Eat This: Elotes with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Brisket at 225 BBQ

Elotes with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and brisket Lauren Drewes Daniels

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "leaderboardInlineContent",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "tower",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]

Rene Ramirez has always loved to cook.

“My mom said when I was little, like in first grade, she’d wake up and I’d be in the kitchen cooking my own breakfast. I was always just really independent,” he says.

After spending years cooking for friends and family, he had a custom barbecue trailer made, imagining he could sell his barbecue at breweries, festivals and whatever else popped up. But, the city of Dallas doesn’t allow for food trailers, only food trucks, seriously restricting his options.

“They won’t let us anywhere in the city,” Ramirez says. “But, we’ve found a really good spot in Balch Springs, on a corner [12600 Lake June Road], and we have gotten a steady following there. And also we are at Division Brewing in Arlington on weekends.”

His wife and kids are often with him, running food to customers and helping where they can. On a quick break his daughter brought out a deck of Uno and laid out the cards before a large gust of wind blew them away.

“I work nights, so when I get off at midnight, I go straight to the trailer and start cooking,” Ramirez says.

Like the side of the food trailer says, Ramirez cooks his meat slow and low, per his business name, at 225 degrees.

His from-scratch barbecue sauce is tangy and hot, and his brisket doesn’t need a lot of it, but it gives his food a nice kick. In addition to the standard brisket plates, Ramirez enjoys getting creative with his menu, even with simple things such as using a toasted pretzel bun for his chopped beef sandwiches.

“I just like to try different things all the time,” Ramirez says.

His Facebook feed is full of bacon-wrapped peppers stuffed with different ingredients. Even a brisket burrito with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

click to enlarge

The 225 BBQ trailer

Lauren Drewes Daniels

Much of his food is good, but his elotes with a layer of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and topped with brisket were fantastic. The chips give it this great crunch, and the brisket adds heft. And, I love that the mayonnaise is not mixed in with the corn already, leading me to imagine one could request it left out, or at least less of it, if one were so inclined.

On some days they also have cream corn with brisket and recently made funnel cakes and deep-fried Oreos.
The menu sort of depends on how the cook is feeling. Beware of the cherry bombs: habanero peppers stuffed with cream cheese and brisket, wrapped in bacon. They also have homemade tamales.

Follow the 225 BBQ Facebook page to keep up with their travels; their typical spots are 12600 Lake June Road in Balch Springs and Division Brewery in Arlington.They'll be in Division Brewing Saturday and Lake June Road Sunday.