Tex-Mex Pinoy style
What happens when an intrepid duo of food adventurers decides to explore Texas-Mexico border with family and friends? A new restaurant, that’s what. After two and a half weeks of relentlessly eating their way through numerous barbecue joints and cantinas, restaurant owners Raymond “Ray” Magdaluyo and chef Pete Ayson were inspired “to put up a barbecue place that approximated the authentic barbecue experience.” Says Ray, “We wanted a small space with a simple menu. What we have is half-border cooking and half-barbecue place.” And although Texas Smoke ‘Em’s menu does not feature cactus cuisine like some cantinas do, the tastes of the eats are the real deal. The authentic flavors at the outlet make it possible for you to vicariously travel to cowboy Tex-Mex country while savoring great food.
“What we have isn’t a Filipinized take on Mexican cooking,” affirms Pete, “It is what was served us when we did the food rounds.” His chef’s keen taste buds are trained to discern even the faintest nuances of flavor, but like the rest of us, he also enjoys indulging in simply cooked comfort food.
Unlike the Filipino version where meat is grilled directly over glowing embers, Texas Smoke ‘Em’s barbecue rendition requires the process of smoking. “This type of barbecue means that you invest a longer time in cooking,” says Pete. “The wood used for smoking — whether hickory, cherry, mesquite or apple — imparts some flavor to the meat, so that oak barrels used for storing wine have become prime kindling material for barbecue aficionados abroad.” Although no oak wood previously steeped in wine is used at Texas Smoke ‘Em, chef Pete guarantees that the wood for smoking is safe and untainted by chemicals. The restaurant does use bourbon and beer in some marinades to add flavor, however.
On top of our “to-try” list were the baby back ribs and the jumbo beef ribs. Both proved that smoking meat really concentrates the juices and intensifies flavor. The servings were tender but not “falling off the bone.” Just the way we like it, as we’ve always believed that there just has to be some “bite” left to the meat.
Although the man-sized servings could prove daunting for dainty eaters, the bigger eaters will surely enjoy the hefty portions. Alternatively, light eaters could share the platters with dining companions. Other options are a chicken barbecue, or the enjoyable smoked and spicy Texas link and andouille sausages traditionally made from pork neck and stomach meat. These lent a Cajun flavor to the meal.
In between mouthfuls of meat, we managed to sample the side dishes. The slaw of red cabbage with vinegar dressing was thoroughly cleansing to the palate; the Mexican chorizo rice had bits of flavorful sausage; while the simple yet rich and creamy baked macaroni with corn and sharp cheddar cheese and mozzarella will perk up one’s spirits on a gloomy day. Tacos (classic or soft tortilla) are a tasty snack or main meal, and the “crazy chimichangas” or deep fried burritos typical of American Southwest cuisine come with a filling of chicken or carnitas (Mexican for “little meats,” and used to describe a dish of small shreds of browned pork).
A diner can risk getting bits of unsightly black beans stuck between his or her teeth, but the uncomplicated black bean soup was just as comforting as the black beans with rice combination. Both traditional dishes would have been familiar to Cheech and Chong, our favorite “beaner” movie characters of yore. Still, the best of the bean dishes was an outstanding Texas chunky chili slowly cooked for six to eight hours, that Pete says is a recipe of his non-chef father. Pete learned to make chili even as a young boy. Indeed, the current interpretation of the dish proves that “practice makes perfect.” To cap the hearty meal was a simple cake called Tres Leches made with milk, eggs and pancake flour, and topped with whipped cream and stewed fruit. Delicious!
One interesting bit of trivia related to the restaurant’s name is that “Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em” was an expression popular during World War II. It meant, “Do what you want if you have the means.” At Texas Smoke ‘Em, one can forget the constraints of putting up appearances and forgo knife and fork. Do what makes you comfortable. While devouring the ribs, use your fingers and gnaw the delicious meaty morsels off from the bone the way Texans do it. The restaurant’s friendly and casual atmosphere encourages you to rid yourself of inhibitions for more thorough enjoyment of a meal.
Ray and Pete’s Texas Smoke ‘Em is at the 3rd Level, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City with telephone number 728-3056.
