sassille's Profile
Fried Oysters and Scotch
The Galley menu doesn't show fried oysters...Is this an occasional special?
Fried Oysters and Scotch
Looking for a place that does decent friend oysters AND serves scotch.
Ideas anyone????
Sassille
Gourmet Tamales In Los Angeles Area???
Maybe I missed this in previous posts, but Mama's Hot Tamales on 7th St. near Alvarado are some of the best in town. She offers tamales from all over Central and South America. I am a sucker for Oaxacan style made with dark rich mole, but -- the sweet tamal of guava and a little zinger of cream cheese are to die for.
The fun part is that she's just a hop from the Metro station on the south side of MacArthur Park. You might give it a try.
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Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe
2122 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Christmas Dinner in Santa Barbara
One year we got stuck in Santa Barbara with no place to go for Christmas dinner but fast food joints. Now I find I will be there again this year and I don't want to get caught in the same predicament. It must be casual dining, not a hotel. Unless there is nothing else. Please help!
Are You a Fan of the Pug Burger at Hungry Cat?
Hungry Cat? It's been over a year..but. for starters was a perfect cucumber martini made with Hendricks Gin from Scotland… the ideal appetite enhancer. The burger was on a La Brea Bakery roll —craggy-lots of bubbles…like a sponge, to sop up the meaty juices. Blue cheese and thick smoked bacon helped the whole thing along. It’s one of my favorite L.A. burgers. Been wanting to go back just to check in and be sure that nothing has changed. 'xcept probably the price.
C.
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The Hungry Cat
1535 Vine St, Los Angeles, CA 90028
La Brea Bakery
624 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Dinner suggestion for Russian visitor on Eastside to get a sense of the "other LA?"
You said Eastside --so-- hello new Chinatown- San Gabriel
Take them to Bamboodles and let the kids watch them make fresh noodles in a large kitchen window - using a long bamboo pole where they sit on the end and bounce up and down. It’s fascinating! They will probably enjoy the delicious noodle soups that are not too spicy. Afterwards go about 4 or 5 blocks down to Pa Pa Walk. The sign is hidden from the street (It’s in the Hilton Strip Mall behind the elevator). Order Mango Shaved Ice. It’s a huge treat. Afterwards I like to take visitors to walk around the Ranch 99 across the street. Kids enjoy trying fresh lichee and other exotic fruits. Or without kids, we go for soup dumplings at Mei Long Village then get a Chinese Foot Massage for $15 – next door.
Upcoming trip: most LA Research done & just looking for a bit of input..
Excellent point, I had a part of 8. But there were still folks waiting around outside. Maybe it was some special day. It was a Friday.
Sassille
Upcoming trip: most LA Research done & just looking for a bit of input..
If you still have Elite on your radar for dim sum, be prepared for A WAIT. I took a group there on a weekday morning and the wait was 45 minutes at 10:30am.
Mei Long Village and J&J are my favorite stops when I go for the $15 Chinese foot massage at the same little mini-mall. Only 1 block away is PA Pa Walk for the most fabulous Taiwanese mango shave ice you will every taste. It's hard to see from the street...its hiding behind the elevator shaft in the center of the ground floor.
flavortrail@gmail.com
Marcel Vigneron dinner leads to desperate search for Nueske Bacon
Thanks! Oddly enough I tried Gelson's first and bought about 1/2 lb at a decent price. Then I had to run over to Surfas for stocking stuffers and found Nueske bacon for about 15% more $$
Cecilia
How to make the perfect tamale
Try Muc Bil. According to Rick Bayllis, it is a street food found in southern parts of Mexico. Clean up some banana leaves (I buy min pre frozen at Ranch 99 Asian Market). Blanch the leaves or use presoaked tamale leaves. The banana leaves add a slightly vegetable flavor. Line a large baking dish with leaves. Spread prepared masa all over the bottom and up the sides. Add your filling. Spread more masa on a layer of leaves then turn it over to cover the top of your dish. This makes more sense than trying to spread masa over your prepared filling. Cover the entire dish tightly with foil and bake at about 375 for about 1hour and fifteen minutes.
Carefully check the pan but watch out for the steam as you lift off the top banana leaves. You will know it’s finished when the masa stays in the pan and no longer sticks to the leaves. I served this to a large party of 30 as a side dish. The filling was Bayliss’ recipe for calabacitas. IT's zuccini with a little cream, corn and tomatoes. It was pretty darn delicious.
