Page 19 - Barbecue News Magazine May 2022

were planning to dine beneath the oaks on the Pedernales. But a few hours before they were to board the choppers from Dallas to Johnson City, on November 22, Kennedy was assassinated two cars in front of Johnson as they drove in a motorcade. Instead of taking his boss for a tour around his spread and feeding him bar- becue, Johnson, now the 36th President of the United States, found himself back in Washington attending a memorial parade.
A month later, frazzled from the "tornado of activity that has sur- rounded us," LBJ and his wife Lady Bird retreated to the ranch on Christmas Eve.
Before the assassination, West German Chancellor Ludwig Er- hard was scheduled to visit the DC to discuss the Soviet threat, the Berlin Wall, and other important matters. Rather than return to Washington for a formal State Dinner, Johnson invited Erhard and his entourage to the first official Presidential barbecue in history. Yes, Johnson's first state dinner was a barbecue for 300 catered by Jetton on December 29, 1963.
The phrase "barbecue diplomacy" was coined by The New York Herald-Tribune. Johnson liked the symbolism. It was so ef- fective the Johnsons occasionally staged barbecues with Jetton at the White House, - also a first.
Johnson and Minnesota Senator Hubert H. Humphrey won the 1964 election over Barry Goldwater and William E. Miller with the greatest popular vote in history up to that time, 61% of the votes. Shortly after the election, Johnson and Humphrey staged a Victory Barbecue at the Ranch on November 4, 1964.
The two dressed in western suits and Stet- sons, rode horses, and ate ribs for the cameras. Jetton later wrote in his cook- book that Humphrey "sure gave these ribs a fit... putting away more of them than I have ever seen anybody do. So far as I could tell, they did him no harm."
Jetton was even admired by the classically trained Henry Haller, Executive Chef of the White House from 1966-1987. Haller wrote in his 1987 book The White House Family Cookbook, "After an- nouncing that he would not be seeking re-election, President Johnson hosted a party on the White House lawn to thank over 200 friends for their support... The party was a Texas-style barbe- cue. The ribs were prepared by Walter Jetton... He did a terrific job and I was most impressed with the results. His barbecue sauce avoided all of the common flaws (oversweetening, over- cooking, excessive thinning). The ribs were tender and juicy, and very delicious (yet cost only $1.80 per serving!). This professional production will long stand in my mind as one of the more strikingly successful White House parties."
In 1965 Jetton capitalized on his fame, and, with the help of Arthur Whitman, published a 77 page paperback, Walter Jetton's LBJ Barbecue Cookbook. In it he offered recipes for everything from calf fries (testicles) to beef heart, to barbecued bologna, which he called a "dingwilly of a dish." Here are his standard mop and
sauce recipes from his book.
Walter Jetton's "Mop for All Barbecue Meats"
Jetton's original recipe made 6 quarts, enough to mop a whole cow. I have modified it and reduced it here to make about 1 quart. He recommends you mix all the ingredients and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground bay leaf
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/6 pint cider vinegar
3 cups beef stock
3 ounces oil
1 teaspoon MSG
Walter Jetton's "Barbecue Sauce"
According to his obit in TIME Magazine, Jetton bragged that his barbecue sauce would "tickle the tongue of your Grandma's shoe." In his book, Jetton wrote "This is the secret of the ages I am giving you here, and I would not be surprised if wars have been fought over less. Use this as a plate or table sauce with beef, chicken, pork, or almost anything else. Don't cook things in it. Combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and strain. About 2 1/2 cups.”
Ingredients:
1 cup tomato ketchup 1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder 1/8 teaspoon table salt 1 1/2 cups water
3 stalks celery, chopped 3 bay leaves
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons chopped onion
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon paprika
Dash of black pepper
Photos courtesy of the LBJ Library & Museum, 2312 Red River St., Austin TX 78705. Files in the library were also the source for much of my research.
Meathead is the barbecue Hall of Famer who founded Amazin- gRibs.com, by far the world's most popular outdoor cooking web- site. He is the author of "Meathead, The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling," a New York Times Best Seller that was also named one of the "100 Best Cookbooks of All Time" by Southern Living magazine. For 2,000+ free pages of great barbe- cue and grilling info, visit AmazingRibs.com and take a free trial in the Pitmaster Club.
MAY 2022
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