Ranch to Table Dinner

On a cool November evening, a full moon lit the sky as 75 guests from our region and beyond joined Edible Rio Grande Valley at our first Ranch to Table dinner.

The setting was the scenic Hacienda Yturria Ranch north of Raymondville, founded in 1858 by Francisco Yturria, a pioneer, merchant, banker, railroad developer and rancher. His thirdgreat grandson Jason Wolfe helped us plan this community gathering.

Historically, cattle and horses were raised at the ranch. Today, part of the property serves as a habitat for native and exotic wildlife, such as javelinas, waterbucks, lechwe, bobwhite quail and caracaras.

This evening of food and fellowship began with cocktails sipped against a backdrop of the setting sun. Next, our guest took their seats at one super-long table ready to enjoy the six delicious courses that followed.

Arturo Ramon, Brownsville native and owner of Blanco River Meat Co., who created the menu to include mouth-watering selections that featured fresh, local ingredients prepared over an open fire.

To bring his culinary vision to life, Ramon assembled a rockstar team that included Eddy L. Morales, The Pitfather BBQ and grand prize winner of the San Antonio Bar-B-Que Cook-Off, and Victor Cavazos, owner of El Camino Social Club restaurant and bar in Brownsville and maker of delicious paella.

The final course, dessert, was ice cream from Eddie Moreno of Layers Ice Cream in Weslaco, two fall flavors developed specifically for the event.

Wine, from family-owned Amici Cellars in Calistoga, Calif., accompanied the dishes. Michael Pennington of L&F Distributors in McAllen helped us choose the types and shared his wine knowledge with our guests.

True to ERGV’s mission, most of the foods for the dinner were sourced right here in the Valley — wild gulf shrimp from Snodgrass Inc. in Brownsville; cabritos from J. Galvan Mini Farm in Donna; quail from Kiki’s Farm in Hargill; beef cheeks from England Cattle Co. in Mercedes; lion’s mane mushrooms from One Up Mushroom Products in Mission; and microgreens from Little Leaf Microgreens in South Padre Island.

We owe a huge thank you to the local farmers, ranchers, food and drink artisans who helped us bring this special experience to the Valley. We invite and encourage you to support these businesses. I hope you will join us for the next To-Table Dinner; be sure to sign up for our newsletter and be the first to hear the details.

TIPS FOR MAKING GOOD CABRITO

By Arturo Ramón II, Texas grillmaster

There a few things you can do to ensure perfect openfire cabrito.

• Select a true milk-fed animal from a rancher who cares. The ones from Nuevo León, Mexico, are the best, in my opinion.
• Your selection of fire/wood matters. Traditionally, mesquite wood is used in Mexico and South Texas. I find that if the mesquite wood isn’t cured long enough, the smoke makes delicate meat have an astringent flavor. I like using a white oak or post oak to start. It is a very mild wood. Then to finish, I like using oak charcoal.
• It’s all about rotation. Constantly rotating will allow the meat to render its fat, building a crust but not burning the flesh.
• Do Not Overseason! This is where most folks mess up. They try and do all these marinades and tons of spices and salt. This is not necessary. Cabrito is a sweet delicious meat that only requires just a little salt and finely ground pepper.
• To baste or not to baste? I find that basting the animal with melted duck fat is the absolute perfect way to brown meat without taking anything away from the flavor.
• When is it ready? The animal will let you know.
• As the cabrito cooks, it will soften and get very tender. A surefire test of whether it is ready is to gently pull one of the legs. If the cabrito is ready, the leg will detach easily.
• Make some salsa, warm up some tortillas and enjoy one of the world’s best foods!