Shoutout to the guy who ran the pop-up tent at the county fair last weekend

I was just walking by and saw him tending a small offset smoker, so I stopped to chat. He told me he was smoking a whole goat over pecan wood for a full 24 hours, which I'd never seen done before. He let me try a piece right off the smoker, and it was the most tender, smoky meat I've had in years. Has anyone else run into a pitmaster doing something that unique at a local event?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jennifer2mo ago

My cooking adventures usually end with me setting off the smoke alarm and ordering pizza, so this guy sounds like a wizard compared to my mess. Last time I tried smoking anything, I used cherry wood chips and ended up with ribs that tasted like burnt cough syrup. Maybe I should stick to buying from pros like him instead of pretending I know what I'm doing with my rusty kettle grill.

stellabennett4mo ago

Totally get that. Saw a guy at a farmers market last year smoking salmon in an old filing cabinet he turned into a smoker. Sounds crazy but it worked. He had applewood chips going and the fish was incredible. That kind of weird, hands-on stuff is always the best find. Makes the regular fair food seem boring.

keith1164mo ago

Ever notice how the best stuff comes from people just winging it? That filing cabinet salmon @stellabennett mentioned is peak human creativity. We're all just out here making weird things work.