Deep in the Heart of Texas

[squirtthecat]

So Hal and I get a phone call a couple weeks ago from the Monkey.   10.5 and Nepas are driving in for a beer summit, care to join us?

I think our wives wanted us out of town for the weekend, as they jump on a laptop, and clickity click click we are booked on a Big Iron Bird to Houston.

Flight was delayed, so we roll into Sonny's about 1AM.   We sit up having a few cocktails and chatting.




After a short night's sleep, we are all up and at 'em.   Sorta.




We pile into the truck and blast into Houston to meet Eric (BLSH) for some Tex Mex.






Tortilla machine.  Pretty cool.










Back in the truck and off to Allied Kenco.   Or in Rick's case - VALHALLA.




Spotted in their test kitchen.




I find some goodies to bring home.




Brand new flavor of bisquettes!    ;D





We're turning around to leave, and spot a used restaurant supply store.   Uh Oh...










We leave before anyone gets into trouble. 

After a quick and unexpected tour of downtown Houston, we get turned around and are off to John Henry's..






The other guys have some shots from inside the store.   I was too busy sampling, followed by coughing and sneezing.


More to come.

[squirtthecat]

We kick back at Sonny's for a while, and Rick has to pack up and head home.    After more food (Cajun place - PDG), we head back and start a butt and a brisket.       Salt Lick Clone in the works..






Time to fire the Viking!







I asked where the fire extinguisher was.   Numerous times.   ;)


10.5 brought up a load of sugar maple, so Sonny gets to work breaking down some chunks of that.






Sonny's Smokin' Buddy.




Meanwhile, 10.5 breaks out the AMZN smoker to play with.









I have to get me one of those.


Hal finally shames Sonny into seasoning up his Backwoods Fat Boy smoker.  It's sat there for a year and a half!




Time for another chimney.






I fire up his Traeger after we find a pork butt in the freezer - and a bottle of Sriracha.   Rubbed with John Henry's Texas Pig Rub.  D@mn good stuff.




The mosquitoes are leaving us alone now.




Brisket is rubbed down and ready to go in the Viking.






Ash tray is loaded with the rest of the Sugar Maple, and it is buttoned up for the night.




The AMZN has been burning for 2.5 hours, and it still has plenty of pellets in it.




Last check of the Fat Boy, and then back inside to cool off and call it a night.






More to come.

[squirtthecat]

Chris and I are up and the coffee is brewing.   Time to check that butt.



I'd like to note that I had to stand there for what seemed like an eternity waiting for that temperature to register.   ;)


Gator!  Choot it!




Lots of smoke and humidity.




Toss some sausage links on for 'brunch'.




Hal and Sonny come rumbling out, so we load up the Fat Boy again for a couple racks of spare ribs.






Back inside to get the ribs ready.   Hal is in charge of those.






Fire in the hole!




Time for a snack.




Ribs are ready to go.




Meanwhile, the butt is done.




As is the brisket.




Into FTC they go.


More to come.

[squirtthecat]

Chris and I head out for a beer/gas run, and do a little sight seeing.







94° at 2PM.  Sheesh.









This is where we ate the night before.




They had a little heritage museum set up.














New and old court houses.






Cute little mom & pop cafe.





Back to Sonny's we go..

[squirtthecat]

Couple hours later, and it is time to glaze the ribs.   One with Bone Suckin' Sauce, and one with 10.5's Bulldog BBQ sauce.








Load some Jalapeno cheese sausages in the top, and the rest of the links we didn't cook that morning.




Bring the ribs in.   Pretty.......




Sonny gets to slicing, and it is every man & dog for himself.








I sit down to gnaw in a few bones, and I get this feeling someone is watching me.




Word is that Nepas had a few of these Bud Light Platinums before we got there, and he went down like an oak tree in a hurricane.

Sure 'nuff..

[SamuelG]

Wow! What a great time must have been. Great to see who's who.

[squirtthecat]

Sonny had some beans simmering and cucumbers pickling for dinner, so he broke out some cheese to keep Chris busy with the AMZN smoker.














Fire it up.




85° and 99% humidity.  Perfect.






Load it up.




We'll give it a couple hours of 'cold' smoke.   Meanwhile, it's time to set the table and ring the dinner bell!

[squirtthecat]

Ooohhh...     Pretty.



Not a huge smoke ring.  Sonny is going to get an AMZN tube smoker to use in his Viking.


Pearl is just waiting for somebody to trip and drop something..







Table is set for a traditional Texas Brisket dinner.  Now everybody take your d@mn hats off and somebody say grace.




My plate.   Somebody give me a hammer!




Note the clean plates.




We have a helper keeping an eye on the cheese.





Little too much smoke for him..




We'll give in another 30 minutes, and pull that pork butt.




Ok, start the cheese bucket brigade.














We pile it all inside to cool off while we slip into a food coma...

[squirtthecat]

Somewhere in the middle of all of this, 10.5 and I do a 'cooker inventory' on Sonny's porch.

Big Sausage Smoker.




Backwoods Fat Boy. (greasy and dirty, as it should be)




Camp stove.




Viking - built by Stump's.




Traeger Little Tex Elite.  (those fuel cans behind it are empty - we checked!)




SRG.




Bradley 6 rack with cold smoker box and Auber PID.




Here is an old Big Easy hiding in the corner.




A couple of turkey fryers.




Couple of Smokey Mountains.




Couple of Orions.




And I didn't get a shot of it, but he's got a huge cast iron charcoal rig that's been covered up for a few years now.

[squirtthecat]

We can't thank Sonny enough for having us down, and showering us with Texas hospitality.

A good time was had by all..

Cheers!

[Sam3]

Great stuff, felt like I was there. Glad a good time was had by all!

[Tenpoint5]

What Pat forgot to mention about when Sonny was trimming the brisket. Pat, Hal, and myself was standing on the back porch counting cookers and contemplating what to do with the pretty little waitress HAL had tied up in the bag of the truck!!!  HAL blurts out "Let's see how many of these cookers we can fire up!!" Well of course it was game on!

[Ka Honu]

Great photojournalism, squirt, but I gotta "call Bull$hit!" on you for one of your captions...

I'd like to note that I had to stand there for what seemed like an eternity waiting for that temperature to register.

Since you were fortunate enough to be using the fastest Thermapen, I'm betting the delay had more to do with your blood-alcohol level than anything else.

[Tenpoint5]

Waiting for some of my pictures to load then will add a couple more

[cajunboudreaux]

 Very Nice, That Trinity River sure is a pretty one. I will be going through Houston next week. Going home for a few days..looking forward to it.. Lake Charles and New Orleans may not be the same after this trip