If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, this post might reaffirm your choice to avoid meat. Either that or you’ll renounce your non-meat-eating ways for the delicious, barbecue sauce coated deliciousness you see here! I’m just kidding…sort of =)

Saturday turned out to be the perfect California day for a Texas-style pit BBQ!…Nevermind the fact that I don’t know what type of day is generally perfect for a Texas BBQ, or a Texas anything for that matter. Just because I’ve never been to Texas doesn’t mean I can’t imagine what it might be like, though- sitting beneath what I’ve been told is a giant sky (everything really is bigger in Texas, right?), sweet tea in hand, enjoying the summer day while wafts of mesquite scent the air.

Wafts of mesquite can only mean one thing in Texas. Maybe not. Mesquite can probably mean more than one thing. But I hope it usually means delicious, barbecued chicken, brisket, and ribs. I can imagine bbq sauce to be the only acceptable condiment in Texas, too, though I could be wrong? Don’t shatter my dreams, it’s definitely my favorite anyway!

What all of this comes down to is that my family doesn’t know an authentic Texas pit bbq any better than we know a traditional Louisiana crawfish boil or Greek celebration, but that didn’t stop us from using our imaginations and the slew of movie-driven stereotypes we’ve accumulated in our minds to recreate those events in the comfort of our own parents’ home. It’s just what we do. And since my oldest bro was planning to be in town for the SF Marathon next weekend, this weekend was the perfect time to round him up with the rest of the family & a couple good family friends (Hi Becky, Daniel, Lane & Marina!) for swimming, squirt guns, volleyball, food, and various other forms of debauchery. Always a good time!

I hit up the fruit stand last week for all the necessary produce. And then, this is just one of the THREE well-stocked refrigerators my parents have. How will we ever get by?!

Barbecue barrel! I know what you’re thinking. Seems a little crazy, right? But I promise you everything wasn’t just chucked in the barrel haphazard. As far as I know. I can’t, however, promise you my brother had any idea at all what he was doing. That being said, we must have had a good amount of luck on our side, because everything came out a-maz-ing!

Slow & low in the BBQ smoker, slow & low…and TA-DA!

Along with the barbecued chicken, brisket, ribs, and hot links, we enjoyed potato salad, fruit salad, corn on the cob, rolls, & bacon baked beans.

Once everyone passed out on the ground digested a bit, we continued the rousing game of volleyball that was started before dinner. The way we play, I’m not sure anyone really comes out a winner, but everyone had fun. I’ve been told that’s all that really matters. Played until the ice cream maker sounded like it’d give out if we waited any longer, and served it up with my raspberry peach cobbler!

I’ll post the recipe once I’ve finished digesting and recovering from this weekend’s craziness! It’s only 8:30pm and I can hardly keep my eyes open…
Nighty night