This NJ BBQ Guru Is Serving Up Incredible Filipino-Inspired Texas BBQ

This BBQ Guru Is Serving Up Great Filipino-Inspired Texas BBQ

A version of this story originally appeared in NYC BBQ Weekly.

Like many other people, New Jersey pitmaster Joe Musngi found a new passion during the early days of the pandemic. But instead of baking bread, he smoked barbecue and a lot of it. Musngi’s first official barbecue pop-ups occurred during the summer of 2020 and he graduated to a bigger operation every Saturday during summer 2021 at the Smorgasburg food market in Jersey City, NJ.

Serving under the name SmoKING of Meats, Musngi has quickly established himself as one of the most fascinating and delicious new BBQ operations in Northern New Jersey. Musngi separates himself by adding Filipino flavors to Texas barbecue. He’s known for his Central Texas brisket, Filipino pork belly burnt ends, Filipino BBQ chicken bites, smoked gouda mac ‘n’ cheese, and more.

With Smorgasburg closed during the winter months, Musngi is now focused on a takeout and delivery operation in Belleville, New Jersey that is operating 7 days a week. His menu has expanded from the smaller Smorgasburg operation, with new sandwiches, sides, and burgers.

I chatted recently with Musngi about his life, his barbecue ambitions, and much more, and I am happy to share it here. This conversation has been edited for clarity.

Joe Musngi launched his first barbecue pop-ups last year and has grown steadily ever since. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

Sean Ludwig (SL): Where did you grow up and what’s your life been like outside of barbecue?
Joe Musngi (JM): I was born and raised in Rockland County, New York, where most of my family still resides. I graduated in '08 from SUNY Buffalo and worked in accounting ever since, most recently as a corporate accounting manager. This experience from the past 13 years has given me the ability to effectively tackle this new barbecue business venture. Outside of work and most importantly, I've been blessed with a beautiful wife, Stephanie, who's an extremely talented cake artist, and have two little boys — Joey, who just started kindergarten, and Josh, who’s become my little smoking buddy over the past few months.

SL: How long have you been cooking and smoking barbecue?
JM: I've been in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. If I wasn't witnessing the forming of meatballs or stuffing of artichokes by my grandmother on Mom’s side, I was an admirer of my other grandmother and her incredible talent to master dozens of traditional Filipino dishes from memory. My father was by far my biggest inspiration though. He had that "touch" to take something simple and elevate without batting an eye. From the age of 9, he would have me on grill duties and would give me his stopwatch to know when to flip burgers or steaks until I became comfortable with knowing when meat was done without one. This was certainly the foundation behind me eventually getting into the world of smoked barbecue late last year. When I smoked my first brisket for the family on Father’s Day 2020, it was an instant love. There’s also the nerd in me that yearns to master the science of BBQ.

SL: What type of smoker are you using and what type of wood?
JM: I graduated from the standard backyard offset this past May and upgraded to a 500-gallon offset that was masterfully crafted by a couple of brothers out in San Angelo, TX who build smokers as a hobby. It's been a workhorse for me ever since. For wood, I’ve used oak and hickory in the past, but my go-to is pecan wood for briskets and pork butts and cherry wood for ribs and pork belly.

The ribs from the SmoKING of Meats are delicious. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

SL: How would you describe your barbecue style?
JM: I've had a lot of barbecue over the years. My menu pays homage to the regions that I believe are the best with each respective meat choice -- Central-Texas style brisket, Carolina style pulled pork, Kansas City burnt ends, you get the gist. Of course, I veer from the traditional take of all these offerings and put my little twist by incorporating some of the traditional Filipino BBQ flavors. But essentially what I make is what I love.

SL: When did you officially start selling barbecue?
JM: I had my first stint of serving the public at the Piermont Farmer’s Market in New York in late September 2020. It was those eight Sundays to close out the market season that made me realize this is exactly what I want to do with my life: Feed the world. Then I started selling in NJ this past Memorial Day weekend at Smorgasburg in Jersey City.

SL: I visited your Smorgasburg tent in New Jersey and it seemed like you built up some regulars. How was that experience?
JM: It went incredibly well and easily put me a year or two ahead of where I forecasted the business to be at this point. The traction that was gained from being at Smorgasburg could not have been better, and I’ll forever be grateful to founders Eric and Jonathan for giving me the opportunity. I cannot wait to get back out there with the team next April when the new season commences.

