Serving Up Optimism and Barbecue in 2021

In our previous issue, we said goodbye and good riddance to 2020. Now that 2021 is upon us, we’re looking ahead and hoping for a great year that’s full of events with family and friends, delicious smoked meats, trying new recipes, and much more.

Here are four things we’re looking forward to in 2021.

We appreciate our audience and we’re asking for the support of our readers as we continue to build The Smoke Sheet. (Photo by Jud Kite)

We’re launching a Patreon soon
For the past two years, we have worked hard to curate the best content and share our unique perspective each week. We strive to bring our audience the latest news, recipes, media recommendations, and upcoming events, and we continue to be extremely grateful for the support we’ve received from our readers and followers in the barbecue community.

While we are more passionate about barbecue than ever, it takes an incredible amount of work to produce The Smoke Sheet each week. That’s why we need your help. In early 2021, we will be launching a Patreon page to help keep our newsletter independent and free to our readers. Patrons may choose to support us from a few different tiers, with extra benefits offered depending on which level you support. Stay tuned to the newsletter and our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information in the near future.

We hope large events like the Windy City Smokeout in Chicago can happen this year. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

Remaining cautiously optimistic about barbecue events
With 2020 behind us, we’re looking forward to what 2021 could bring in terms of barbecue events. The pandemic has made event operating and planning challenging but not impossible and we expect to see many more outdoor events held this year than last. We will likely see many new small events later this year and we expect any small- and medium-sized events that can safely occur will feature socially distancing and face coverings. But the jury is out on whether massive events like Memphis in May and Chicago’s Windy City Smokeout will be able to take place in a “normal” fashion, if at all. Regardless of where things land, you can check out our national BBQ events page to know about all the best events. (And let us know if your event is not listed and we’ll add it!)

Things should get a little better for restaurants by mid-2021 and indoor dining should resume at some point. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

Expecting a big swing toward restaurants
While we have nothing against cooking and smoking at home, we do miss the joys of regularly sitting down with our friends and family at restaurants. America’s barbecue joints — if they can hold out to mid-2021 — could have a bountiful resurgence in popularity as it becomes safer for large groups to gather. Thankfully we know a good number of joints that have been successful despite the pandemic, but there are many others that need normal indoor dining to resume to fully come back. We expect and hope that dining at restaurants will again become a staple in communities all over the country in 2021.

We believe there will continue to be a strong interest in backyard barbecue and grilling in 2021. (Photo by Wai Chan)

More interest in barbecue from backyard enthusiasts
The pandemic has quite possibly had at least one positive benefit on the world of barbecue — it has prompted an increased interest in backyard barbecue and grilling. Creators of online cooking classes and producers of grills, charcoal, rubs, and other products have seen an increase in sales as everyone has been stuck at home for the past 9 months. We expect to see a more engaged and knowledgeable audience of enthusiasts for the foreseeable future. Time will tell what impact this might have on the restaurant industry and barbecue and grilling competitions in the future.

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These are just a few of the things we’re looking forward to in 2021. Another thing will be bringing this community closer together and featuring more voices. If you’d like to write for The Smoke Sheet, please get in touch.

Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist) and Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ)
Co-Founders, The Smoke Sheet

—Franklin Barbecue in Austin was named to Esquire’s list of 100 Restaurants America Can't Afford to Lose. (Photo by Tom Cheredar—

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Among the many excellent restaurants on Esquire’s list of “100 Restaurants America Can't Afford to Lose” were several classic barbecue joints: Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Pappy’s Smokehouse in St. Louis, and Cozy Corner in Memphis. The list’s goal is to showcase restaurants that, if lost, would represent America losing itself. We would certainly add more barbecue joints to the list if we could but it’s a good read nonetheless. READ HERE.

One of the most intriguing new barbecue collaborations we’ve seen as of late is that of Daddy Duncan’s BBQ and Himalaya Restaurant in Houston, which are working to combine American barbecue and Indian cuisine. The dishes are made by Himalaya using Daddy Duncan’s brisket and they include “smoked brisket tikka masala macaroni and cheese, smoked brisket paratha-dilla (Lashkari’s Indian take on the quesadilla), and smoked brisket puff pastry.” READ HERE.

