Fresh, plump oysters from the Texas gulf are carefully scrubbed and briefly shocked in iced salt water before being grilled over a wood fire (cup side down, about 8 minutes cooking time depending on size).  Quickly and carefully opened so as not to lose the precious liquid inside, then given a shot of tangy BBQ sauce and a little crumbled bleu cheese.  Back on the grill for a minute or two, seasoned with a little sea salt & freshly-ground pepper and served piping hot..

“Corpus Christi gave birth to a tall Texas tale adding to the state’s oyster lore. As the story goes, Texas Rangers chased a band of marauding Indians onto a beach jutting into the bay. Knowing the Indians were surrounded by water and couldn’t escape the Rangers decided to camp until morning. When the sun rose, the beach was empty. All they found were footprints leading into the water.

Some say the story marked the discovery of Reef Road, a series of oyster shell beds between Corpus Christi and Nueces bays. Reef Road could be crossed by horse wagon at low tide, and for years locals used the submerged route to cut travel time between Nueces and San Patricio counties. Meanwhile, other enterprising Texans were reaping a harvest that would develop into the country’s second-leading oyster industry. By 1890, four years before the Grand Opera hall opened in romantic Galveston, oystermen harvested more than 2 million pounds of meat. Fourteen years later, as Galveston rebuilt from the devastating hurricane of 1900, the figure had climbed to a record-breaking 3.5 million pounds.”  –texasoysters.org