Top BBQ couples share advice on love and barbecue
The most romantic day of the year falls this week and in the barbecue community there is love as well as smoke in the air. In celebration of Valentine’s Day, we decided to ask some of barbecue’s most successful pairs to share some words of wisdom for couples who may be considering entering the world of barbecue together. Here’s what they had to say:
Shane and Catherine Stiles - Stiles Switch/The Switch/Barbecue Wife - Austin, Texas
"I think the most important thing for us as a husband and wife couple that works together is that we know our strengths and what we are good at and we stay in those lanes. I think for us it all works because we try to have a good balance in our work life and our home life. I say "no" a lot to things that might take me away from my family when I'm needed the most. All in all, my biggest piece of advice for working together as a couple would be to make sure you both are passionate about the business and the roles that you play. Communication is key! You have to complement each other and know when to lead and when to support. Life's a dance they say, and we are doing our best to not step on each other's toes and have as much fun as we can along the way." -Catherine Stiles, Stiles Switch/The Switch/Barbecue Wife
Dan and Katie Misuraca - Red, White, & Que Smokehouse - Kearny, New Jersey
“Establish clear roles and responsibilities inside of the restaurant. Who is in charge of what and when? Sometimes it can be hard to boss your partner around or let yourself be bossed around by your partner. Establishing who is in charge over what pieces of business allows you to keep it professional.” -Dan and Katie Misuraca, Red, White, & Que Smokehouse
Jason and Megan Day - Burnt Finger BBQ competition team - Lee’s Summit, Missouri
"Keep it simple! Go out and enjoy the contest and give the cooking part your best shot. Just know there will be lots of dishes to wash when it’s over... lots! Take a BBQ competition class together! Most instructors give a reduced spouse rate. Take advantage of that discount and enjoy learning a few tips and tricks you just might want to add to your cook. Over the years we’ve developed a consistent, repeatable process. With 2 kiddos in tow, things can derail at any given moment. This structure keeps the process moving along, even if one of us is suddenly fixing a helmet or applying a bandaid!" -Megan Day, Burnt Finger BBQ
Will and Nichole Buckman - Corkscrew BBQ - Spring, Texas
"Most importantly, make sure you can work together. You must have defined roles in your business. You must let your husband or wife make decisions in their department without your approval, just like in any company. Major changes, major spending, letting staff go, etc. should be things you have meetings over. Make decisions on these together. LISTEN to your partner. Your decision is not the only one that matters. Remember you are married. You love each other and the success benefits you both. There is no reason to go against each other. You must both want this or it'll never work, no matter how well you get along." -Nichole Buckman, Corkscrew BBQ
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that many of the same qualities that make for success in any relationship are also relevant in world of barbecue - openness, respect, caring, and above all patience. Thank you to the Catherine and Shane Stiles, Katie and Dan Misuraca, Megan and Jason Day, and Nichole and Will Buckman for your willingness to share your advice and words of wisdom with our readers!
Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet
Here are the top recent barbecue news stories from around the country:
James McFarland, Wade Elkins, and Michael Michna of Reveille Barbecue Co. Photo by Eric Sandler.
Recently, in The Smoke Sheet after a visit to the Houston area. Now, pitmaster Wade Elkins has joined forces with owners James McFarland and Michael Michna to take things to the next level. According to Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, the trio intend to make Reveille “Houston’s next destination barbecue joint.”
Celebrity chef Guy Fieri will lead the food programming at the Stagecoach Festival in Palm Springs, California, overseeing operations that include pitmasters Adam Perry Lang, Pat Martin, Fox Bros BBQ, and more. Fieri also recently visited Austin’s Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ for an episode of his show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn is busier than ever, writing about the cajun-inspired flavors served at The Switch, Shane Stiles’ second restaurant location near Dripping Springs, examining Jordan Jackson’s newly re-opened Bodacious Bar-B-Q location in Gladewater, and exploring the big flavors served by Brett Boren of Brett’s Backyard Bar-B-Que in Rockdale.
The Riverfront Times, a weekly publication in St. Louis, fired a shot across the bow when promoting an article about Dukes BBQ Shack on Twitter by proclaiming that St. Louis is becoming the barbecue capital of the Midwest. Kansas Citians quickly responded in print and on social media.
