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Slingin’ Hash

SC BBQ Newsletter from Destination BBQ

05/09/22

Kindling

Hey <<First Name>>

You’re reading what may very well be the last issue of this newsletter. Well, in this form, anyway.

I have been considering sending shorter but more frequent newsletters. So instead of a 2000-word newsletter once a month, maybe a 500-word weekly issue or 1000-word twice-monthly issue would be better? Or maybe you’d prefer I not do these at all!

Another notion that’s been on my To-Do-One-Day list is to create a quarterly magazine, print and digital. Maybe that would be a better format for you?

Who knows? Would welcome your thoughts on any and all of the above. Hit reply and let me know what you think.

If you missed the previous “April Update” newsletter, you should check it out, too. In addition to a copycat recipe for Bessinger’s Onion Rings, we discuss a new shop I created with SCBBQ designs and something called Grow.

The short version is that you can join Grow via this icon on lots of websites:

Due to some changes to internet privacy laws, you’re going to start seeing lots of sites requiring you to subscribe (pay or free). On lots of blogs, you’re going to start encountering this more and more (including Destination BBQ):

Signing up with Grow will enable you to bypass these logins on thousands of sites running Grow.

But that’s enough for now. Let’s look at what’s ahead.

In Issue 12, we take a look at the Southern Roots BBQ festival in Travelers Rest this past weekend. That also gave us the opportunity to take updated shots of some of the area’s SCBBQ restaurants. In addition, we share some new openings and additions and some old audio recordings of some important folks in SCBBQ.

Then, of course, we have the normal features with a recipe from Rodney Scott, an interesting addition for your grill, a look ahead at some of May’s BBQ events, and lots more.

Enjoy,

Jim

PS: If you’d like to support our efforts to promote SCBBQ, consider becoming an SCBBQ Patron. It may help to hire additional writers or build additional features…and minimize the advertising.

PPS: Are you a BBQ-loving freelance writer looking for some occasional work? Reply with your rate and let’s talk.

Playing with Fire

Rodney Scott's BBQ sauce recipe was a long-kept secret, but in an appearance on the Today Show a while ago, Scott shared the recipe for "Rodney's Sauce," the magic elixir that helped make him a James Beard award winner.

Click Here for Rodney Scott’s BBQ Sauce Recipe

Hot Spot

By popular request, I will highlight tools or other items worthy of your attention. These products are featured either because I have used them personally or trust those who recommended them.

All of the items recommended here will be added to our Recommended Products page, which will build into a nice library of products over time.

GrillGrates seem like an odd thing to sell, don’t they? I mean, most grills and smokers come with perfectly good grates that when properly maintained will last the lifetime of the grill itself.

Why then, did Amazing Ribs founder Meathead say, "They may be the best thing to happen to gas grills, charcoal grills, and pellet smokers since salt and pepper.…"

Must be something to them. In their FAQs, GrillGrate explained the difference.

“GrillGrates sear and sizzle foods better than traditional grills, which have more open exposure to direct flame and juices which fuel flareups. GrillGrates virtually eliminate charring but accentuate searing. This ‘sizzle effect’ is a major difference when comparing GrillGrates to conventional grills.”

Actually, GrillGrate models aren’t limited to grills. Heck, they even have some for air fryers, smart ovens, and griddles. And you can flip them upside down to use the back as a griddle for your grill!

Click Here to see Recommended Products

Smoke Signals

— A BBQ Reunion

Heather and I made the trip up to Travelers Rest (a great town) to take in the first annual festival Southern Roots: A BBQ Reunion on Saturday, April 30. The experience was excellent and for a great, but little-known cause.

Event organizer Geoff Rhyne’s daughter was born with a rare genetic disorder called Kleefstra Syndrome. The disorder has no FDA-approved treatment, and there is no cure. Because of its rarity, there was little research and no clinics dedicated to it.

Chef Rhyne set out to change that. He and his partners founded IDefine and raised over $100k to fund the 1st ever medical center in the US focused on Kleefstra Syndrome, the Kleefstra Clinic at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Southern Roots evolved as a way to continue funding the research and driving progress forward.

The event brought together acclaimed pitmasters from across the state and country and paired them with a local restaurant talent using, where possible, goods from local farmers and producers to create a down-home experience.

“Our favorite part about BBQ is the way it brings people together and that’s exactly what we intend to do at Southern Roots.”

That’s exactly what we enjoyed. Live music, great food, free-flowing beverages, and a general sense of community.

Of course, BBQ was the feature, but there were lots of interesting options, but the goat perloo may have been the one to surprise us the most. An interesting twist on the original dish those of us from the Lowcountry and Pee Dee (if you include bog) have enjoyed for generations.

While many of the chef/pitmaster pairings served smaller samples, it should come as no surprise that the tent where you’d find full-sized plates being served belonged to a Texan. You know, everything is bigger in Texas.

While it may be hard to tell from the angle, the plate from Truth BBQ from Houston included 2+ thick slices of succulent brisket, two pieces of white bread, two types of pickles, Mac n cheese, and collards.

When it returns next year, do yourself a favor and make plans to attend.

—Not All Fun and Games

While we were in the Greenville area, we took the opportunity to shoot a few shots of some of the local SCBBQ establishments. It is a quick and easy way to refresh some of our restaurant listings that you’ll find on our SCBBQ Trail Map.

We stayed in a great home a short walk from the festival and right in the heart of Travelers Rest. And being that close, it was easy to snap a shot of Monkey Wrench Smokehouse the evening before the big event.

After the festival, we headed into Greenville and got shots of Smoke on the Water near Falls Park.