The Central Texas-style brisket is another item SmoKING of Meats is known for. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

SL: The next big project for you is your new delivery and takeout operation in Belleville, NJ. Tell me more about that.
JM: I’m excited for this next phase of the business. Being a pop-up vendor, I only had one to two times a week when I would be able to serve people. This finally gives me the ability to do what I love more consistently as well as lets me expand my menu further. For the time being, it’s strictly a delivery/take-out kitchen, so no seating to come eat there. I know that may be a dealbreaker for some, but I believe this model is the perfect one for where I’m at this point in the game. As much as I’d love to open an actual storefront, I don’t want to rush and fail. Slow growth is still growth. Until then, you’ll find me on third-party delivery apps or you can always come by to pick up directly from me.

SL: What are some of the most popular items on your new menu?
JM: The Filipino BBQ chicken bites and pork belly burnt ends have been a force since opening. I came into Smorgaburg being known for brisket and left with somewhat of a cult following for the pork belly. This has crossed over to the new kitchen as well. A few other unique items I’m offering are a Lumpia Po’Boy and brisket dirty rice arancini, both of which have been a huge hit. … I get to showcase my Italian side of the family with the brisket dirty rice arancini. It was inspired by the brisket dirty rice I had at Brisket King 2021, which was made by James Cruse of Central City BBQ in New Orleans. I do a slightly different take where I make rice balls with stuffed mozzarella and fry until golden brown with a side of house marinara.

SL: What do you think of the barbecue scene in New Jersey? Any favorite places in the area you want to shout out?
JM: It may be the little sibling to the almighty NYC, but I think Jersey has a lot to offer when it comes to the food scene, not just BBQ. I haven’t fully tested the waters of NJ BBQ, but the places I have tried are remarkable. Honorable mentions for me include the awes St. Louis ribs from Brothers Smokehouse in Ramsey. I recently enjoyed some baby back ribs from Cubby’s BBQ in Hackensack too. And of course, how could I not put my good friend Robert Austin Cho from Kimchi Smoke in Westwood, on this list. He’s someone I’ve looked up to since getting into BBQ. Not because he also uses American BBQ as a vessel to showcase the flavors of his culture, but because he’s one of the best at what he does and is always looking to support a fellow brother.

The Filipino pork belly burnt ends from SmoKING of Meats were a hit at the recent NYCWFF Backyard BBQ and are a popular menu item. (Photo by Anthony Scerri / Smoke Sweats)

SL: You recently served up Filipino pork belly burnt ends at the NYCWFF Backyard BBQ event and they were a huge hit. Had you seen people blend Filipino and American barbecue before you started doing it regularly?
JM: Thank you. I really wasn’t expecting that type of response to the burnt ends, but I’ll forever be grateful for the experience that day. I personally hadn’t seen many people blending the flavors of the Philippines into American BBQ. But there are two places that I know of: a friend of mine, the owner of Bad for Business in Queens, NY, is killing it with Filipino street food/BBQ pop-ups. There’s also The Park’s Finest in Los Angeles that is also serving American cuts of BBQ with a Filipino flavor.

SL: What are your plans for 2022?
JM: The goal for 2022 is to take off with my business under the name “The Par-T-Q.” Some Smorgasuburg customers have already seen this side of the business when my cousin Drew came to DJ and play drums. Not only do I want to be a force in party and entertainment with my wife’s cakes and his musicianship, I also aspire to open a Par-T-Q physical storefront at some point. I envision a modern vibe with a beer garden out back where I source all the beers from local breweries, as well as an area that showcases a couple of 1,000-gallon offset smokers that will actively be in use. … I will be back at Smorgasburg in Q2, and I’m hoping I can make a brick-and-mortar happen by Q4.

--

I’m looking forward to seeing how Musngi’s New Jersey operation grows and evolves in the next year and how his Filipino-inspired BBQ adds to the overall Northeastern BBQ scene. And now I'll also be on the lookout for more Filipino BBQ around the country as well.

Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet

Thanks to our sponsor DennyMike's! Use the code BBQTOURIST10 to save 10% off your order on these great seasonings. Learn more about DennyMike's here.

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ADDITIONAL READS

Daniel Vaughn writes in Texas Monthly about some of the best places to eat barbecue in and around Austin.

Monk from the Barbecue Bros has revealed his favorite meals from 2021, including visits to Jon G’s Barbecue in Charlotte and the new Sam Jones BBQ in Raleigh.

Texas-renowned pitmasters recently shared experiences at Texas A&M’s Camp Brisket.

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