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RIO GRANDE VALLEY, WINTER TEXANS
AND TEXAS BBQ

by Ken Rudine
Every winter, starting about 1950 many so-called “Winter Texans” have come to enjoy the Valley’s South Texas weather. These folks come from the states north of Texas and Canada. Their numbers have increased every year and as a result they now make a tremendous impact on the local economy.

We hear them talk among themselves of the bad weather being experienced at their home. They are easy to spot dressed in their shorts and T-shirts. While us natives wear our jeans, long sleeved shirts and jackets when the north wind occasionally blows into the Valley. Obviously the weather is the first reason they choose the Valley.

It is a fact that if these visitors collectively sang, they could sing, “I’ve been everywhere – crossed the deserts bare – I’ve breathed the mountain air – of travel I’ve had my share – I’ve been everywhere” and really mean it. I believe they choose to come to the Rio Grande Valley also because of us Texans. Winter Texans understand that Texans get along just fine when left alone.
Alamo TX Willies BBQ Cooking
Alamo TX - Willies cooking area at work
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, February 2009
A third attraction would be real Texas BBQ. I wouldn’t want them to leave Texas without enjoying BBQ. Here is how Winter Texans (and others) can find more locations that should have good BBQ. Beef brisket is the preferred cut of meat and mesquite is the favorite fire. When you find a place with smoke coming from a pit, burning mesquite, with beef brisket cooking that means you have found a genuine location. Regardless of what the facility looks like.
La Joya TX Felix BBQ smoker after cooking
La Joya TX - Felix BBQ smoker after cooking
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, February 2009
Alamo TX Willies BBQ Mesquite Wood Pile
Alamo TX - Willies wood pile of mesquite
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, February 2009
Texans, who began BBQing, had more time than money. Brisket was 1st chosen because it is a cheaper cut of meat. This tough cut is muscle held together by connective tissue. Long slow cooking allows smoke and seasoning to enter the meat as the other tissue melts away. The result is the meat becomes tender and flavorful. This is the 2nd reason brisket was chosen.

Mesquite is a hardwood of a small but prolific tree. Roaming herd animals from Mexico are credited with introducing mesquite to the land that became Texas about 100 years later. This tree was generally reviled because of its thorns and other wiry aspects.

Almost single-handed mesquite, plus cactus made it necessary for cowboys to wear leather chaps for protection. An early effort to rid the land of this pesky bush/tree was to cut and burn it. That was unsuccessful and was hard work. So while the fires burned some folks cooked the available meat.

Different woods produce different flavor levels in the cooked meat. About the intensity scale of wood flavors, I say - mesquite produces the most and pecan the least – while other woods fall in between. If you have trouble remembering that, think mesquite most, pecan puny.

Today some folks cook with mesquite only from the tree trunk, cut to length and split, while others use large branches. Regardless, the purpose is to furnish smoke and hot heat for a long time to cook the meat to a finish, which is tender and flavorful. Cut-cross the grain, the ideal thickness of brisket slices is only about 3 coins thick (like a stack of 3 U. S. Quarters).
La Joya TX Felix BBQ Mesquite Wood Pile
La Joya TX - Felix wood pile of mesquite
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, February 2009
Pharr TX Uncle Roy BBQ Mesquite Wood Pile
Pharr TX - Uncle Roy’s BBQ wood pile of mesquite
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, February 2009
Weslaco TX Fat Daddy BBQ Mesquite Wood Pile
Weslaco TX - Fat Daddy’s wood pile of mesquite
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, February 2009
BBQ Cookers Texas
BBQ Cooker
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, February 2009
The Rio Grande Valley is considered as being between Brownsville and Roma. That is a hundred plus miles, anyway you travel and we only had a few days to search. Besides looking for smoke, we figured the northerners might use their GPS “food points of interest” to see what it listed for BBQ. We found none of those recommendations had BBQ and in some instances the entire buildings were gone. Mostly we went on a GPS “wild goose chase.” We left Brownsville out of our search for now, because of their “Charro Days, visiting crowds”.

I know many Winter Texans already recognize that Willies BBQ in Alamo serves good mesquite smoked beef brisket. Here are others we found to add to their list. Near the opposite end of the Valley, we found Felix BBQ in La Joya for 38 years, a really fine BBQ joint. In McAllen is Lone Star BBQ on 10thstreet that was originated in Mission and it is still there operating. Another good joint is Uncle Roy’s in Pharr. We also ate at Smokey’s in San Juan and the brisket was terrific. This is all genuine BBQ. Near where we stay on FM1015 in Weslaco is Fat Daddy’s a good restaurant with delicious ribs but the beef was Top Sirloin Butt, not brisket.
BBQ Cooker ,Texas
South Texas barbecue cooker
Barbecue Cookers
Photos courtesy Ken Rudine, February 2009
McAllen TX Lone Star BBQ Mesquite Wood Pile
McAllen TX - Lone Star BBQ wood pile of mesquite
Photo courtesy Ken Rudine, February 2009
We used to see Bum and Bev in a BBQ joint at Wharton before they moved. I’ve heard Bum Phillips say, “Texans are forged in a hotter fire.” I think the same is true of our Texas BBQ. “Texas BBQ is forged in a hotter mesquite fire.”

Copyright Ken Rudine

Published May 1, 2009

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