Recently I took a trip to the South Texas coast with my dog not looking for anything other than waves. So when I drove into Port O'Connor and found trailer food (of all things) I was pleasantly surprised. I'll be honest. I drove past it and straight to the real estate office to get the scoop. They vouched for the brisket, which they said was hard to beat. Since I have dual citizenship in BBQ country, I know brisket. From Franklin's in Austin, to the Salt Lick in Driftwood, Perini's in Buffalo Gap to Joe Allen's in Abilene, I've had good brisket.
I raised a suspicious eyebrow and drove back down the street to give it a go. Afterall, when you're at the coast, you tend to find yourself in the mood for shrimp, crab, snapper or anything edible under the sea. But not BBQ. Anyhow, Levi stayed in the backseat with the windows rolled down as I approached the impressive BBQ trailer.
Art himself wasn't there, but his lovely wife and the daughter "they wished they'd never had" rolled down the window and handed me a slice of brisket. Like any good South Texas hostess would, they lit a cigarette, poured some coffee and came out to sit down with me for a spell. I learned the stuffed baked potato (weighing in at 2.5-3 lbs/tater) was their best seller, and that people drive from miles around for their mouth-watering chicken they cook on Sunday's only.
With over 17 years in the restaurant business, Art retired his brick and mortar only to put his culinary expertise to the test in a new version of restaurants in Port O'Connor. Getting back to the brisket, Levi and I both approve. It was tender, smoky and lean - everything a good brisket should be. I hope to put them in my next chapter of adventures in a series I'm writing called "Coastal Dives". Meanwhile, I hope to squeeze a recipe or two out of Art the next time I'm down there fishing.
