Friday Find: Southern Smoke’s Matthew Register on The Manual Podcast

Matthew Register of Southern Smoke BBQ made another podcast stop last year to promote his book as well as his restaurant.

Description: “For this week’s episode of The Manual Podcast, the gang’s all here as Nicole, Sam, and Greg sit down with Matthew Register, founder of Garland, North Carolina barbecue joint Southern Smoke BBQ.

Not formally trained as a chef, Register first started cooking in his backyard and one day set out a goal for himself: if he could sell a certain number of sandwiches, he would open a restaurant. If you couldn’t guess, he did (in fact he ended up selling three times his goal), and the idea for Southern Smoke was born. Since then, Register’s business has grown to include catering and more. In this episode, he talks about what it was like to get there, and what it means for him to now be considered one of the guys when it comes to Carolina barbecue pitmasters.

During the discussion, too, the crew talks with Register about barbecue sides and why it doesn’t always have to be the same ol’ things. Thai chiles? Sure. Squash and rice pudding? Yes, please.

Finally, Register talks about why fall is the perfect time for grilling — the fatty meat helps fortify when the weather drops (in addition to it finally being bearable outside, especially in the South).

If you didn’t eat before listening to this episode, you’re going to be starving by the end (we were).”

Friday Find: Southern Smoke BBQ’s Matthew Register on Kevin’s BBQ Joints

Monk: Southern Smoke BBQ has been on my list for a few years now, and someday I just need to bite the bullet and head out to Garland (3+ hrs from Charlotte) as part of an eastern NC barbecue road trip. I will have to be sure to get there on time since Southern Smoke is only open on Thursdays for lunch and Fridays for lunch and dinner (dinner being a recent change) and they sell out every day they open (sometimes in as little as 45 minutes).

In this interview, Matthew comes off as an easygoing and affable southern guy, which makes sense since he’s spent most of his life in eastern NC outside of a 9-month stint in Nashville. I’ve gotten through some of his book released earlier this year but plan to finish it soon after listening to this conversation. Another good interview from Kevin’s BBQ Joints.

Description: In this episode I chat with Matthew Register from Southern Smoke BBQ in Garland, North Carolina about his unique journey to opening his equally unique barbecue restaurant which is only open two days a week and on most days has an exceptional line(which they get through very expeditiously. They do a large amount of catering business, have a food truck, and in the spring of 2019 he launched a book entitled Southern Smoke: Barbecue, Traditions, and Treasured Recipes Reimagined for Today which is broken down specifically into three sections: Low Country, Memphis/Delta, & North Carolina. There is also a unique section on how through a southern dinner party. It’s an exceptionally interesting and insightful interview that I know you’ll enjoy.

See all things Southern Smoke here: http://southernsmokebbqnc.com
Check out Southern Smoke BBQ on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/southernsmo…
See Southern Smoke BBQ on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/SouthernSmokeNC
Follow Southern Smoke BBQ on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/Southern-Smo…
Pick up Southern Smoke here: https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Smoke…

Linkdown: 8/14/19

HUGE Charlotte barbecue news from B’s Cracklin’ BBQ and owner/pitmaster Bryan Furman (who grew up in Charlotte); no definite plans yet but seems something’s in the works

The latest NC Barbecue Bracket in the Canes Country Barbecue Wars

J.C. Reid says South Texas is starting to show more Central Texas influence in its barbecue, which is a good thing

Little Richard’s BBQ in Winston-Salem opened its “bar-n-que” concept on Stratford Road earlier this month

Barbecue speakeasy? I’m in

Where to find the best barbecue ribs in America, according to Men’s Journal

Southern Smoke BBQ in Garland will be open on Friday nights starting in September; currently they are only open for Thursday and Fridays for lunch

Linkdown: 12/12/18

RIP Allen & Son Barbecue in Chapel Hill

Here’s Our State’s last article on Allen & Son’s from 2017, where you can understand why Keith Allen is ready to retire:

In 1971, when Keith was 19, he quit his butchering job at the A&P, sold his landscaping equipment, and borrowed $3,000 to open a restaurant. He gave it the same name as the one his father owned in Chatham County, where Keith worked the barbecue pit from the age of 10. Ever since, he’s gotten to his Allen & Son at 2:30 a.m. five days a week — splitting every piece of hickory, roasting every shoulder, chopping and seasoning every serving. “Nobody’s hands but mine touch my barbecue,” he likes to boast, “until the customer’s do.”

A recipe for collard chowder from Matthew Register of Southern Smoke BBQ in Garland; his cookbook comes out in May but is available for preorder now

The latest from J.C. Reid explores the barbecue explosion in Houston from a geographic standpoint:

Sweet Lew’s gets some coverage in Charleston Eater for 4 new notable Charlotte openings

In memory of Dale Volberg Reed, who
was wife to John Shelton Reed and with him co-authored the best book on NC barbecue, Holy Smoke: The Big Book of NC Barbecue

I figured Dave Grohl would stop into Buxton Hall while in Asheville last weekend for Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam:

There’s some piggies in the hiway, some piggies in the snow, piggies going faster than they’ve ever gone before