Then we headed over to Main Street. Now, we live in Charleston, so we’re used to tourists and crowds, but even we were struck by the sheer volume of folks visiting this area of Greenville. I knew there was a lot going on up there, but folks in Greenville have a lot to be proud of with the transformation of so many areas.

We hit Main because we knew an SC-born, Memphis-style chain still clung to life there, after shuttering all but one other location (in TN) during the pandemic. Mind you, Sticky Fingers has had its share of trouble for years now.

Our first review of their original location in Mount Pleasant was scathing, but a couple of years later, I was impressed by the BBQ they catered at a Wando Baseball banquet. It was then I learned that one of the original founders had returned to try to right the ship, and it seemed things were moving in a positive direction.

I interviewed Chad Walldorf for a Q&A back in 2017. It was an interesting piece, you should check it out. So, I had hoped for a glorious return to greatness, but I guess the progress would soon be retarded by Covid and Sticky Fingers chose to cut back hard and shut down most of their remaining locations.

The Greenville one survives yet…

Finally, we just had to see the progress John Lewis was making on Lewis Barbecue’s Greenville location. So, we dropped by to check things out.

Interestingly enough, we published this construction update on the original Lewis Barbecue (and Home Team’s downtown Charleston location) back in February 2016. They are on opposite sides of the same block.

As fate would have it, Lewis’ Greenville restaurant was in pretty much the same state for my visit this past weekend as it was in Charleston six years ago.

Here’s how things are looking in Greenville:

Hot ‘n Fast

— Rancho Lewis Opened — Lewis Barbecue is coming to Greenville in 2022 we know, but that wasn’t the only restaurant the famed Texan was working on. John Lewis anchored the original iteration of “Workshop,” the Charleston gourmet food court, with a “Tex-Mex” concept he called Juan Luis.

Well, Workshop didn’t work out, and Lewis stepped in to fill the space with Rancho Lewis, “a place where West Texas, Chihuahua, Mexico, and New Mexico meet.” All I can tell you is that Juan Luis served amazing food.

Zagat wrote about Lewis’ new venture in After Barbecue, John Lewis Brings Texas Border Food To South Carolina. In it, Lewis explains why he didn’t stick with the original name and insists he’ll open no more restaurants after these three.

“Our corn comes from here though, from Marsh Hen Mill, formerly Geechie Boy. Kind of famous corn guys. They changed their name because of cultural appropriation to Marsh Hen Mill. I changed to Rancho Lewis from “Juan Luis” for the same reason.

“With the new place, I’m a little nervous, and I’ve been letting go of a little bit of control, which has been hard for me. I’ve got a lot more staff now—upper management staff. I have an operations manager now because we’re opening a second Lewis Barbecue in Greenville in a couple of months. And that’s it. No more!”

— SCBBQ Oral Histories — A Facebook post by Southern Foodways Alliance reminded me of the nice collection of recorded interviews with SC BBQ Pitmasters that they completed about 10 years ago. There are eight total interviews with folks like Jackie Hites, David Bessinger, Rodney Scott, and others. Definitely, worth a listen.

— Discovering Farm Boys — Fitsnews published this piece on Farm Boys Barbeque in late April. Farm Boys is outside of Columbia in Chapin, just off of I-26 at Exit 91. Founder Wells Gibson sold Farm Boys to current owner Kim Kirby in 2016. The review by Whitney Salley is accompanied by a nice Q&A with current Farm Boy’s GM Riley Furman.

— Buc-ee's Opening Soon — If you’re in Florence on May 16, you might want to stop in to get some gas and Texas-style BBQ. “South Carolina will soon get to experience Texan beef jerky, barbecue sandwiches, Beaver-inspired merchandise, and more with the chain's latest expansion through the southeast.” The location will be easy to find; it's right off I-95 at Exit 170.

Additions

Here is the latest addition to our SC BBQ Trail Map.

Wholy Smoke Family Restaurant

Texas-style BBQ in Mauldin, James Hester’s generations-old family recipes have taken him from food truck to brick and mortar restaurant. Wholy Smoke Family Restaurant offers something for everyone, including even any vegan friends you might have in your group.

“We absolutely love what we do and you’ll be able to taste it here at Wholy Smoke,” Hester said.

Where There’s Smoke

Here are a few of the upcoming BBQ competitions and festivals in SC.

From the Ashes

In this issue, we dust the ashes off this review of Po Pigs Bo-B-Q that we wrote after a visit back in September 2014.

Like most things on Edisto, Po Pigs Bo-B-Q was old-school and down to earth. But most importantly, the food was delicious.

“It dawned on me that a visitor to our state could sample the entire state’s variety of BBQ in one sitting. Each of the sauces reflected a different region of the state.

There was a midlands mustard sauce, an Orangeburg mustard, an eastern vinegar-pepper, and a heavier ketchup-based sauce. Really a nice snapshot of SC BBQ in one place.”

The Smoke Ring

In each edition, we’ll metaphorically spin the SCBBQ globe and randomly select an SC BBQ joint to spotlight.

This time, the globe stopped spinning on Patriots’ Smokehouse in Clark’s Hill

“Dine on fantastic smoked meats, catfish, homemade sides, burgers, kids meals, desserts, and much more in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.”

“We slow-cook all of our meats over a special blend of hardwoods. Our sides, burgers, and chicken strips are all homemade. Our dinner menu includes tender ribs, smoked chicken, and fabulous brisket!”

If you’re looking for BBQ while traveling Interstate 20, Patriots’ Smokehouse is about 6 miles from Exit 1, a straight shot down 230.