Katz runs for LT Gov and Washgal’s Brisket in DC
Two cool pieces from news reports that are damn interesting today:
Photo credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
First, Marc Katz’s, the brass, bald owner of Katz’s Deli in Austin, Texas, is running for Lieutenant Governor of the Lone Star State.
Seriously.
Says the Austin Statesman:
Austin deli king Marc Katz said Wednesday that his family would pour millions of its own money into his campaign for lieutenant governor.
How many millions? That detail Katz will announce Friday, he said before filing the paperwork with the Texas Democratic Party to run for the party’s nomination.
So far, the only other Democrat to file for the statewide seat is former Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, who Katz complimented as a top-notch candidate.
The eventual nominee will likely face Republican incumbent David Dewhurst in November.
Katz directed his harshest criticism at Dewhurst, rather than his primary foe, and jokingly unveiled a new sandwich named after the incumbent.
“The Davey Dewhurst sandwich is very starched, very white bread stuffed with baloney,” Katz quipped.
Yep, that’s Texas for you. Too bad this came two years after writer and “Texas Jewboy” Kinky Friedman ran for Governor.
Photo credit: James M. Thresher For The Washington Post
And in the political capital of the nation, a seriously interesting sandwich is available at Washgal’s, based, apparently, on Montreal Smoked Meat, though braised in wine!
Here’s how Fuchs does it. He starts with a whole brisket, including the fattier (and more flavorful) deckle end; dry-ages it for four weeks; then vacuum seals it with curing salt, spices and red wine to cure it for 17 days. Once the brisket is rinsed clean of curing salt and rubbed with a secret blend of 16 spices (including black peppercorn, coriander, mustard seed and dill seed), it’s ready for the smoker.
But not just any smoker. Fuchs retrofitted a Chinese duck smoker in a way that allows him to closely monitor and control the internal temperature of the box and the amount of smoke released into it. He uses different kinds of wood depending on what he is smoking: apple wood for salmon, a blend for turkey breast, hickory for beef. After it smokes for 12 or so hours, the brisket is still not quite done: It has to spend two days resting, tightly wrapped in plastic.