In search of savory Beet Meringue recipe, molecular gastronomy detectives needed
Jose Andres of Bazaar in Beverly Hills served us a Beet Meringue stuffed with goat cheese that I am wishing to replicate. I have ordered some beet powder and will use that to replace some sugar. But these little morsels quickly melted in your mouth before you had a chance to bite down. Almost the way that cotton candy softens when it hits your mouth.
So- -any molecular gastronomists out there??? I suspect something else has been added to create the melting effect as it hits the palate. I was wondering if baking soda (?) or something like that would do it.
I watched the chef put them together. It was simply this baby meringue “cookie” piped with a dab of goat cheese and another “cookie” on top. They were only about ½” in diameter.
Oddly enough, I was served something identical at the Marcel Vigneron dinner at Bread Bar Thursday night. (And he also works at Bazaar). But that night they were a more ordinary coffee flavored meringue with chocolate in the middle. It didn’t “melt” like the beet meringue.
Ideas anyone?
Cecilia
Marcel Vigneron dinner leads to desperate search for Nueske Bacon
Dinner with Marcel Vigneron at Bread Bar last night was a huge treat. One of the highpoint dishes for me was the Lyonaise salad. Described as frisee, “nesting egg”, bacon, sherry vinaigrette and endive. The paper thin sliced bacon was crispy and delicious. So when he came out to greet us and asked what our favorites were, we got to chat a little. He said the bacon was Nueske.
So! Where can I find Nueske bacon in L.A.? Yes it is available online. But I want it f or a Xmas shindig. Now! Can’t wait for another bite of that smokey, crispy-ness. Santa - are you listening?
Chile rellenos Guanajuato style in LA?
I am no vegetarian, But La Cabanita's vegetarian relleno is perfectly delicious. Without batter.
Cecilia
Favorite Sausages for a cookout
Do any particular flavors come to mind from Brats Borthers?
Favorite Sausages for a cookout
Our group is doing a sausage tasting and we’re looking for your recs on deli’s/sausage -makers and what to try. We are doing mail order for andouille. there's so much to consider.
What are your favorites? Where do you get them?
Thank, we promise to publish our findings,
Cecilia
Sazon Latin Fusion cheap & healthy in Culver City
There’s this new, snazzy food mecca in downtown Culver City where Ford’s Filling Station, Wilson and Fraiche rub shoulders. Then there is this funky ethnic neighborhood where the locals eat. Sazon Latin Fusion is one of those places that locals hang out who can’t afford Fraiche prices. Chef Claudia has taken over the spot once home to Tacos Mexico. And taken over, she has. She’s a feisty cook who commands a firm hand over foods in her own earthy fusion style. Not content with the ordinary Mexican cooking of her ancestors, she brings a healthier, lighter touch to her foods. Sazon means seasoning and Claudia is deft at seasoning but light on salt. I stumbled on it after a trip to B&B Hardware. All I wanted was the daily special, hot chicken soup. For 2.99 I was served a good-size steaming bowl of Mexican penicillin that was enough to take home for an other meal. Little dots of herbs floated to the top bringing flavor and boldness to the chicken and rice. This was so tasty that I ordered a plate of birria. Claudia makes it with beef instead of goat. The sauce defines the dish, not the goat. I returned with a couple of buddies and ordered a saucy barbacoa, my friend had the Sazon salad with shrimp and took half of it home. I enjoyed my meal so much I returned with a few friends from Pleasure Palate. Our little party of 13 managed to taste the majority of items on her menu, plus some extras that may soon be available. We loved it. We tasted 14 dishes and never came away feeling over laden with cheese, or beans fried in lard. It may serve you well to know that Mofongo is alive and well on the Westside. Sazon serves it in a wooden cup lined with mashed plantains and filled with a stew of shrimp or chicken. I can recommend the Pescado Tropical, white fish, served on spinach mashed potatoes. It’s lightly breaded and gently sautéed then drizzled with a delicious little sauce. Nothing is over-the –top from her kitchen. When you crave a healthy Latin dish, I suggest you go here. And when it’s all over, try one of her desserts, capirotada (bread pudding or natilla (egg custard). On my driving scale of 1 – 10 miles I would drive 15 miles for some of this comfort food that’s kinda’ like Mom is in the kitchen, cooking up a storm, but she’s watching your cholesterol and going lite on the salt. But there’s shaker on every table for those of us who want to live la vida loca.
