20 December 2009
Oh dear, here it is Sunday and I’ve completely missed my Saturday Weekly Round Up posting. And looks like I’ve neglected to post for most of the week… oh well! That’s holiday travel for you. I’ve been far too busy shopping and eating to post. And yes, I mean that quite literally.
The past week I visited two country delis in Beeville and Goliad, (two cities south of Victoria) a tractor supply store, several bookstores, a feed store, a supermarket, the Victoria Mall and my favorite store, Target. I’ve had my eggnog latte at Starbucks, broken my fast food don’t at Chick Fil ‘A, and filled my belly with far more meat than I’ve eaten in the entire last year. My suitcase is a little heavier and, I fear, my waistline a little bigger. Hmmm… going to have to add an “exercise more” resolution to my New Year’s list.
Since food is much on my mind, this round up is going to focus on two delicious meals I’ve had, with a third meal featured in a separate post later in the week.
Although I firmly believe there is a real tragedy occurring in the US food industry (and I’m not like a PETA freak or anything, but I can’t help but recommend Michael Pollan’s books and the documentary Food INC.) there are still delicious eats to be had here and there, and South Texas offers some true southern delicacies. Delicacies I can only dream about in China (and believe me, I have been dreaming of them!) Southern food tends to the down-home end of the gourmet spectrum, and I assure you there is nothing particularly glamorous about the three meals I will share with you today and later in the week. They do, however, embody my South Texas version of “home.”
The Almighty Chicken Fried Steak
A good chicken fried steak is the mark of a good restaurant in Texas. Nearly everyone is an aficionado. When you think Texas, you likely think of steak, but the unofficial king of food is, in fact, the humble chicken fried. Despite its name, there is no chicken in a chicken fried. It’s just a tough old piece of round steak, tenderized a bit, dredged through egg and flour (sometimes crumbled crackers) and deep-fried to a crisp. Topped with white gravy and mashed potatoes on the side, you’ve got a meal fit for a… cowboy, I guess. I don’t know what it is about the chicken fried, but I’ve always been a huge fan. There’s a family legend that says I once ordered a double order of chicken fried steak. (That would be two chicken fried steaks, stacked atop one another.) The waitress nearly refused. How could a 10 year old possibly eat that much food? I showed her. These days I stick to a single order and struggle to finish. What you’ve heard is true. Everything really is bigger in Texas, including meal portions.
My preferred Chicken Fried Steak can be found at the Double J Eatery at 8607 North Navarro Street in Victoria, Texas. I ate there this past Friday with my parents and family friends. Double J’s is a casual restaurant – the kind of place where you order at a counter, the food comes out on paper plates and at the end of the meal, you carry your own plates to a giant trash can next to the door. The music is a little loud and, as is highly typical of South Texas, country through and through. I once read you can judge a chicken fried steak restaurant by the number of trucks parked outside. If Double J’s parking lot is any indicator, you will find a fine chicken fried specimen inside.
Texas Barbecue
To many Americans, barbecue equals meat with grill marks and a side of baked beans. To others, it means hot dogs and hamburgers. To Texans, barbecue is an art form. It’s all taken quite seriously here. I am not joking when I say I have seen barbecue pits the size of trucks parked in people’s driveways. A good barbecue meal in Texas features beef brisket and sausage, with the ever-present mashed potatoes on the side (although pinto beans, fried okra and potato salad might also make an appearance.) Brisket is a cut from the breast or chest and after hours of slow cooking over mequite wood, it emerges tender and flavorful.
My preferred barbecue meal can be found at Uncle Mutt’s Barbeque at 5404 North Navarro Street in Victoria, Texas. I ate here mid-week with my Dad. Uncle Mutt’s is another casual restaurant – you order at a counter and sit in a collection of booths with a roll of paper towels on the table. A friend of mine goes to Uncle Mutt’s just for the fountain Dr. Pepper. I gave up soda (or coke, as Victorians refer to all carbonated drinks) a long time ago, so I can’t vouch for their fountain drinks, but another South Texas staple, iced tea, is just fine. Like Double J’s, the portions here are enormous. I had to make this the sole meal of my day!
While I thoroughly enjoyed these meals, I must also a share a highlight of the week, which didn’t feature food so much as catching up. On Thursday I met up with a group of girlfriends from my Goliad High School days and chatted away over margaritas and appetizers. We’re all a bit older and wiser but still a little bit silly, which I think is a good thing.
Five more days to Christmas! Hope you’ve got your shopping done! (I admit most of the shopping I did this week was for myself. <blush>)
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