Original publication: BikerTrash.com
Original byline: Larry Gore
SUCKIN’ DOWN MUDBUGS AT THE COUNTY LINE
– Carmen
Saturday, May 12, 2001 was a beautiful day. It’s been funny weather lately, with rain, hail and the lack of humidity. The weather still not that blazing, take your breath away hot that is so typical this time of year in the Houston area or so humid you feel as if you have gills when you breath. I took full advantage of this fine day to ride and gaze at the scenery and drop in on some favorite haunts. (For those of you who do not live here, yes, there is some great riding in the area outside of Houston, Texas and some ultra cool little ice houses.)
When it was later in the afternoon, and my stomach wanted something to eat, we parked at the County Line for the All-You-Can-Eat Crawfish Boil. The price? Ten bucks! I can eat some crawfish, so $10 is an excellent deal! I was ready to do damage. I pretty much timed it perfectly getting there with enough time to drink a beer, visit with friends and stake out a place on a picnic table.
They started pouring them critters out on the table about 4:30 and kept pouring until around 8:00 p.m. These were not those little tiny bitty baby crawdads either. These were related to lobsters I am pretty sure. The claws were as big as some tails I had on others before! And naturally, we all chowed down. And ate. And munched. And basically pigged out. Now, I have heard those folks who say that the resulting meat isn’t worth the work it takes to eat the critter. I beg to differ. It is worth every pinch and every tear! Maybe they just don’t know the technique to shucking those babies!
These were spiced, Texas style, which is to say, very tasty, yet not hotter than hell, rip off your taste buds. However, I like hotter than hell rip off your taste buds and with a touch of cloves (secret ingredient!), thank you very much. And lo and behold! A side seasoning exactly like what the ones I ate when living in Louisiana, was available for those like me, who like a little extra flavor. Delicious! But really, they were very good without it too. Firm, not mushy, no dirt, frankly some of the best I have had in a while outside of Louisiana.
I heard the cook’s (imported from Pasadena, where they are known for their crawfish) indicate that they couldn’t quite believe how much some of us were eating. What can I say? We be hoggies when it comes to crawfish! Ok, and just about anything else too.
The band started while people were still eating their share of the crawfish. A Cajun/Zydeco style band complete with a spoons player. They had the crowd dancing off the crawfish before too long. A few individuals even tried to play spoons. The band, obviously having had this request before, had a throw down set that didn’t play loud enough to hurt anyone’s ears if you happen to be not to good at spoon playing. When they finally packed up to go, the bar was still full the stomachs with crawfish, and the hearts with laughter and friendship.
Here’s hoping the Gilbert’s make this a County Line annual event!
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