The Leader • Saturday, May 19, 2018 • Page 1B
Taste for the wild
Great Texas Barbecue Fest is Saturday
By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
If that hum-drum chicken breast has you searching for a more novel protein, it’s possible to find something much more exotic close to home. Elk, antelope, boar and other wild game are on the menu, both for the health conscious and those who want to challenge their palate. “Wild game is nothing to be afraid of at Rainbow Lodge,� said Donnette Hansen, who owns the restaurant located at 2011 Ella Blvd. “The foundation of our menu is seafood and wild game. The kind of game that we grew up harvesting and enjoying. I was raised in a sporting family where hunting game and game birds and fishing in the Gulf of Mexico is how we spent our free time. I still enjoy chasing trout and a good field hunt with my family gun dogs.� On the table at Rainbow Lodge are such options as duck, quail, pheasant, rabbit, North American elk, bison, venison, wild boar and Nilgai antelope. Hansen says that Axis deer, Black Buck antelope, geese and partridge make seasonal appearances on the menu also. “I like to make our dishes approachable and we recognize that for many of our guests, dining at Rainbow Lodge might be their first time trying anything other than fish, beef or chicken,� said Hansen. “With that in mind, our most popular appetizer for over 30 years is our ‘Taste of the Wild’ - a daily sampling of three types of game that we are featuring that week.� Hansen says that all of their game is ranch raised in a natural style and processed under strict USDA guidelines. “The Nilgai is harvested from the King Ranch, there are several bison and elk ranches in the plains of the US and much of our Texas exotics come from game ranches in central Texas,� said Hansen.
For The Leader
Contributed photos
An Elk Chop with Enchiladas from Rainbow Lodge.
Rainbow Lodge does not serve what Hansen calls “novelty� meats or meats that she feels do not offer any real flavor benefits. “You might be surprised what people try and sell me,� she says.
The re-scheduled Great Texas Barbecue Fest is this weekend (Saturday and Sunday) at Post HTX. There will be live music, barbecue and beer pretty much all day both days at the event, to be held at the re-imagined Barbara Jordan Post Office on Franklin Street downtown. (It’s where Washington Avenue actually starts, in the wedge between Buffalo and White Oak bayous a little west of UHDowntown.) Originally scheduled in April, nasty weather forced postponement of this event. Luckily for us, this weekend’s weather looks a little more favorable for hot pits and cold drinks. There are two stages of live music in the sprawling former parking lot of Post HTX. Here is a sample of some of the music you’ll see at TGTBF: Saturday – Old 97s and Morris Day and the Time on the West Stage, with Junior Brown and Ancient Cat Society on the East. Music runs from just after noon until 10 p.m. Sunday – Dawes and The Suffers close out the West Stage, while Wanda Jackson and Mike Stinson finish up a day-long lineup on the East Stage. Bear in mind a total of 22 musical acts will be seen over the two-day event. For a full lineup, see http:// www.thegreattexasbbqfestival.com/schedule.html. On the website, there are florid descriptions of the craft (and other) beer selections from Bluebonnet Distributing. These include everything from the “Robert Earl Keen Honey Pilsner� to the “clean hop aromas, delicate malt sweetness� of a Bud Light.
In preparing game meats, the cook needs to be aware that game meats are much leaner than farm raised animals. “Attention to cooking time is critical,� said Hansen. “Nothing over medium rare on the meats combined with oils and season-
ing and a quick grill or sear on game birds. I like berries, citrus, fruits, organic grains and nuts as part of the dish. Things that these animals eat, I think that always completes the dish.� See Wild P. 3B
Contributed photos Rainbow Lodge’s Taste of the Wild is a daily sampling of three types of game that the restaurant features that week.
Tru-Lite encourages unity through outdoor cooking By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com With May being National Barbecue Month, it spurs the all-American pastime of outdoor barbecuing and grilling. Tru-Lite Gas & Products, a family-owned store specializing in Gas Grills, Charcoal and Kamado Grills, Exterior Gas Lights, and more, holds that time outside by the grill and surrounded by family as an essential part of community. “A lot of the benefits of having a grill is always the element of having a secondary cooking area that you could have outside of the home [that] brings people together in the outdoors,� said Christopher Sanchez of Tru-Lite. Through quality products and service, the team at Tru-lite helps families grow and create special moments together in their backyard because having a grill outside promotes relationship growth. Even newlyweds or seasoned couples often look for excuses to utilize their grill to spend time together. The novice who has never owned any kind of grill may be wary of the purchase, but
Contributed photo A happy customer standing next to their new Fire Magic Built In Grill From Tru-Lite Gas
luckily with a grill it’s a fun experience to learn how to use it and all the styles of cooking. “We always try to give [the customer] what fits them. If I have a beginner I would never try and put them with one of our super higher-end grills that have calibrations that are so much different than a
beginner grill,� said Sanchez, “Weber or a Napoleon, those are really good entry level grills that are solid standard grills, but they’re easy to use, easy to maintain, and they have really good warranties.� A customer wants a good grill that’s going to last them
a long time, Sanchez mentioned, but that’s also not going to be a warranty nightmare. Tru-Lite is a one-stop shop where customers don’t have to wonder if they’re getting a reliable grill. But shopping for a grill can get confusing when one is
$800 and another costs thousands of dollars. “Each grill has a level of production element that makes it more expensive than the other. But it’s all about the components it’s made with, how much power is coming to the actual burners, how hot it’s getting, how quick it’s getting hot. Some of your more expensive grills, your $1,500, $1,600 grills are going to get hotter quicker, they’re going to cook faster and more accurately,� says Sanchez. Outdoor kitchens have also boosted in popularity over the years, from add-ons to an existing home to a focal point in a new home. TruLite offers the grills for an outdoor kitchen, the one-onone experience in the design process, as well as retrofitting existing outdoor areas for new equipment. “At the crux of our company we are relational. So, when we get into someone’s home, we’re affecting the relationship they’re going to have in
the long run,� says Sanchez. “If we’re fixing a grill or giving them a new grill, we know that they’re going to make a lot of memories.� During the grilling months it’s important to look at what equipment you have at home. Do safety checks on the grills, make sure they’re properly cleaned, no leaks, and you have the right brushes to start off the grilling season with assurance. Tru-Lite is in the process of moving to a much bigger facility at 1512 W. 34th St. and gearing up to offer more, like cooking classes, how-to classes, knife or meat skills, an outdoor area to bring the community together, and even bringing in a farmers market to promote local businesses. A soft opening will begin in June with a grand opening in the fall. Until then, find them in the Heights at 1903 Lawrence St., online at www. trulitegas.com, or give them a call at (713)682-2053.
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