Austin’s Micklethwait Craft Meats owner and pitmaster Tom Micklethwait recently opened Micklethwait Market & Grocery, a market-style restaurant and grocery, in downtown Smithville, Texas. The restaurant will feature an expanded menu as well as fresh baked goods, snacks, beer and wine, and more.
Good news for fans of Texas barbecue: researchers at Texas A&M found that high levels oleic acid in brisket, which helps lower your risk of heart disease.
Killen’s Barbecue has partnered with Papa John’s to bring barbecue brisket pizza to over eighty pizza locations across Houston.
Highly-acclaimed Fort Worth restaurant Heim Barbecue is opening a second location in west Fort Worth’s River District in March. The restaurant will be larger than the Magnolia location and is going to include eight smokers to handle the increased output.
Houston Chronicle’s J.C. Reid explores the trade-offs between fuel efficiency and a well-season pit in this article.
Chef Christopher Nicki is returning to his Texas roots with the recent opening of Hank’s Texas Barbecue on Colfax Avenue in Denver, Colorado.
D.G. Martin explains that North Carolina faces a crisis because of the threat to the state’s dominant position in the world of barbecue.
With slow smoked, bacon wrapped meats served out of a gas station, Mega Texas Barbeque is bringing Texas-style barbecue to California’s San Joaquin Valley.
Erick Briceño and Michael Honore of the recently-opened Pittboyz BBQ are developing a Miami barbecue style using local flavors.
Pitmaster Matt Vicedomini is opening Matt’s BBQ Tacos on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard in Portland. The food truck is expected to open in March.
According to Mike Sula, Chicago’s barbecue scene has been dramatically improved with the opening of two new joints on the south side.
Here are BBQ shows, podcasts, or books you should check out this week:
Brad Orrison and Yoni Levin at The Shed Steak Cookoff and Showdown
Watch: The Shed Steak Cook Off and Showdown Part 1 - Best BBQ Show
The Best BBQ Show traveled to Ocean Springs, Mississippi for first ever Steak Cookoff Association event at The Shed Barbeque & Blues Joint. This video highlights participants in the Steak Cookoff and Showdown and includes interviews with The Shed owner and event host Brad Orrison, Ricky Bobby from the 3 Taxi Guys team, George Logue, and the “Man of Action” Steve Barton. Watch it here.
Listen: The Shed Market - I Crush Barbecue Show
The I Crush Barbecue Show is a new podcast from barbecue enthusiast Abe Delgado that brings you stories of everyone from pit masters, cooks, and pit builders to fanatics that go on epic barbecue runs and everything in between. The debut episode from this podcast is an amazing story of The Shed Market, an old legendary barbecue joint in Wingate, Texas that was originally opened by Hollis and Betty Dean in 1989. The restaurant made it on the Texas Monthly Top 50 list, but closed in 2004. However, The Shed Market has recently been revived by their grandson Byron Stephenson and his family and has been given new life in Abilene. The Stephensons have kept many of the of the old recipes as a foundation and have also added a few new interesting touches. Since they opened in 2018, they've been selling out each day and they attribute their success to their faith above all. Listen to it here.
Read: Smokelore: A Short History of Barbecue - by Jim Auchmutey
In Smokelore: A Short History of Barbecue, Jim Auchmutey follows the delicious and contentious history of barbecue in America from the ox roast that celebrated the groundbreaking for the U.S. Capitol building to the first barbecue launched into space almost two hundred years later. The narrative covers the golden age of political barbecues, the evolution of the barbecue restaurant, the development of backyard cooking, and the recent rediscovery of traditional barbecue craft. Along the way, Auchmutey considers the mystique of barbecue sauces, the spectacle of barbecue contests, the global influences on American barbecue, the roles of race and gender in barbecue culture, and the many ways barbecue has been portrayed in our art and literature. It’s a spicy story that involves noted Americans from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack Obama. Smokelore will be released on June 1, 2019. Pre-order it here.
