all the ingredients together except pecans. The batter will be lumpy. Then stir in the pecans and fill lightly greased muffin tins ½ full. Bake at 400º F. for 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

El Vaquero Coffee

4 cups hot, freshly brewed coffee
2½ cups Kahlua
3 ounces Tequila
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Mix coffee, Kahlua, and Tequila. Divide evenly among 6 mugs. Top each with whipped cream and serve. Serves 6.

(c)2008

Memory and Recipe Journal

Creating a Memory and Cookbook Journal can be a rewarding and personal endeavor.

Remember the first time you started a diary? Maybe you were 10 or 13 and you had that quaint little book with the special lock and key. Oh the stories you would write; that cute boy who kept looking at you in the cafeteria. Remember what the lunch ladies were serving that day? Whatever it was, I’m sure you still get a quick flashback whenever you eat the same thing today.

You could do the same thing now - this very minute. It would be a loving way to hand down all those thoughts, memories, traditions and recipes to your children and loved ones.

I t doesn’t matter where you’re from or where you live. It doesn’t matter if you have one child or ten children or if you have any children at all. You could do this for yourself and for other family members. Keeping a diary of one’s history is a way to celebrate family, tradition and culture, from generation to generation.

Most families have their own particular way of celebrating holidays, special occasions, or just everyday life. You do things a certain way, you take pictures; you keep cards and mementos and prepare foods that everyone enjoys and relates to in certain times in your life.

Do you remember your mother’s favorite dish to prepare? The one you always asked her to make? Can you prepare it? Do you remember that one special time when she made your favorite dish? Was it your birthday? Your graduation? Your wedding?

In Mexican American tradition (old school), most recipes weren’t written down. As children, we observed, tasted and relished the final outcome. Years later we remember when Abuelo Paco celebrated his 90th birthday and the whole family was there, all 200 of them.

Everyone brought his or her favorite dish. Your mom prepared her delicious tequila marinated brisket and your grandmother (your Abuelita) made her melt in your mouth biscochos, except you had to roll out the dough and cut out the cookies because her arthritis was bothering her. Your uncles prepared salsa, margaritas, chile con queso and calabasitas (squash). Your tias (aunts) made macaroni salad, chile verde and chile colorado – American style, because, after all, we are living in the US of A.

Tears fill out eyes and there’s a gentle heaviness in our hearts. We remember, so we decide to celebrate again by preparing those same dishes that were made on such a special occasion with a lot of love and caring.

The years pass by quickly and sometimes we forget until for some reason or another we start rummaging through an old photo box. Suddenly your hear the sound of the mariachis playing “Las Mananitas” for Abuelo Paco. You picture Tia in that funky blue dress with all the sequins, the one that made her feel like a prom queen. Before you know it, you can actually smell the salsa, the brisket, the margaritas and the Mexican beers. You just can’t get over how you haven’t thought about that particular day in years. And of course, this bubbles up other forgotten memories.

You promise yourself you’ll never forget them again and that you’ll tell your kids or your husband or your best friend about those wonderful times. But life goes on. The stories and those special recipes are never shared. Perhaps it’s time to do something about that.

Promise yourself to make time, 15 or 30 minutes a day or every other day, whatever time you can spare, to record those memories and recipes - diary style. Do as much or as little as you want. But do it. You don’t need to find a publisher to leave a legacy for your family. You can do it yourself. As elaborate or as simple as you want. I promise you that when your kids open up that journal and start reading, the same feelings and emotions that ran through you remembering Abuelo Paco will be tugging at their heartstrings. Celebrate your family through the generations. Enjoy the moments and record the history.