Sutphen’s Onion Rings-My first real Q Joint

16Adams

16Adams

somebody shut me the fark up.

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The first real bbq joint I remember was Sutphens BBQ. 2 parents 4 kids 1 income so we didn’t eat out much. 3 tbones split 6 ways with giant potatoes and a tub of bluebonnet was a big deal. Anyway,Sutphens had a Family Style on their menu. I don’t remember the bbq meats, but sausage and sides were amazing. I’d get a piece of perfectly buttered Texas toast and make a fold over with sausage apricot jam, onion rings beans and slaw, and keep those rings coming-All you can eat. I miss those onion rings-and stuffed fold overs. Sausage and sides. I still do that.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/origin-story-behind-panhandle-onion-rings/
 
I absolutely love onion rings. If a restaurant has them on the menu, I will order them. Since college, I’ve been chasing the memory of the perfect onion ring from back at the local bar, way back when. I’ve come close often, and the ‘rings they talk about in the article you posted are pretty close.

Sonny Bryant’s here in the metroplex has pretty good onion rings. In fact, their BBQ is all pretty good. Not sure if you have a Sonny Bryant’s over where you are.

By the way, I did get a copy of that book about Texas BBQ. I like it. Very interesting stuff...lots of history about BBQ and Texas ‘Que in specific.
 
Awesome book. I tried “my version” of the bourbon honey glaze yesterday and ate them for lunch. The stories, the simple recipes (I need simple) when it comes to recipes. Sutphens had these killer pinto beans. Soft but firm- almost like small steak bites. Chile/salty and the juice was drinkable.

Glad you’re enjoying the book.
 
Melvin's BBQ restaurant here in Charleston has onion rings they make with a pancake batter.

They taste like an onion ring / doughnut / pancake all rolled into one delicious offering.
 
PatAttack said:
Melvin's BBQ restaurant here in Charleston has onion rings they make with a pancake batter.

They taste like an onion ring / doughnut / pancake all rolled into one delicious offering.
Click to expand...

That would cost a few belt loops
 
I love onion rings too!! Heck...I love Dairy Queen’s onion rings!!! Really some of the best ones I’ve eaten?

Am I in trouble now.....��
 
Still trying to figure out exactly what Sutphens “Pork Strips” were. Yes, the onion rings were killer, Cattle Call and Country Barn onion rings were pretty much the same, if I remember correctly. I always saved the Texas Toast and apricot jam for “dessert”.
 
There was a Sutphen’s in Tulsa, their onion rings leave a mark on my memory too.

Their batter was different.

There was also a chicken house on the northeast side of down town, Eastside Chicken, their onion rings had nearly no batter, maybe cornstarch only and heavy pepper. It was a corner cafe and if we had a big enough group we got the round corner booth. As soon as we sat down my dad would order 3 or 4 orders of onion rings. When they hit the table I though I was hot stuff at 6 or 8 yrs old...

Thanks for the trip Adams...
 
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rmr24 said:
Still trying to figure out exactly what Sutphens “Pork Strips” were. Yes, the onion rings were killer, Cattle Call and Country Barn onion rings were pretty much the same, if I remember correctly. I always saved the Texas Toast and apricot jam for “dessert”.
Click to expand...

My brother has a pretty good set of taste buds and ate there a lot more than me. He guessed it was slow heavy smoked pork loin seasoned with every salt made, Lawry’s Garlic Onion Regular then sliced and chunked then coated with their bbq sauce and resmoked to almost burnt. I had another friend that guessed trimmings off Spare Ribs mixed with loin and same way. Because he occasionally found a bone. I remember they were almost like candy. When you read up on these old time Q joints and their home made sauce almost always you see ketchup brown sugar molasses etc twice smoked it gets sweeter as long as not burnt
 
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When I was a lot younger, back in the late 70's, early 80's, Friday's had great burgers and a single onion ring that came with them. It was outstanding. Sadly, now they have neither.
 
Love onion rings. I make some that are modeled after Damon's "onion straws" and have been really happy with the last couple attempts. This was the last version, with a burger.

w2xIkZ2h.jpg
 
16Adams said:
My brother has a pretty good set of taste buds and ate there a lot more than me. He guessed it was slow heavy smoked pork loin seasoned with every salt made, Lawry’s Garlic Onion Regular then sliced and chunked then coated with their bbq sauce and resmoked to almost burnt. I had another friend that guessed trimmings off Spare Ribs mixed with loin and same way. Because he occasionally found a bone. I remember they were almost like candy. When you read up on these old time Q joints and their home made sauce almost always you see ketchup brown sugar molasses etc twice smoked it gets sweeter as long as not burnt
Click to expand...

Sounds like it could have been rib tips.?
 
The onion rings that haunt me are from a local burger joint that had a few places in town. It was called Mr. Burger and they had cracker crumb onion rings. The onions were cut in 1 to 1 1/2 inch rings and then coated with the crumbs. Cooked like that, they didn't soak up a lot of grease and you got a lot more mileage out of the onion. Don't get me wrong, I do like the battered rings as well, just really like the cracker crumb variety best.


Robert
 
Wow. Got a verified clue from the old hometown and the TM Article. Well the town I claim as my hometown. They advised Dyers BBQ Amarillo/Pampa sure enough use the same recipe on their onion rings. These are exactly what I remember from 1975 high school years. The color is not quite the same.I remember an orange/red hue. Everything else is spot on. These brought back some cool memories.
 
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