Mike Mills of 17th Street Barbecue in Illinois, who died last week at the age of 79, was a legend in the barbecue community. The Herald Review writes about Mills’ life and legacy in a lengthy article: “[Mills] didn’t set out to seed a love of barbecue across the country, well beyond its roots in the South and parts of the Midwest, but that’s what he ended up doing.” READ HERE.

In a searing op-ed, barbecue restaurant owner Brent Reaves of Smokey John's Bar-B-Que and Home Cooking in Dallas writes that Congress must do more to help restaurants and small businesses that are hurting because of the pandemic. Reaves notes that he was happy the government passed a short-term relief bill in late December but more needs to be done. “Navigating this continuing uncertainty requires more than Congress’ survival stop-gap measure that will help us limp into April,” Reaves writes. READ HERE.
 

ADDITIONAL READS

Gatlin’s BBQ Takes Catfish to a New Level in Southeast Texas

Beloved McKinney, TX Joint Hutchins BBQ Caught Fire on New Year’s Eve

20 Minutes with South Carolina Pitmaster Rodney Scott

Dine Nebraska Interviews Porky Butts BBQ’s Blane Hunter

Chuck Blount: Texas BBQ May Not Need Sauce But Public Demands It

Prosser’s BBQ Restaurant and Buffet in Murrells Inlet, SC Closes After 30 Years

Gettin' Basted Slated to Open in Spring in Springfield, MO

Vietnamese Barbecue Pop-up Pho Cue Getting Brick-and-Mortar in Atlanta

Chad “Hoss” Grigg, Owner of Big Daddy’s BBQ in Idaho and Radio Personality, Passes Away

—The beef ribs at Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse are kosher and delicious.—

WATCH

How Jewish Pitmaster Izzy Eidelman Creates Some of Brooklyn's Finest Kosher Barbecue — Eater

Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse is one of the few smokehouses in the area dedicated to using kosher meats in their Southern barbecue. The shop's smoky, juicy brisket, pastrami, dino ribs, lamb, and more are all selected specifically to adhere to kosher standards but the final result is remarkably close to what you’d find at a non-kosher barbecue joint. WATCH HERE.
 

LISTEN

Scott Barvir of Scotty’s Whole Hog BBQ — New School BBQ Podcast

The chef, pitmaster, and owner of LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue in Austin, Texas talks meat, smoke, and industry with fellow firemakers. In this episode, he chats with Scott Barvir of Scotty’s Whole Hog BBQ about whole hog barbecue and the wild year that was 2020. The guys run down their top five meals of the year and the listeners give their top meals as well. LISTEN HERE.

READ

How to Grill for Beginners: A Grilling Cookbook for Mastering Techniques and Recipes — Richard Sherman

Whether you’re grilling steaks, chicken breasts, or an assortment of garden-fresh fruits and vegetables, you’ll quickly discover that grilled food just tastes better. This grilling cookbook introduces you to 70 delicious recipes that range from American classics to international favorites. After an introduction to best practices, common terminology, and tools, this grilling cookbook helps you get started by teaching the four main techniques that will serve as the foundation for your outdoor cooking journey. Once you master the fundamentals, you’ll be amazed at the range of dishes you can tackle with relative ease, including Classic Burgers, Kansas City Style-Smoked Baby Back Ribs, and Garlic and Lime Shrimp. BUY IT HERE.

—If you’ve ever wanted to make a “grown-up McRib,” this recipe is for you.—

Grown-Up McRib

By GQue BBQ

Since McDonald’s recently announced the nationwide return of the McRib nationwide last month, everyone has been talking about the McRib. Jason Ganahl of GQue BBQ in Colorado gets in on the action, showing you how to make a McRib using baby back ribs and real barbecue sauce on a PK Grill. He cooks the rack of ribs so that the bones may be cleanly and easily removed. He builds the sandwich without pickles or onions, preferring sauce only.

—Many of the largest barbecue events of 2020 have been canceled or postponed.—

In light of the constantly changing coronavirus crisis, we are leaving our events section blank for some time. We’ll be updating our events section on our website with the most up-to-date information as we have it.

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