February 16: Whole Hog Barbecue Summit - Kinston, North Carolina
Barbecue cooks, judges, and festival organizers are invited to join in the fun for a day of learning, fellowship, and whole hog barbecue. Current and prospective judges get the chance for a refresher or to get on the path to being a sanctioned judge. Cooks have the opportunity to get clarifications on the rules and learn exactly what the judges are looking for. Festival organizers are able to meet one another and learn more about current rules and information. More info here.
February 21-23: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Bar-B-Que Contest - Houston, Texas
More than 250 teams, led by barbecue aficionados, compete in the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. While most team tents are invitation-only, visitors can enjoy several public venues, including The Garden, Rockin' Bar-B-Que Saloon, and the Chuck Wagon. Activities include live music, rides, games, and more and visitors will receive a complimentary sliced brisket plate with chips and beans. More info here.
February 23: Rock The Block - Charleston, South Carolina
The second annual Rock The Block BBQ party is hosted by Home Team BBQ and will raise money for Hogs for the Cause, a non-profit that helps alleviate the emotional and financial strain experienced by children and their families during the fight against pediatric cancer. Guests will enjoy a full day of barbecue, brews, live entertainment, and more, all for a good cause. Fox Bros. Bar & Bar-B-Q, Taqueria del Sol, and Sam Jones BBQ will be joining in the festivities. More info here.
March 6-10: Charleston Food and Wine Festival - Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston Wine + Food infuses homegrown flavor with top chefs, winemakers, authors, storytellers, artisans, and food enthusiasts from around the globe for a five-day event that spans the first full weekend each March. More info here.
March 18-19: Business of Barbecue at 17th Street BBQ - Murphysboro, Illinois
Business of Barbecue is a two-day seminar that combines cooking barbecue for a restaurant or catering operation with classroom seminars discussing branding, marketing, PR, vending, and restaurant financials. Participants will prep and cook ribs, chicken, brisket, and pork with an emphasis on holding and re-therming techniques. Though almost anyone can make barbecue that tastes great right off the pit, it is how you handle the meat afterwards is the key to serving great barbecue at anytime during the day. Information about resources and suppliers will be provided, and participants get to tour behind the scenes of two restaurants and a catering facility. This class is filled with information that will benefit anyone from a novice to an experienced operator. More info here.
March 29-30: Hogs for the Cause - New Orleans, Louisiana
Hogs for the Cause returns as the largest, tastiest BBQ festival in New Orleans. The city welcomes 85 local and regional BBQ masters and the best backyard chefs to compete in seven categories: Whole Hog, Ribs, Pork Butt/Shoulder, Porkpourri, Sauce, Fan Favorite, and Fundraising Champion. The barbecue festival is a two-day event full of music, local beer, and fundraising. More info here.
April 3-6: National Barbecue & Grilling Association Annual Conference - Kansas City, Missouri
The National Barbecue & Grilling Association (NBBQA) Annual Conference will be held at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Whether you are a product owner, run a restaurant, sell, buy or simply enjoy BBQ, there are boundless opportunities to network, learn, and grow at the conference. Events include bus tours, education sessions, and the BBQ bash, with presentations, demonstrations, and cookoffs. More info here.
April 14: Houston BBQ Festival - Humble, Texas
The 7th Annual Houston BBQ Festival will take place on Sunday, April 14th from 1:00 - 4:00 pm at the Humble Civic Center Arena Complex. The festival will feature Houston’s best barbecue joints all in one place. Tickets include entry into the event and unlimited sample portions from each participating Houston barbecue joint. More info here.
April 26-28: Austin Food and Wine Festival - Austin, Texas
The Austin Food + Wine Festival returns April 26-28 to spoil your palate with a handful of global and nationally renowned talent. This 3-day weekend in the culinary capital is the epitome of high spirits, with a packed schedule of hands-on grilling demos, up-close tastings with top chefs and sommeliers, and more interactive demos and panels. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on January 24. More info here.
May 4: Red Dirt BBQ Festival - Tyler, Texas
For five years, the Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival has been one of the most unique food and music experiences in Texas. The sixth annual event returns to the brick streets of downtown Tyler, Texas. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Central on February 1. More info here.
tter way to show someone you love them this Valentine’s Day than by giving them bacon roses! For our recipe of the week, check out this DIY tutorial from Jess Pryles for making bacon roses at home. View the recipe here.
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