Sazon Latin Fusion
12406 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90066
Tel: 310.390.9501
Tasting the Cuban Menu at Versailles Culver City
It seems like a lot of folks take Versailles for granted. It’s the reliable neighborhood place for Cuban-style garlic chicken. I like the homey-style of this restaurant, where the walls are lined with photo art from Habana. The pictures were lovingly taken by Raymond, one of the family offspring, who was there graciously explaining each item that we tasted. I had the good fortune to dine there twice in the last couple of months for tastings of many of the dishes I have neglected in favor of my usual order of garlic roast chicken. There is much more to Versailles’ menu than I knew about. Number one is: Cubans have their way with pork. Take, for example, their pork tamale. It looks rather ordinary until you notice it‘s served with their house citrus (mojo) sauce. It brings out the flavors in the masa. I loved it! I’ve returned after my first visit and purchased a bottle of the sauce to serve on roast pork at home. Delicious! I also favor the masitas de Puerco, a crisp chunk of marinated pork, flash fried. This reminds me of Filipino crispy pata or Mexican carnitas. You have to be a pork fan to love this stuff – and I am. Lechado Asada is a roasted shredded pork dish topped with thinly sliced onion and, yeah, mojo sauce.
I also learned that Cubanos hanker for vivid flavors over hot and spicy ones. Case in point is the Rabo Encendido which was a particular favorite of almost all the folks at our table. This is worthy of going back for. It’s oxtail, simmered for hours in Cuban spices, bell peppers and a hint of tomato. It’s featured on the plate with just a little sauce and the customary rice and black beans. It is so tangy and tender that you want to pick it up with your fingers and slurp up all that meaty goodness from the juicy nooks and crannies. Okay so, - me and my uncouth friends did just that! When I go back I will order it up with plantains on the side along with white rice and black beans. They also offer moro on the side which is a mixture of those two dishes. I love their thick, but soupy, black beans too much to mix them up with anything else. Next time I go back I will also probably share the fried red snapper. At first glance this dish appeared too crispy. It looked dry, but when I bit into it there was a definite succulence that gave a good texture to what would otherwise be a boring dish. Did I say it’s so good with the house sauce? Their paella is a little different from the one I’ve enjoyed in Spain and Portugal. Cubans serve a saucier version with hints of bell pepper, tomato, shrimp, chicken and chorizo. I like their version, it's zesty and not dry. My favorite dessert is the guayaba with cream cheese, but most folks love the flan.
So I am definitely planning on going back. The prices are good. Garlic chicken is only 10.95 for ½ a bird. Rabo is $14.95 Most dishes are between $10 and $15 and Paella is $22. I notice a brisk take-out business going on. Considering the ample portion sizes, I can see a family sharing a good meal for not too much $$. On my driving scale of 1 – 10, I would drive at least 10 miles for a good plate of Versailles comida Cubana.
Versailles
10319 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 558-3168 Phone
(310) 558-1817 Fax
Chile Relleno de Tamal de Huitlacoche
This was the special tonight at La Casita Mexicana It was a huge roasted pasilla chile. In the middle was a stuffing of a tamale with panela cheese in the center. The huitlacoche (some call it Mexican truffles) was blended into the masa with whole kernals of Mexican corn sprinkled throughout. The chile blanked the tamale and gave it a delicious flavor. It was resting in a light jitomate sauce. Over the top was a spoonful of Mexican crema and a thin slice of red onion. I've never had anything like it. Can you imagine the taste of a freshly made tamale sitting inside a chile instead of a corn husk?
Also on the specials tonight was a Pescado Tamarindo. It was so simple, gently sautéed with a dollop of tamarind sauce. I could'a cried... both of these dishes were that good. Chef Ramiro was so gracious as to share his recipe with me.
When I die and go to heaven, I want St. Peter to say, "our angels have been busy in the kitchen, which plate would you prefer first?"
Cecilia
How to do the E.L.A Food Crawl
Last week someone asked about our E.L.A. food Crawl and I figured it would be just as easy to post the locations along with some comments so fellow ‘hounds can do it on their own. These are the stops we made and some notes on how to do a food-crawl.
First Stop: 9:30am Homegirl Café 130 Bruno St Los Angeles, CA 90012 (323) 526-1254
-Be prepared to wait for your food. Because I had 12 people, I called ahead and managed to get some items at breakfast that are usually served for lunch only. We loved the chilaquiles, guacamole with roasted pineapple, aguas frescas and their tacos with apple and tomatillo are sublime. Try the mango upsidedown cake made with cornbread. OMG, there is a truly creative chef in the kitchen. The service could be better, but they are performing a vital community function giving job training to those who really need it to get on their feet. So be patient.
