On Thu, 17 Aug 2006 14:06:23 -0400, Mark Lipton >
wrote:

>Ed Rasimus wrote:
>
>> Now we're talking!! Vacqueyras would stand up to the BBQ pork (dry or
>> wet style??) Certainly not the Brachetto.
>
>This was a dry-rubbed prep. I'm a big fan of Memphis-style BBQ, though
>I won't turn up my nose at KC, Carolina or Texas-style BBQ, either.

Since we introduced Spain with the Paella and now BBQ, I hope I can be
forgiven for a bit of thread wandering here.

You triggered a flock of great memories from my years in Madrid. There
was a wonderful place on the Alcala de Henares highway into Madrid
from Torrejon, right about at the Barajas airport cut-off that had
wonderful dry rubbed ribs.

Being a Chicago boy from the N. side of town, I'd not had much
exposure to various BBQ styles in my gray-meat and tan vegetables
white-bread upbringing. I'd had the drenched in reddish syruppy style
which was definitely a take-it-or-leave it experience.

The Madrid place was popular with both Spanish and military folks from
the air base. A big plate of the dry ribs with just a small saucer of
vinegar-based dipping sauce and a crisp, cold ensalada mixta with a
pitcher of icy sangria was as close to heaven as you could get. That
was also the first time I tasted Punche Caballero, AKA "The Silver
Bullet"--a Spanish liqueur that I don't think is exported.

A few years after I left Spain, the place was targeted by ETA and
AFAIK, destroyed by a bomb.

(Which reminds me that it was only a couple of weeks after I left
USAF/Europe Headquarters that the Red Army Faction blew up a bomb in
the entryway that I used daily...suppose this indicates someone was
out to get me???)


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com