Texas Barbecue in DFW International Airport

What is there to do at DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas) when your flight is cancelled, and the first available flight is the next day? 

When my wife, Linda, and I had hours to fill, the search was on for authentic Texas Barbecue in the many airport terminals.

We were stuck in Terminal C, near gate 22. I parked us at a table with AC power plugs so I could while away the hours on my laptop computer working on my 99 Cent Chef YouTube videos and Blog Posts.

Click on any photo to see larger.

Thanks to Linda's persistence online and phone calls with our airline, she wrangled two $12 meal vouchers and a hotel voucher for our overnight stay nearby. 

She out-cheap$kated me!

We stayed overnight at airport-adjacent Comfort Suites - I had a Texas Waffle for breakfast.

Back to DFW, the hunt was on for Texas Barbecue when pangs of hunger hit. I found a Bánh Mì restaurant counter where Linda ordered a Bánh Mì Vietnamese Salad with Tofu. I kept going, sniffing the air for the tell-tale aroma of hickory smoke. 

I hit the jackpot when I saw the Dickey's Barbecue Pit sign - look no further! 

Go to the counter to order. The barbecue will be waiting for you by the cash register before you get your credit card back. I'm sure they smoke the meats off-site and bring it in. 

The thing about Texas Barbecue is that it's ready to eat after hours of slow-cooking over smoky hickory coals. The meat stays moist, wrapped up then reheated. A whole beef brisket is smoked, then sliced or chopped to order. 

I spent a few of my younger years in Texas and have indulged in many slices of smoky, lean, tender, and moist Barbecue Beef Brisket. I like the Barbecue Sliced Brisket piled high in a hamburger bun smeared with tangy barbecue sauce, sliced raw onion, and pickle. 

For a heaping full-on order, tackle the 1, 2, or 3 Meat Plates with 2 Sides, and Texas Toast. Similar to a Prime Rib station, all that's left is slicing the whole brisket, then adding the sides.

I skipped the $18 tap beer at the bar nearby, and used the airline $12 voucher on a 2-meat plate of Sliced Beef Brisket and 2 Pork Ribs. My 2 Sides were Green Beans with Bacon and Mac & Cheese. Barbecue can be expensive, but worth it. My $12 Voucher saved the day - 99 thanks, Linda!!

The Pork Ribs are not as meaty as larger beef ribs, but they were tender with plenty of smoky flavor.

The thickly Sliced Barbecue Brisket had a thin, red, tender rind between the seasoned, crisp, dark outer bark and succulent lean beef.

This is a real Texas-style Barbecue Brisket restaurant oasis, slotted into a cacophonous airport.

The sides are almost beside the point, but a tasty distraction.

I selected the Signature BBQ Sauce, which is sweet and tomatoey tart.

The Mac and Cheese would be better with a baked-on crust of cheddar. The cheese sauce was creamy, the macaroni tender. A fine Mac & Cheese similar to any fast food joint like KFC.

My small side of Green Beans with Bacon was missing bacon - I did detect a couple of small pieces, but the flavor of bacon grease was there. The Green Beans were tender and smoky. Quite tasty.

A thick slice of white bread, Texas Toast, served its purpose of sopping up any leftover beef juices, barbecue sauce, green beans juices, and yummy streaks of mac & cheese.

 

If you are going to be stranded in an airport, DFW is the one! Moist, smoky, lean Beef Brisket from Dicky's is amazingly delicious, even in a busy airport setting.

I would hop the airport Skylink tram no matter what terminal you are in. The tram is quick, so head to Terminal C and about Gate 6. Look on the restaurants/shopping side for the signage of Dickey's Barbecue Pit. You will see the long bar, then look for the food display counter to order.

Dickey's Barbecue Pit has 2 locations in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: Terminal C near Gate C6, and Terminal E near Gate E27.

Skylink trams are on the upper level for fast transport to all Terminals. 

Airport Address: 2400 Aviation Drive, DFW Airport, TX 75261

Dickey's Phone Number: (972) 973-4799

Website: www.dickeys.com

Hours: Monday thru Sunday 5 AM–10 PM

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Tomahawk - Video Recipe

 I buy aged meat. Well, I assume that when I get discounted meat from the grocer's bargain bin that it's old...or like I tell my cheap$kate self, "It's aged!"

When I saw a Pork Tenderloin Tomahawk for nearly half-price I jumped on it. Now, if the pork steak was gray in color I would have thought twice, but this pork loin was lightly pink like a regular raw pork chop.

And how did my Grilled Pork Tenderloin Tomahawk turn out? Damn good! It was moist and flavorful with a smoky barbecue charred flavor. And just by chance a friend dropped by and I served him half of it -- he raved how delicious and moist it was.

The cut of meat is a bone-in rib steak. It is a large, thick steak with some fat for extra flavor.

When I grill a steak I like it charred or well done on at least one side. When I cook the other side I usually don't worry about how charred it is. I just stop grilling when it is done to my liking. And, don't forget to let the grilled steak sit a couple of minutes before digging in so the juices redistribute and leave you with a moist steak.

