Linkdown: 5/12/21

May 12, 2021May 14, 2021 / Barbecue Bros / Leave a comment

Featured

In one of the latest signs of a return to normalcy, 60 teams participated in last weekend’s 40th Annual BBQ on the Neuse Festival, the world’s largest whole hog competition. Attendance was larger than expected, with upwards of 15,000 attendees (vs an expected 5,000) coming to downtown Kinston to enjoy barbecue, music, and a little rainy weather (at least on Friday night).

For David Gordon, this is his third year cooking at the festival and he said he woke up at 6 a.m. on Friday to prepare for this. https://t.co/ngQNuNBwNk
— WITN Headlines (@WITN) May 8, 2021

In terms of winners, contestant Amy Bell had a good year, winning first overall in product quality and sauce. The rest of the winners here:

Announcing the winners of the BBQ Fest on the Neuse Cook Team Winners https://t.co/gozuwkCjHr #BBQFest #KinstonNC #BBQ
— Neuse News (@NeuseNews) May 8, 2021

Next year’s event will be held on May 6-7.

Native News

Indy Week reviews the Raleigh location of Sam Jones BBQ, which doesn’t even have a freezer on site

You can find hot new takes on southern-style cooking all over the downtown Raleigh food scene, but sometimes you just want to go back to the basics. Enter Same Jones BBQ. https://t.co/HxGXWryHNS
— INDY Week (@indyweek) May 11, 2021

Daniel Vaughn spent a little over a week in NC and ended his tour at Jon G’s Barbecue this past Saturday where I was fortunate enough to meet up with him

A fitting end for this Texan on a barbecue tour in North Carolina. Fantastic brisket, ribs, sausage and a whole lot more at @jongsbbq. pic.twitter.com/0W3iCAIF8d
— Daniel Vaughn (@BBQsnob) May 8, 2021

Non-Native News

Congrats to Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ on their new space in Buda, about 15 minutes south of their current location in South Austin

We are making the move to Buda, y’all! Check out our IG for all the deets. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/v3JcMNdWDY
— Valentina's TxMx BBQ (@Valstexmexbbq) May 10, 2021

Juan Luis from John Lewis of Lewis Barbecue makes this list

4 New Charleston Restaurants Shaking Up the City's Food Scene https://t.co/NbS9wLGgH2
— Travel + Leisure (@TravelLeisure) May 10, 2021

A few shows with barbecue-focused episodes – Ugly Delicious, Cooked, Taco Chronicles, The Chef Show – are on this list from The Manual

These binge-worthy food series will put that bucket of popcorn to shame. https://t.co/KcaVnaQCFh
— The Manual (@themanualguide) May 10, 2021

Bon Appetit has an essay from Black Smoke

For too long, mainstream food media has effectively told African American barbecuers: “We’re just not that into you.” https://t.co/BCo5lgvzFz
— Bon Appétit (@bonappetit) May 11, 2021

But of course Texas has a state high school barbecue championship

"Team coaches and mentors are not allowed to enter the cooking station. They must stand behind a perimeter of caution tape and offer guidance from the sidelines."

What a day at Texas's state high school BBQ championship looks like: https://t.co/qkaI03oCpz
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) May 10, 2021

It’s not everyday that a barbecue restaurant gets featured in Architect Magazine; in this case its Black Hog BBQ in Ashburn, VA

A Curved Office in California, a Metal-Screened Education Project in North Carolina, and a Barbecue Restaurant in Virginia https://t.co/Xkd9ajcdFs pic.twitter.com/pe3NXzpriH
— ARCHITECT Magazine (@architectmag) May 8, 2021

Friday Find: How Pitmaster John Lewis Brought Texas Barbecue to South Carolina

February 12, 2021February 10, 2021 / Barbecue Bros / Leave a comment

John Lewis gives some insight into his process for his brand that he’s brought to the lowcountry of South Carolina. From his famous hot guts smoked in a vertical smoker to his pastrami brisket, ribeyes, and oxtails smoked in his custom offset. He then uses those meats in inventive sandwiches like their version of an Arby’s beef and cheddar or a pastrami brisket reuben as well as his smoked prime rib special and a Tex-mex inspired oxtail dish. Lewis even gets into his love of hatch green chiles and how they are incorporated into a lot of his dishes as well as how makes his own tortillas because there are not tortillerias in SC that meet his standards. Recently, Lewis announced that his Juan Luis concept is taking over the entire food hall space formerly occupied by Workshop.

