Black Smoke

Linkdown: 4/14/21

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Tomorrow night, UNC Press is hosting an online discussion with Adrian Miller, whose book comes out at the end of the month. Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue is my most-anticipated book of the year and I can’t wait to have it in my hands in a few weeks. The cost of the event is $15 and it benefits the Boston Book Festival.

Description: Just in time for the start of barbecue season, we’re eager to sink our teeth into award-winning food historian Adrian Miller‘s new book Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue. In this special pre-publication event, we’ll sit down with Miller—winner of the James Beard Book Award for Soul Food and a consultant on Netflix’s Chef’s Table BBQ—to hear the stories of how Black barbecuers, pitmasters, and restauranteurs helped develop this cornerstone of American foodways and how they’re continuing to influence American cuisine today. And, since Adrian’s book includes more than 20 authentic recipes, we might get some tips on how to make the most of our own adventures with the grill or smoker at home!

Native News

Smoke Show BBQ is a new Texas-style barbecue pop up in the Charlotte area from transplanted Texan chef Brandon Belfer who has worked at fine dining spots The Stanley, Crunkleton, The Asbury, Kindred, and Hello, Sailor

Charlotte-based Mac’s Speed Shop finds itself coming out of the pandemic in a strong position for growth

Roddey’s BBQ has changed their lunch hours in Rock Hill to Fridays only

Olde Mecklenburg Brewing’s Southern Spring Fest will feature smoked pork and brisket in addition to the oyster po boys and crawfish

Christopher Prieto of Prime BBQ in Knightdale has joined the previously announced pitmasters for the Inaugural Pinehurst Barbecue Festival

Non-Native News

Distant Relatives is a new barbecue trailer in East Austin serving “modern African American barbecue” and is already making waves

Beaumont-style links are making a comeback

Speaking of Beaumont, craft barbecue is catching on there

Bourbon + Barbecue = Crazy Delicious

Friday Find: Adrian Miller on Kevin’s BBQ Joints

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Monk: Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue is released later this month on April 27 on University of North Carolina Press and ahead of the book’s release he catches up with Kevin’s BBQ Joints to discuss his viewpoint on barbecue as well as his research on the book.

If you are on the fence whether you should buy a book that celebrates the black (an native American) contribution to barbecue, Miller himself puts it best: “I’m definitely not trying to say white people can’t cook barbecue; I’m saying that there’s enough room at the cookout for everybody.”

Description: In this episode I chat again with Adrian Miller, the author of forthcoming Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.
See all things Adrian Miller here: https://adrianemiller.com​
Order an autographed copy of Black Smoke here: https://adrianemiller.com/about-the-b…​
Follow Adrian on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/soulfoodsch…​
Check out Adrian on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/soulfoodscholar​
See him on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/soulfoodscholar​
Order an autographed copy of Soul Food here: https://adrianemiller.com/about-the-b…​
Order an autographed copy of The President’s Kitchen here: https://adrianemiller.com/about-the-b…​
See Adrian’s Colorado BBQ City Guide here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5sRH…​
See my ’10 Minutes with Adrian Miller’ interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EO2R…

Friday Find: Barbecue’s Forgotten American History

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Monk: Last month, as part of Black History Month Adrian Miller sat down with Flatland, the digital platform for Kansas City PBS, to discuss barbecue’s hidden history not only with black people but also the Native Americans before that. Being a Kansas City-based outlet, the focus is on barbecue of that area, including pioneer Henry Perry as well as Arthur Bryant and Ollie Gates but comes with a warning against the signs of potential erasure of black contributions to barbecue much like has been done with Native Americans and their early contributions to barbecue. A great primer for Miller’s forthcoming book Black Smoke, out next month.

Description:
Adrian Miller is on a mission. He wants to ensure the whole story of barbecue is told.

Miller recently sat down with Flatland to discuss a few key findings from his book: “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.”

Miller contends the barbecue story, in large part, is one of cultural appropriation. He notes, for example, that Native Americans were the first to barbecue. Enslaved Black people then became pre-eminent. Only later did white people come to dominate the barbecue narrative.

Linkdown: 3/10/21

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This week marks the one year anniversary of the lockdown due to COVID-19. However, with the light at the end of the tunnel seemingly in sight (don’t let up now, though!), it’s fun to start thinking about all the things we used to take for granted that we will once again soon be able to do. Things like concerts, having a beer at the bar, lazily perusing the used section at a record store, and perhaps most pertinent, having huge parties centered around smoking and/or grilling.

In this article from Munchies, the author fantasizes about days to come and gives recommendations for smoking and grilling accessories to stock up in advance. He gets a quote from Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly (whom he mistakenly refers to as David) about how he plans to smoke a whole hog on cinderblocks in his backyard once its safe to do so and I couldn’t be more in. I have been itching to do it again after my first successful attempt Father’s Day 2019 and I’m now officially in planning mode for that to-be-determined day.

So let it be known: whole hog party at the Monk residence this Fall. Mark it down.

Native News

More coverage of The Preserve’s delivery service which began last Friday

…Though it looks like they have a few kinks to work out; as I wrote last week, let’s hope they do

Dank Burrito owner Chef Clarke Merrell has opened Social Q Smokehouse in Morehead City, a restaurant “years in the making”

Sweet Lew’s Barbeque and Midwood Smokehouse make the Eater list for Charlotte

Non-Native News

*Raises hand*

More coverage of Rodney Scott’s and Adrian Miller’s upcoming books

https://twitter.com/soulphoodie/status/1369086042062663683

The BBQ Review visits Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Charleston

And now, for dessert

Did someone say “drive thru banana pudding?”