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Adventures in Catering: Martinez Style


I know it's been kind of quiet in the West Texas Mama blog world.....things have been busy - playing nurse, work at the paying gig, getting kids ready for school, etc.  But, this weekend provided WTM with an experience that must be documented for posterity's sake.

El Hubbo's skills with smoking briskets is becoming more historic with the passage of time.  A friend of ours from church asked us to help him "feed a few folks" for a dove hunt.  No big deal, a couple briskets, maybe some beans, potato salad.  "Something easy."

"No problem!" we said.  And, in deed, in our optimism, we felt this would be simple.  Then, the numbers started growing.....and growing......and growing.   We would potentially be feeding 75 people.  This had turned from a small, backyard cookout to a major catering operation!

In a sick, somewhat masochistic way, the planning of such a thing is something I love.  I break out the calculator, put the headings in my spreadsheet, and start the price comparisons.  I troll websites looking for information on serving sizes, check all the store websites for sales, etc.  I am a number nerd.  El Hubbo utilizes a more laissez-faire approach:  day before he started to think about the stuff he might need.  This is why he needs me in his life.

Our entire dining room became the Op Center for this project, as we started accumulating supplies:  Rotel, 20 lbs of dry pinto beans, season mixes (we have secret recipes we mix in bulk), bowls, picnic packs, paper plates, BBQ sauce ingredients, pounds of onions, jalapeños, a 42-Qt pot to cook the 20 lbs of pinto beans, 500 ft roll of aluminum foil, etc, etc.

We were to go to the ranch on Friday night, where El Hubbo would start the all-night brisket smoking process.  It was raining, which added to the adventure component of our first catering gig.  There were 17 folks scattered amongst two houses.....one of the homes was built on the property in 1915, and had a stove that I am estimating at approximately 60+ years of age.  But, don't let age fool you, that old gal could still cook!


We served breakfast:  Huevos Rancheros with homemade bacon tortillas....topped with homemade salsa (courtesy of sous chef Jake), fresh cilantro and queso fresco.

The men wandered about periodically attempting to shoot some dove, and when that failed, shoot clay pigeons over the canyon.  The girls had a "hen party".  The kids ran wild, convinced some of the younger adults to take them four-wheeling, and had a great time just being kids in the country.  It was wet and drizzly, but nice and cool, which was welcome after a hot Texas summer.

People rolled in all day, and by 4:30, we had almost fifty folks who had braved the weather.  The food was good, the company was great, and we all had a good time.

The brains behind the event:


Country kids:





Beautiful scenery:



Muddy rescue operation:


Friends and Fun:







Babies were popular entertainment:




Chowing down:






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