Ali Khan
drink chimichurri all day ). The same is true when the summer Olympics were on . Some dishes that are on our summer rotation : Tuna burgers , chicken salad ( we make one batch sans celery for the vegetable hating child ), beer can chicken , taco night ( skirt steak , chorizo ) and I have a special salsa for grilled meats that I plan on entering competitions with , grilled salmon , smoothies , dal . Oh and lately , I have been making my own lamb biriyani .
FT : Since living in Austin , has the BBQ scene taken center stage at all ? What are some of your favorite BBQ foods ?
Our decision to move to Austin was literally made over a plate of BBQ ! I have always loved BBQ , but never lived in BBQ country . Even though Los Angeles has a more than few solid shacks , it has no native style , no regional BBQ culture of its own . Eating BBQ in Austin was the first time in my life when I ate a style of food while standing on the very ground where it originated from . If you eat meat and are living in Central Texas - BBQ is it . When it comes to my favorite BBQ foods - I play to the strengths of the area : beef brisket ( fatty / moist cut ), link , and spare ribs - in that order as well . I have had good pulled pork here , but I won ’ t tell someone from North Carolina they should have that here . They should have the Texas “ Holy Trinity ” of brisket , sausage link and spare ribs .
FT : Bang for Your Burger Buck has been a pretty successful blog for you . How did that concept come about ?
I was freelancing back in those days and that meant I usually packed a lunch . Sometimes I would have my “ splurge days ”, when I would visit this burger joint near my office . It was one of those build a burger , salad bar-esque places where you get crazy with the toppings or keep it simple and cheap . Somedays I would be super thrifty and score the basic burger , even skipping the cheese but taking advantage of the complimentary stuff like lettuce , tomato , pickle , onion , thousand island . Some days I would go big and slap bacon , blue cheese , up the patty to a 1 / 2lb vs the standard 1 / 3rd lb . eventually I found that even if I spent twice as much on the burger , I wouldn ’ t get a burger twice as good . And that is where it all started - the analyzing of value and putting the spotlight on less ritzy , “ everyday ” burger joints . It was literally born out of the trials and tribulations of a working man ’ s lunch and the need to keep the people in the know on where to eat and not sweat the bill .
Photos courtesy of Father ’ s Office
106 FoodTraveler l Winter 2016