We left cars parked in their lot and jumped into a carpool/caravan to the next stop.
Next Stop: Birreria Jalisco – 1845 East 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033 (323) 262-4552
They serve a righteous birria de chivo, goat. Be prepared for a crowd. The service was ultra friendly and they recommended the size of our order and the cut of goat. We ordered enough for a small taco or two per person and dipped it in the consommé (kind of like “au jus”) served on the side with the usual side of finely minced onions, cilantro and limes to squeeze all over. What can I say, it was worth the trip.
Tip: While headed to the next stop don’t forget to drive by 1st and Bolye, Mariachi Square. On a Saturday afternoon you can see musicians, dressed in spiffy outfits tuning up for a night of music
Third Stop: Elvirita Cemitas Poblanas – 3010 East 1st Street, Los Angeles, Across from the cemetary at near corner of Evergreen and 1st St.
They were serving from a taco truck that Saturday due to remodeling in the tiny café. We ordered cemitas de pollo milanesa, they had run out of beef. The rolls were ultra fresh, and the pollo was pretty good. I worried that they would be too dry, that was not the case. Order it with jalapenos. Go for the burn! I returned a month later to find the new place finished. Now there’s plenty of seating inside. This time I had to have the cemita of beef milaneza. It’s moderately tender, but the flavor was worth the return trip. Must try more menu items.
Fourth Stop: El Mercado 3455 E 1st St, Los Angeles - (323) 268-3451
There is construction for the metro-rail on 1st St., so enter into the parking lot from Lorena on the westside. You’ll find lots of parking with guys directing traffic. Try the roasted corn served in cups. The stall is located at the west end of the property. Try the limones cocadas (limes stuffed with coconut) or the pistachios spiced with chile and lime, at the candy-stall on the second floor. Buy chapulines to sprinkle on your guacamole or taste different moles from huge vats.
Side-trip: -Go outside and walk across 1st St. Look for the bright yellow sign that says “Liliana’s. It’s smaller than their tamale house on Cesar Chavez, but it’s so convenient. Buy fresh, fat tamales!
Fifth Stop: Marisqueria El Tejado, 1426 Soto St. and Olympic.
At the recommendation of Bill, L.A.streetgourmet, we went for cocteles and oysters. It felt like we were sitting in an open air stand in Mazatlan. I know, it’s supposed to be a family-style restaurant, but this particular Saturday there was hilarious, racy entertainment coming from a DJ and drag queen look-alikes lip-syncing as popular latin singers. Honestly, it was surprisingly fun and the mariscos were great.
Side Note: Managing 12 people was not the easiest thing to do. One or two folks were falling by the wayside, with tired-taste-bud syndrome. So I passed up some favorites.
Here’s one:
--Driving east on Olympic from Soto, about 3 blocks, visit the taco truck on the south side of the street. There are 3 in a row. I have been to all three and the best is the first one in the line as you approach. There is a “mariscos” sign on the back of the truck. They serve delicious CRISPY shrimp tacos for just 1.50. Beware, they are addictive!! There is no lettuce filling or cheese to fool around with. It’s just serious shrimp filling in a fried, crispy taco shell with a slice of avocado on the top. It’s got to be the best and cheapest lunch in town!
Sixth Stop: Cemitas Tepayaca 3822 Olympic Blvd. L.A. 90022 corner Olympic & Indiana.
We stopped here because we wanted to compare cemitas between Cemitas Poblana on 1st. St,. and this place. The difference was in the bread. Here it is softer and not as crunchy when you bite down on them. BUT we also tried the huaraches and this place does a really good job. Huarches, strickly translated, mean sandals. But when it comes to street food, it’s a slab of grilled corn masa, with lots of toppings, lettuce, sour cream avocados, etc. The one we shared had delicious beefy chile verde on it.
Side trip: Located caddy corner from Tepayaca is La Indiana Tortilleria. I planned to send folks there to buy tamales and pupusas. But no one wanted to leave Cemitas Tepayaca. – This is- until I asked if anyone had room for coffee and dessert.
Last stop: Moles La Tia. 4619 East Cesar E Chavez Avenue 2 blocks east of Eastern.
We split 4 kinds of flan. One was calabasas laced with a sweet tomatillo sauce. Go figure. It was fabulous. And so was the coconut flan and the coffee flan. Rocio is a fine cook. She started out at La Casita Mexicana taking pointers from Chefs Jaime and Ramiro. Today she has developed her own style and is doing almost as well. Be sure to ask for their coffee made in the clay pot.