If you serve the steak with the charred side showing, then it doesn't matter if the other side is as charred. 

If you have a really hot fire then you can easily get an even char on both sides of the steak.

I tend to grill a pork steak more well done than a beef steak. The recommended internal temperature of cooked pork is at least 145 degrees measured in the thickest part of the steak. I like to slice into my pork steak and look for clear juices (no pink), just to make sure.

I seasoned the Pork Tenderloin Tomahawk simply with black pepper and Cajun Seasoning (usually consisting of dried garlic, chile powder, and salt).

Click on any photo to see larger.

I often slather on BBQ Sauce, but I wanted to see how the Pork Tomahawk tastes on its own with minimal seasoning.

I was quite impressed by how tasty this thick pork steak was. If a Pork Tenderloin Tomahawk shows up again I would not hesitate to buy it...from the bargain bin, that is. 

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Tomahawk - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 1 minute, 41 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients

• Pork Loin Tomahawk Steak - this steak was 1 pound in weight.
• Cajun Seasonings - 1 tablespoon. Okay to use salt or any favorite seasonings.
• Black Pepper - 1 tablespoon.

Directions

Season Pork Loin Tomahawk with Cajun Seasonings and black pepper. Okay to use just salt and pepper or any favorite seasonings. 

I use an outdoor butane grill. Okay to use an indoor frying pan or broil it in the oven.

I like to char one side of Pork Loin Tomahawk for the longest time, then finish it on the other side quickly until done. 

This is how I cook meat on a gas grill. I like to brown one side only and cook on the other side until done.

Grill about 5 to 10 minutes on one side until charred brown.

Grill the other side until done, about 3-5 minutes.

Internal temperature is about 145 degrees when done. Take the Grilled Pork Loin Tomahawk off the grill and allow it to rest a couple of minutes so the juices redistribute and moisten the meat even more.

*Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the steak and the heat of the grill.

Grilled Yellow Sweet Potato - Video Recipe

I usually bake Yellow Sweet Potatoes, but while there are a few warm days left it's nice to get outside and fire up the BBQ grill.

So let's get cooking with The 99 Cent Chef. My stop motion video features Grilled Yellow Sweet Potato.

This Frugal Forager gets them from the local Latin grocery store. I picked up a couple of tan, yellowish, ones. I usually cook with the red sweet potatoes as they are the sweetest, but I like the mild sweetness you get with tan, or yellow, sweet potatoes. The tan sweet potato has flesh that's white to yellow in hue.

You can use my recipe with yams or sweet potatoes. Sometimes grocery stores call the red and tan (yellow) tubers yams (at least here in the U.S.) You can read about the difference between a yam and sweet potato by clicking on the names.

I cook this tuber simply, just rub or brush on some olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then grill them about 3 minutes on each side.

I have a cheap gas grill, so it's easy to keep track of how long it takes. If you have a charcoal or wood burning grill the cooking time will vary according to how intense the fire is, and you will have to watch things closely. What you are looking for is a a slight char or burn. When the Yellow Sweet Potato is soft to the touch then it is done.

I slice the tubers in half lengthwise. I also leave the skin on. It's up to you how you like to prepare them. It's okay to slice sweet potato anyway you like.

The grilled Yellow Sweet Potato will continue to steam and soften after removal from the fire. And you can easily peel off the most blackened skin parts if you like. Me, I like some of that charred flavor.

You can adapt this recipe for indoors cooking too. I like broiling them in the oven. Just check on them every minute or so. Some of the smokiness is lost, but the sweetness and char flavors still come through. You could even roast the Yellow Sweet Potato in the oven, especially if you are baking a chicken; it takes about 30 minutes of baking, so add the slices a little over half way through baking.

And be sure to cook plenty. Grilled Yellow Sweet Potato makes a low calorie side dish and can be easily reheated anytime. Pull the grilled wweet potato slices out of storage from the refrigerator and zap them in the microwave for about a minute or so.

When I'm grilling protein, Sweet Potatoes are a lighter contrast to typical heavy sides like potato salad or french fries.

In my stop motion recipe video I go overboard with the olive oil, but that's just for show -- you can lightly brush on a minimal amount or use your favorite oil spray.

My Grilled Yellow Sweet Potato recipe works with almost any other crisp veggie like: corn, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, yellow neck squash, onions and asparagus.

If you've never put vegetables alongside that barbecuing burger, hot dog or chicken leg, now is the time to start. And you can't do better or easier, than Grilled Yellow Sweet Potato.

Grilled Yellow Sweet Potato- VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 1 minute, 23 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (about 2 servings)

• 1 large sweet potato - about 1/2 thick slices
• 1 to 2 tablespoons oil - I used olive oil, but okay to use any favorite oil.
• Salt and pepper to taste - Okay to use any favorite seasoned salt.

