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Linkdown: 10/28/20

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This week, Adrian Miller, the James Beard Award-winning author and self-proclaimed “Soul Food Scholar” shared the cover art and preorder link for his forthcoming book entitled “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.” As I noted in my recent Barbecue Bros Book Club entry for “North Carolina’s Roadside Eateries” by D.G. Martin, while the John T. Edges and Bob Garners of the world have given us so much in terms of exposing us to places we might never have known about otherwise, it’s well past time to get a different perspective.

I am very much looking forward to reading both this book as well as Rodney Scott’s upcoming book to get just that. “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue” will be out April 22, 2021 on University of North Carolina Press.

“Black Smoke celebrates the significant contributions that African Americans have made to the American barbecue story. You’ll learn how African Americans honed and popularized a cuisine rooted in Native American culinary tradition, and became its most effective ambassadors. I profile fascinating barbecuers from the past two centuries, look at different aspects of African American barbecue culture, and opine about barbecue’s future.”

Native News

The BBQ Review (@BbqRate) is a Twitter account I just found out about

John Tanner’s BBQ Blog visits The Pit in Raleigh for a solid meal

John Tanner also recently shared his favorite barbecue sauces

Congrats to Warner Stamey, founder of Stameys Barbecue, on his Barbecue Hall of Fame induction!

Non-Native News

Desiree Robinson of Cozy Corner is also a BBQ Hall of Fame inductee

This UPROXX interview with Rodney Scott covers a lot of the basics you may already know

Horn Barbecue has finally opened in Oakland (finally!)

The Drinking Pig by Chef Raheem Sealey is a weekend pop-up in Northeast Miami Dade

https://twitter.com/soulphoodie/status/1321265183520624641

Franklin Barbecue has started shipping briskets through Goldbelly

A second location of Pappy’s Smokehouse has opened in the St. Louis area

LeRoy & Lewis has a Patreon account for exclusive content

This week is Texas Monthly BBQ Week

Product Review: Texas Dry Rubs by Billy Twang

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Billy Twang is a Texas-based dry rub and grilling tool company that was started in Houston in 1992. All of their products are proudly made in the USA and backed by a lifetime guarantee. They recently reached out to me to try out a few of their dry rubs in exchange for an honest review, and I happily obliged.

Bottom line: Based on my experience with these rubs, I would happily recommend them to any backyard griller or smoker.

Click here for ordering information

Old No. 3 Rub ($25 but currently sold out, link)

Old No. 3 Rub is a classic central Texas salt and pepper dalmatian mix with granulated garlic. Not having time for a brisket, I tried the rub on a chuck roast that I was smoking for tacos. You can tell the quality of the ingredients in the rub just by looking at it, with the coarsely ground peppercorns and salt. Slightly overcooked chuck roast notwithstanding, the crust and flavoring on the chuck roast was excellent.

I also got good results by using the rub a porterhouse steak in a cast iron on the stove. I would occasionally get an especially peppery bite, but that’s why you have the red wine to wash it down.

Plan to use on: Brisket and tri-tip, naturally

Punch Rub ($25, link)

The aptly named Punch Rub is the spiciest of the bunch, but not overpoweringly so on the pork chops I grilled. The heat is not for kids or the faint of heart *cough*Mrs.Monk*cough* but if you are a spice head there’s nothing you can’t handle here. The rub contains high quality ingredients sourced from Mexico, France, and India.

Plan to use on: My next set of baby back or spare ribs, with a sweeter sauce to counteract the heat

Big Rub ($25, link)

The Big Rub is a more savory rub that still provides a kick on the back end due to the Tellicherry, Aleppo, and Urfa peppers. Again, this rub was too spicy for my kids on pork chops (amateurs) but not so for Mrs. Monk.

Plan to use on: Pork tenderloin or chicken or mixed into burgers

Many thanks to Billy Twang for reaching out and providing these rubs for a product test. Click here for ordering information

Linkdown: 10/14/20

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Featured

Instead of this year’s Barbecue Festival the 4th weekend in October in Lexington, the organizers behind the festival are instead holding a food and blood drive to benefit the community. The Barbecue Center, Smiley’s Barbecue, Smokey Joe’s BBQ, and Stamey’s Barbecue (the one in Tyro) are all participating by setting up donation tents where non-perishable items or blood can be exchanged for barbecue sandwiches. “Lift Up Lexington” is a positive spin on a barbecue festival cancellation.

From the press release:

On Saturday, October 24th, when more than 125,000 people were expected to gather in Uptown Lexington for the 37th Annual Barbecue Festival, local businesses and organizations will join the festival organizers in utilizing “festival day” to uplift the community.

With an emphasis on giving back and the city’s world-famous barbecue heritage, Lift Up Lexington (#liftUPlex) will include two components: a food drive and blood drive. Event organizers will have seven drop off locations for the food drive which will benefit Pastor’s Pantry. Those who wish to contribute are asked to bring a minimum of five new, unexpired non-perishable items. Requested items include can goods, cereal, pasta & crackers. Read more here

https://twitter.com/barbecuefest/status/1315831179506077697

Native News

Clyde Cooper’s Back starting today

Southern Smoke BBQ‘s collards chowder is featured in Saveur magazine

Midwood Smokehouse, Stamey’s Barbecue, and several other barbecue restaurants appear on this list of places where presidents and presidential candidates have eaten in North Carolina

B’s Barbecue makes this list of things to do in Greenville, NC

Reminder: you can order Picnic by 3pm today and pick it up in front of the future Wyatt’s Barbecue in Raleigh on Thursday

Non-Native News

TMBBQ profiles Dozier’s

Roegel’s Barbecue is diversifying its barbecue menu in beef-lovin’ Texas

The Pig Out Inn originally opened in 1996 and was sold to Katie and Bubba McCabe earlier this year during the pandemic

Linkdown: 10/6/20

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Featured

The Barbecue Center is often overlooked in the shadow of Lexington Barbecue but those who are in the know believe that it’s every bit as good as its more popular counterpart (perhaps better?).

The late Sonny Conrad started out as a carhop before purchasing the restaurant in 1967 (it originally opened in 1955) and his family has run it ever since, with sons Cecil and Michael taking over day to day activities since their father passed in 2013. More on their family story at the link below.

Next time you are passing through Lexington on Business 85, consider stopping at The Barbecue Center which is just two miles away from Lexington Barbecue off N. Main St.

Native News

More from Lexington: a profile of the city’s history with barbecue with some quotes from the Conrads and the Monks of Lexington Barbecue

Barbecue-gate for Democratic candidate for NC Senate Cal Cunningham, born and raised in Lexington of all places (yes, I’m aware of the more recent scandal)

Parker’s Barbecue in Wilson found itself in the news this week after a customer complained about employees not wearing masks.

I’m going to file this in the “Native News” section even though its from Texas writer J.C. Reid

Non-Native News

Robert Moss finds a mention of pork steaks in Charleston from a menu from 1851

That very same Robert Moss has an updated version of his book out now, and he spoke with The Smoke Sheet last week

Doveshack BBQ is well worth a stop-off from I-95 during the eventual back-up, writes John Tanner’s BBQ Blog

Kevin Bludso of Bludso’s Bar & Que and “The American Barbecue Showdown” talks to the Washington Post about the neglected contributions of black pitmasters among other topics

John Brown Smokehouse’s original location closed this past week, but it will be reopening in a new location this Thursday

Another hard lesson learned in the form of Prause’s Meat Market: don’t take your favorite classic barbecue joints for granted