How a Master Chef Is Roasting Whole Suckling Pigs in the Middle of NYC

Monk: Eater’s Smoke Point focuses on a wood-fire restaurant in New York City called Peasant, where the chef is roasting whole suckling pigs on a rotisserie wood-fire oven. Those suckling pigs are then portioned into a whole pig dinner that has to be ordered 24 hours in advance.

Description: At NYC’s Peasant, chef Marc Forgione took over from chef Frank DeCarlo after over 20 years, and has kept the idea of wood-fire cooking in NYC alive. The restaurant’s menu includes a whole pig dinner that must be ordered 24 hours in advance of the reservation, as well as wood-fired oysters, Piedmontese steak tartare, and many handmade pastas.

Linkdown: 8/16/23 – The Runaway Longhorn Bull Edition

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Monk: As a result of some severe storms in the Charlotte area last week, a 900 pound longhorn bull got loose in west Charlotte and ran free for 4 days.

It would re-emerge once a day or so but no one was ever able to pin it down. It quickly soared to the top of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD’s most wanted (animals) list.

it wasn’t until the fourth day that the bull was found and euthanized by a hunter hired by the owner. No word on whether any barbecue was able to be made as a result.

Rest in Power, Runaway West Charlotte Longhorn Bull of 2023.

Native News

Midwood Smokehouse is the only barbecue restaurant in the CharlotteFive’s Reader’s Choice Poll for tacos

NC-based Cheerwine is now available at 4 Rivers Smokehouse restaurants across Florida

Speedy’s is back from vacation

Have you tried livermush before? This NC delicacy is not barbecue but is made from pig: “they ground pig’s liver and head meat and mixed it with cornmeal, salt, pepper, and sage to form something akin to a caseless sausage”

Non-Native News

The Smoke Sheet is now a paid newsletter, so consider subscribing for continued high quality barbecue content

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POV: How to navigate City Limits Q’s queue (or is it que?)

Dispatch from an epic taco road trip from the Tales from the Pits guys

Tacos for the Cause this week at Fox Bros Bar-B-Q

J.C. Reid’s latest column is on beef brands

This year’s Pig Island NYC is September 9

ICYMI, this week’s episode of “BBQ USA” featured the Jeff Michner benefit at Pig Beach

NC Weekend Checks Out Prime Barbecue and Its “Full-Blown Barbecue Campus”

Monk: NC Weekend’s been pumping out the barbecue content lately, and in a recent visit host Deborah Holt Noel took a visit to Knightdale to sit down with owner/head fire maker Christopher Prieto for a tour of the restaurant and to try a little bit of everything on the menu.

Description: See why Prime Barbecue is drawing huge crowds to its popular spot in Knightdale.

Grill Armor Gloves Help Protect the Backyard Pitmaster

Link to Purchase

Monk: Years ago when I did my whole hog party in my backyard, I ended up borrowing a pair of heat resistant gloves from my neighbor that came in super handy when Speedy and I had to unexpectedly move our burn barrel in the middle of the night (yes, you read that right). I returned the gloves the next day and didn’t think to ask the brand or even look into getting a pair for myself.

That was over 5 years ago but I recently came across a brand called Grill Armor Gloves and they look to fit the bill when it comes to a heat resistant glove. I’ve tested them out a few times over the past month and have found them to work nicely both grill-side as well as even indoors as oven mitts.

In terms of quality, the gloves are insulated with a couple of synthetic fabrics that are the same as Nomex and Kevlar and are lined with a 100% cotton lining. Each glove has a handy pull tab to help pull them on and while the pair of gloves I have says they would fit most, I found them a bit snug for even my medium-sized hands. A larger set of paws may have some issues with this particular pair.

Whether it’s grabbing the charcoal chimney full of lit coals or the Weber handle that always gets a little too hot for my liking, the gloves insulated my hand well. I even tested putting my hand directly on the kettle lid while it was on the grill with a temp of roughly 300 degrees, and felt nothing; these gloves are supposedly resistant up to 932 degrees. For more serious cooks they could come in handy moving hot grates or lit logs. I’ll definitely be putting this to the test later this year in the fall and winter months, whether its for another whole hog (??) or for the regular family firepits.

My only nit is that I do have to switch gloves when grabbing any meat off the grill since the Grill Armor Gloves are more of a synthetic mitten material and I wouldn’t want to get fibers into the meat. But this would be the case for any similar style of gloves.

Also, at $29.95 they are at the top of end this category so you might be tempted for similar but cheaper options. And while I didn’t experience this personally, a buddy said he felt a hot spot in one of the fingers when he borrowed to use.

Even with those small concerns, I’d recommend looking into these if you’re in the market for heat resistant gloves and see if they are the right option for you. They also come in a couple of options: a longer cuff as well as a ladies size.

Link to Purchase

Description: Thick but flexible and lightweight gloves that can protect your hand from extreme heat up to 932℉. Insulated with top-quality M-ARAMID & P-ARAMID fabrics (same as Nomex and Kevlar) with 100% cotton lining for maximum comfort. Great for cooking, baking, grilling, camping, fireplace, and much more. Available in different colors and sizes.