Directions
Get your barbecue grill going. Okay to do this recipe indoors too - in a broiler oven.

Scrub and clean sweet potato if necessary. To speed up cooking, microwave sweet potato about 2 minutes -- this is optional.

Slice sweet potato in half lengthwise. Each sliced half was about an inch thick. I left the potato skin on, but you can peel potatoes if you like. For huge sweet potatoes you may slice potato in half, then slice each half one more time to reach 1 inch thickness.

Drizzle on oil. Salt and pepper sweet potato slices.

When grill is hot add sweet potato slices. Since sweet potato has a high sugar content, they may burn some. That's okay since it's easy to scrape off some of the burnt bits. Hey, char is part of the barbecue taste.

Your cooking time will vary depending on the grill heat. I used a gas grill and it took about 5 minutes for each side of sweet potato to cook through.

You want the sweet potato to be soft on the inside when done. I noticed that even if the middle is slightly hard, the sweet potato will continue to cook and tenderize, even when removed from the fire. So don't worry if all the cooked slices are not uniform in doneness, they will continue to cook some, even off the grill.

You can cook sweet potatoes ahead of time and reheat in the microwave or an oven.

This recipe works with any toothsome tuber or yummy yam, including: red, white, russet, yellow and red yams.

Grilled Sweet Potato - Video Recipe

I usually bake Sweet Potatoes, but during the sweltering days of summer, it's cooler to do it outside on the BBQ grill.

So let's get cooking with The 99 Cent Chef. My summertime stop-motion video features Grilled Sweet Potato.

This Frugal Forager gets them from the local Latin grocery store. I picked up a couple of bright orange/red ones, as they are the sweetest. You can use my recipe with tan-hued yams or regular potatoes. Sometimes grocery stores call the orange/red tubers yams (at least here in the U.S.) You can read about the difference between a yam and a sweet potato by clicking on the names. I just go by color these days, bright orange/red equals sweet.

I cook this tuber simply, just rub or brush on some olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then grill them for about 3 minutes on each side.

I have a cheap gas grill, so it's easy to keep track of how long it takes. If you have a charcoal or wood-burning grill the cooking time will vary according to how intense the fire is, and you will have to watch things closely. What you are looking for is a slight char or burn. When the Sweet Potato is soft to the touch then it is done.

I slice the tubers thickly, about a half inch. I also leave the skin on. It's up to you how you like to prepare them.

The Grilled Sweet Potato will continue to steam and soften after removal from the fire. And you can easily peel off the most blackened skin parts if you like. Me, I like some of that charred flavor.

You can adapt this recipe for indoor cooking too. I like broiling them in the oven. Just check on them every minute or so. Some of the smokiness is lost, but the sweetness and char flavors still come through. You could even roast the Sweet Potato in the oven, especially if you are baking a chicken; it takes about 30 minutes of baking, so add the slices a little over halfway through baking.

And be sure to cook plenty. Grilled Sweet Potato makes a low-calorie side dish and can be easily reheated anytime. Pull the Grilled Sweet Potato slices out of storage from the refrigerator and zap them in the microwave for a minute or so.

When I'm grilling protein, Sweet Potatoes are a lighter contrast to typical heavy sides like potato salad or french fries.

In my stop motion recipe video, I go overboard with the olive oil, but that's just for show -- you can lightly brush on a minimal amount or use your favorite oil spray.

My Grilled Sweet Potato recipe works with almost any other crisp veggie like corn, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, yellow neck squash, onions, and asparagus. Cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the veggies.

If you've never put vegetables alongside that barbequing burger, hot dog, or chicken leg, now is the time to start. And you can't do better or easier than Grilled Sweet Potato.

Grilled Sweet Potato- VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 1 minute, 19 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (about 2 servings)

• 1 large Sweet Potato - about 1/2 thick slices
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Oil - I used olive oil, but okay to use any favorite oil.
• Salt and Pepper to taste - Okay to use any favorite seasoned salt.

Directions

Get your barbecue grill going. Okay to do this recipe indoors in a broiler oven.

Scrub and clean sweet potato if necessary. Slice sweet potato into thick slices, about a 1/2 each slice. I left the potato skin on, but you can peel potatoes if you like.

Drizzle on oil. Salt and pepper sweet potato slices.

When the grill is hot add sweet potato slices. Since sweet potato has a high sugar content, they may burn some. That's okay since it's easy to scrape off some of the burnt bits. Hey, char is part of the barbecue taste.

Your cooking time will vary depending on the grill heat. I used a gas grill and it took about 3 minutes for each side of sweet potato to cook through.

You want the sweet potato to be soft on the inside when done. I noticed that even if the middle is slightly hard, the sweet potato will continue to cook and tenderize, even when removed from the fire. So don't worry if all the cooked slices are not uniform in doneness, they will continue to cook as you set the table or grill other things.

You can cook sweet potatoes ahead of time and reheat them in the microwave or an oven.

This recipe will work with any potatoes you like, including red, white, russet, and yam.