For more Smoke Point, click here.

Description: Pitmaster John Lewis is known not only for his mouthwatering South Carolina brisket, sausages, and ribs, but also for his dedication to “perfecting” the art of barbecue by customizing his own smokers. He’s also known for getting creative with brining, rubbing, and smoking techniques.

Linkdown: 2/10/21

February 10, 2021February 9, 2021 / Barbecue Bros / Leave a comment

Featured

Lewis Barbecue officially announces their second restaurant in Greenville, taking over the space previously occupied by Tommy’s Country Ham House. So for folks in the Charlotte area (i.e. me), Lewis’ central Texas-style brisket, hot guts, sausage will be about half the distance you previously had to travel to Charleston. And this is a very good thing. Lewis Barbecue Greenville will open sometime in early 2022.

Lewis Barbecue expanding to Greenville in 2022 https://t.co/yH6Bh26Zl6
— Holy City Sinner (@HolyCitySinner) February 9, 2021

In addition to the Lewis Barbecue expansion news, it was recently announced that his Juan Luis Tex-Mex concept will take over the former Workshop food hall in Charleston. It was an original food stall tenant at the food hall but recently the trailer had been parked in the courtyard at Lewis Barbecue. Based on these recent moves, Lewis is certainly building the foundation for a food empire in South Carolina.

Charleston’s ‘Border Cuisine’ Spot Juan Luis to Expand into the Workshop Space https://t.co/7Zmj7lkoWH
— Eater Carolinas (@EaterCarolinas) February 3, 2021

Native News

A sneak peak inside the recently opened Sam Jones BBQ in Raleigh

More than two years in the making, Sam Jones BBQ will soon have its grand opening, kicking off the Triangle’s great barbecue bonanza. https://t.co/89IU5sLOUD
— The News & Observer (@newsobserver) February 5, 2021

Spectrum News’ Eating Local series kicks off with a stop at Bar-B-Q Center, where if you haven’t yet been you are doing it wrong according to their employees

Non-Native News

Munchie’s Live BBQ in Orlando was originally started by Chef Alfred Mann, who originally learned from a man named Gene Daniels who cooked NC barbecue

“Under this partnership structure, Mighty Quinn’s licenses Otto’s Tacos name and fulfills orders from it’s kitchen. Customers then receive their digital order from Otto’s Tacos using first- or third-party platforms.”

Check out Mighty Quinn’s Helps a NYC Eatery Stay Alive https://t.co/IFjoIzQkrI
— Mark Hamilton-Smith (@MHSConsultancy) February 9, 2021

10 must-read cookbooks by Black authors to buy right now including upcoming barbecue books from Rodney Scott and Adrian Miller, according to the Austin American-Statesman

Texas Monthly interviews Kevin Bludso, who is ready to mentor the next generation of black pitmasters

The most recent barbecue cookbook by a Black author wasn't published this century. For pitmaster Kevin Bludso, that depressing gap is what makes this moment in barbecue so important. https://t.co/Y3FGthZKfV
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) February 9, 2021

Met up with Kevin Bludso for a great conversation in Corsicana, which he now calls home. We shared a BBQ meal at K&K BBQ where the chopped beef & sausage sandwich (the Pastor) and the stuffed potato were standouts. pic.twitter.com/1ilQZanbX7
— Daniel Vaughn (@BBQsnob) February 3, 2021

The Barbecue Bros Holiday Gift Guide 2020

December 11, 2020December 9, 2020 / Barbecue Bros / 1 Comment

Monk: Phew boy, 2020. It’s really been one, hasn’t it? Let’s just get through the rest of the holidays, regroup in January, and hope for the best for 2021. As with years past, here’s our Annual Gift Guide with some gift ideas for the barbecue lover in your life.

Am I missing something? Comment below or email me at barbecuebros@gmail.com

Note: items in bold are personally recommended