Pitmaster Brandon Shepard on the Low & Slow Barbecue Show

March 15, 2024March 13, 2024 / Barbecue Bros / 1 Comment

Monk: I had the good fortune to meet Low and Slow Barbecue Show host Michael “Chigger” Willard earlier this month at Jon G’s alongside The Smoke Sheet guys as well as Master Blend Family Farms pitmaster Ronald Simmons. Sadly, I had not yet taken the time to listen to his podcast, which is a shame since he’s doing great work to showcase North Carolina pitmasters through interviews. After this listen, I can’t wait to dig into the archives.

In this episode, Chigger sits down with Brandon Shepard of Shepard Barbecue in Emerald Isle, NC to discuss his origin story with barbecue and how he’s become friendly with the mayor himself of Diners, Drive-ins & Dives, Guy Fieri (Shepard recently met back up with Fieri at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami). He also touches on current restaurant fan favorite brisket and whether he will be adding whole hog to the menu in the near future.

Description: Pitmaster Brandon Shepard joins The Low & Slow Barbecue Show to talk about his business on Emerald Isle, his barbecue experience, and the national spotlight from Diners, Drive-ins & Dives. Listen to this Carolina Pitmasters episode to hear about Brandon’s Eastern-style influence and his experience as the only game in town in a coastal Carolina community where seafood is usually the first choice. Don’t miss Brandon’s tips for preparing a great brisket – perfect for any backyard barbecue enthusiast. Brandon also hints at some outside-the-box thinking that fuels Shepard Barbecue menu items that aren’t your ordinary barbecue fare.

Linkdown: 4/5/23 – The Carolinas Edition

April 5, 2023April 4, 2023 / Barbecue Bros / 1 Comment

Monk: An all-Carolinas linkdown this week

Native News

Shepard Barbecue is heading to the Flavortown Festival after getting a boost from Triple D

Laurinburg will host the “Suds and Swine” whole hog competition in mid-April

Green River BBQ in Saluda has recently changed ownership, with the new owners stating they have “big plans”

Non-Native News

Beautiful South will be popping-up every Thursday at Lewis Barbecue in Charleston serving southern Chinese food

Fork Grove BBQ in Anderson, SC will soon be a brick and mortar

Palmira BBQ shares an update

John Tanner hits a quartet of barbecue restaurants in SC, starting with Melvin’s BBQ in Mount Pleasant

…at Swig & Swine, the pork belly was even better than the pork, which was “worthy of a ‘wow'”

…at Bessinger’s Barbecue, the hash has a “deep and satisfying flavor”

…finally, the hash and rice at True BBQ in West Columbia is “flat good”

Shepard Barbecue on “Diners, Drive-In’s, and Dives” S42 E34

November 14, 2022November 14, 2022 / Barbecue Bros / 2 Comments

Link to Shepard Barbecue website, Instagram

Monk: Guy Fieri was on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina earlier this year and checked out relative newcomer Shepard Barbecue in Emerald Isle. Episode 34 of season 42 (!!) actually kicks off with Chef Brandon Shepard, who with his wife Elizabeth started a barbecue joint that draws inspiration from not only eastern NC but of course all over (i.e. Texas).

Brandon, Guy, and his son Hunter kick things off by putting together the Boss Hog sandwich. They start with the prep of jalapeno cheddar sausage made from trimmings of both brisket as well as pork. After a couple of grinds, the sausages are cold smoked for two-and-a-half hours before another 3 at a higher temp. Brandon does all his smoking on a custom offset stick burner using a mixture of hickory, post oak, and pecan.

For his pork butts, he keeps it simple with just a salt and pepper rub and smoked 10 hours. He mixes in his Carolina Vinegar sauce and puts a tray of that away for service.

Back to the Boss Hog, Brandon walks through the making of his Carolina Gold mustard sauce with yellow and Dijon mustards plus his Carolina Vinegar sauce, white vinegar, Worcestershire and a bunch of spices.

For the sandwich, the bun is brushed with beef tallow (!!) and garlic before starting the stack of slaw, sausage, pulled pork, Carolina Gold sauce, pickled red onions to create a behemoth of a sandwich.

Next, onto the “Spicy Heifer,” another big boy of a sandwich made with prime brisket.

The brisket is doused with a mixture of Carolina Gold sauce and pickle juice before covering in salt, pepper, seasoning salt, and granulated garlic. It is then smoked at 225F for 12-16 hours.

Shepard’s red barbecue sauce is a vinegar-based sauce with ketchup, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Carolina Vinegar, molasses, brown sugar, and other spices before taking a smoke bath.

Shepard then assembles the Spicy Heifer starting with pickles then sausage then brisket then Carolina red sauce and finally topped with pickled jalapenos and white onion. Behold:

Among the house made sides mentioned are Helen’s collards (inspired by his grandmother), pit beans, and street corn salad. Congrats on a great showing by Shepard Barbecue to Brandon and his wife Elizabeth!

Linkdown: 11/2/22 – The Call Back Later, Anthony Bourdain Edition

November 2, 2022November 1, 2022 / Barbecue Bros / Leave a comment

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Monk: Two decades ago, Anthony Bourdain and his production team reached out to Ed Mitchell at The Pit in Raleigh to talk about getting on season 2 of his show “A Cook’s Tour.” The only issue was that it was in the middle of a lunch rush. So, Ed Mitchell being a man of the people, he told him to call back because he was busy.

Forbes contributor Leslie Kelly recently caught up with Ed Mitchell and his son Ryan in light of his recent induction into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame earlier this year. In addition to his True Made brand of barbecue sauces, he’s got a book coming in 2023 along with (hopefully) his much-delayed brick and mortar barbecue restaurant in Raleigh, The Preserve BBQ.

The Barbecue Legend Who Told Anthony Bourdain To ‘Call Back Later’ via @forbes https://t.co/I5h7FNlSIw
— Barbecue Bros (@BarbecueBros) November 2, 2022