Tips for doing a crawl.
-Chose your dining buddies carefully or you will have someone refusing to eat cilantro and it will ruin your plan to sample things the way they were meant to be eaten!
-Divide your dishes carefully or you will get too full and have to quit sooner than later. We divided tacos in halves, larger items in fourths
-Bring along plastic knives in case you don’t want to wait around for a busy place to bring you cutlery for foods commonly eaten by hand.
-Bring plastic cups and you can share house special drinks without running the waitress ragged bouncing back and forth for glassware, thus making them go to a lot of trouble where you are spending so little cash!!!
Tip extra well. They spend more time serving us just a few dishes and earn practically nothing, while we eat up their time (‘excuse the pun)
The tab for the whole day was about $26 incl. T & T. A memorable foodie trip for all of us.
Abby has photos, I'll see if I can get the link.
Cecilia
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El Mercado De Los Angeles
3425 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90063
Elvirita Cemitas Poblanas
3010 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90063
Homegirl Cafe
130 Bruno St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Moles La Tia
4619 E Cesar E Chavez Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90022
Marisqueria El Tejado
1426 S Soto St, Los Angeles, CA 90023
Birrieria Jalisco
1845 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90033
Cemitas Tepayaca
3822 E Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90023
Any reports from The Gold Standard today?
The lines were incredibly long for parking and willcall. But since this a new event, I think that organizers will have a better handle on the situation. They need a larger place and maybe a few tables so people are not balancing their plates to eat while standing in line for another one. If you think about it, some venues were handing out 3 different plates of food, then there was that wine glass you had to hold on to. What a juggle! The beer and wine were really flowing, but I think that the small venues were not expecting the huge crowd. It was the organizers fault, not the restauranteurs.
You've proably read the reviews of most of the places, but Clementine's hot chocolate with fresh marshmellow was a killer. Jitlada's beef dish just about put me away - and I eat spi-cy! I wasn't so impressed with Lotteria. Ciudad's paella was abundant , lasted throughout the whole event ,even after many places closed down by 5:30. And it was loaded with delicious seafood. Babita served a yellow chile stuffed with salmon ceviche. It was just so-so. La Casit'as green ceviche was really good. The flavor came from epazote, poblanos and lots of lime. Lou's pulled pork was really good.
SO I would go back again, but I would have a hard-ticket in hand, expect to park on a side street instead of valet, and go an hour early!
BBQ - Where to find the best in LA?
Porkey,s in Inglewood is now closed shop. They have another branch open in Long Beach. It just goes to show, we have to support our favorites 'lest they go by the wayside.
Spicy Surf n Turf Newport Tan Cang San Gabriel
Read up on this and decided to take a dining group here last night. Here’s a great restaurant for taking guests. Their private rooms are quieter, spacious, divided by dark Chinese carved lattice mahogony. The very classy table was graced by etched glass lazy susan. This is a white-tablecloth- linen -napkin kind’a place and we were more than comfortable with really good service. How good? They changed our plates at least 4 times. It’s hard to believe this is in the old Marie Calendar’s building. For those of you who wish to return and duplicate our menu, here it is -or of what I can remember. I selected it with the help of Phillip, the manager who speaks very good English. We started with braided crab and fish maw soup. This was a very thick, mild flavored soup. I would have preferred something much spicier. It’s the only item I would not go back for. The house lobster ($15.99 @ lb.) was in a delicious spicy sauce. We wanted larger, but we got a 5 ½ pounder and could have eaten more. But we ordered 9 dishes. So much more to come. We used our fingers, and slurped on the delicious shell after the lobster meat was devoured. I would also suggest this dish with crab instead. It’s easier to break open a crabshell. Beef cubes French style was a tasty balance to our menu, since we had so much fish. The filet was tender, in a dark savory sauce served over sliced onions. There was a nice balance going on. The large fried black trout has a most impressive presentation. Big hit - all kept going back for more, searching each nook and cranny for more meat and lucious scallion sauce. Clams in basil sauce were excellent. The clams were on the large side and the basil was added at the last minute so they were fragrant and fresh tasting. We wanted to add a chicken dish and on recommendation we ordered Kung Pao. It was fine Kung Pao, but I think that next time will replace it with something more adventurous. The house vegetable dish was a very mild, Cantonese style of mixed vegetables. Too bland for my taste. We needed to amp up the flavor. The Pork Chop was a dish of crispy fried strips of pork that looked tough but was tender and not in a sauce - kids would love this dish. This was, in fact, a finger-food kind of meal, and more than once I accidentally allowed my fingers to linger on my lips for an extra taste of great sauces. The tab was $260 incl tax, tip, 2 beers & $10 corckage (party of 10). On my foodie-driving scale of 0 –10 miles I give this a 20. Because its 20 miles from my house and I would go back again if you invite me.
