#7. Chow down on “Parisa”!!

When you are visiting Dzuik’s Meat Market in Castroville, be sure and eat some parisa on a saltine cracker. Parisa is a dish that, to my knowledge, can only be purchased around Castroville, Quihi, Hondo and D’Hanis, TX. I was told that it was brought to the area by the Alsatian immigrants in the 1800’s. Most of the parisa made in the 1800’s has already been eaten (ha!), but they are still making fresh batches to this day. Typically only offered for sale on weekends. You will find it in Castroville at Dzuik’s (see Post #6).

Parisa doesn't sound all that good when you describe it, it is basically very lean and very fresh (and by fresh I mean raw and cut fresh) ground steak meat, serranos or jalapenos, onions, lemon juice, and some cheese all mixed together. It’s kind of like paté, but it's not rich. And it’s usually pretty spicy. It is a spread that you put on saltine crackers to watch the ball game with.

Parisa is easy to make at home. But keep things sterile since the beef is raw. Here’s a recipe…

Parisa Recipe

* 14 ounces lean fresh ground beef
* 8 ounces grated Velveeta cheese
* 1 medium onion, minced fine
* 1 or 2 serrano peppers, minced (or jalapeños)
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 2-1/2 teaspoons salt
* chili powder to taste
* a pinch of powdered red pepper
* 4 teaspoons coarse-grind black pepper
* Juice of one large or two small lemons

Mix it up and let it chill overnight, then serve on saltine crackers with beer.
Good stuff!

-Don Gray