Fine Dining near LAX airport?
Probably some of the finest can be found in nearby Culver City. Fraiche, for one. Find out if your client really loves fine food. If they are steak and potatoes, you will find that Shula's is perfect. Flemmings is great but it's too dang LOUD. If you are discussing business then be prepared to wear a mike so you can hear hear each other.
Forget managing the 405 at any hour. Those of us who live here refuse to use it until you can drive a reasonable 35 MPH. :)
Sassille
Best of Bakersfield Food Tour
A small group of foodies from L.A. are determined to invade Bakersfield for a weekend of discovery. We are looking for fresh authentic foods that highlight the best of local cuisine. We are open for anything from high-end gastronomy to family-style dining to hole in the wall finds that include deli-fare, juice bars, bakeries, ice cream stores. We are more than willing to taste cheese, wines, olives, honeys, you name it.
We are seeking food adventure and welcome any help you can give us in making our tour a memorable one.
Cecilia
flavortrail@gmail.com
CUT at the Beverly Wilshire - A bit of a letdown [LONG-ISH REVIEW]
Our experience was similar. No expense account here!. One person in our party sent her steak back TWICE (justifiably) and it still was not right. She ended up waiting - and waiting, dining on the sides. They eventually took it off the tab. That was unfortunate because dining out at a place THAT extravegant was a big deal. Maybe the fact that Tom Cruise. and wife Katy were dining at a nearby table was distracting the staff. Funny, I didn't notice THEIR steaks returning to the kitchen.
Sassille
REVIEW w/pics: Mole Heaven at Casa de Moles "La Tita"
The typical plate was about $12.95, more or less. I ordered the cochinita pebil and it was baout 9.95. One of our group ordered the venison. It might have been $13.95. The dinners came with a choice of soup or salad. You can see more at their website at www.moleslatia.com.
Cecilia
BBQ Rib Smackdown
Guess I'm going to have to make a sacrifice run for Porky's. I've eaten at Baby Blues several times and I like their rub a lot. Their Memphis style rib is fine, but they didn't do well on tenderness for me. One thing I should point out is that any dedicated BBQ lovin’ chowhound can do this on their own –days or weeks apart. Each rib is judged on its own merit on a scale of 1 – 9, not on a comparison taste-test
BBQ Rib Smackdown
Since you are allergic to liquid smoke, I suggest you contact the individual place of your choice to find out if they add it to the sauce. None had an overt taste of smoke. BTW liquid smoke is not artificial per se. It is condensed evaporation from a smoking process.
BBQ Rib Smackdown
We tasted St. Louis ribs, not baby backs. We used the KCBS Standard for judging. Tenderness is definitely an attribute for judging BBQ, meat, chicken or pork ribs. "Falling off the bone" is an old-time phrase. It is not necessarily considered a good thing in judging competition BBQ. Pork ribs should not pull away from the bone and leave you with a chunk of meat with cartilage and grizzle in the middle. Tenderness means being able to sink your teeth into the rib without the feeling you're chewing on a hunk of stringy leather.
J.R.’s was omitted because they didn’t make the cut. There were limitations as to how much to buy and how many places could participate and our number of judges. I wasn’t too surprised about Philip’s. Remember those ribs came from the Crenshaw location and not the original on Leimert Blvd. which is closed on Sundays.
All the 'Q was smoked on the premises with the exception of Mr. Cecil's. After all is said and done, almost all the ribs were good. However, having judged at festivals around the state, including the California Championship in Modesto, I must say that competition BBQ ribs are the best. I urge anyone who is really into ribs to go to one of the festivals and check out the offerings.
Banana leaves...where to find? [moved from Home Cooking board]
.89 @ lb at Ranch 99 , Alhambra, in the freezer section. The ones I have found "fresh" in the produce section have dried, blackened areas from mold. Fresh runs around 1.99 a local Mexican food markets.
There is a distinct vegetable flavor from banana leaves. I agree with RicRios. Substitution will make for a totally different flavored dish.
