Bizarre-BQ World Tour With DJ BBQ
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Ardbeg sent DJ BBQ out into the wild to search for pioneers of the grill for their new video series, Bizarre-BQ.
He found people who are as passionate about smoky deliciousness as he is — or, in his own words, the kind of people that have got smoke in their blood, fire in their veins and bathe in hot sauce…” Watch him get primal with their unique brand of live fire cooking while mixing it up with the smoky tones of an Ardbeg whisky cocktail.
Brisket Biryani in Buffalo
The first stop on our peat-smoked pilgrimage finds us meeting Ryan Fernandez, owner of Southern Junction. He’s a barbecue legend, born in Kerala, India, raised in Texas and now living and grilling in Buffalo, New York. He’s famed for his unique combinations of Texas barbecue with South Indian flavours — something he’s named Tex-ish!
Even though he’s set up shop in one of the coldest parts of the United States, his enormous smoker is built for Buffalo, “I’ve had two feet of snow around this thing,” he says. “Just a little fire and I’m chugging along at 250 in there.” Ryan’s take on Texan barbecue is inspired by his grandma and mum and he’s been cooking his version for nearly a decade, learning the recipe from his sister, Raisa. “It’s Texas-style barbecue with a little bit of South Indian flair. Right here in Buffalo, New York. I think I’m the only one around these parts doing that. The one that’s been going like crazy is our brisket biryani. It’s Texas-style brisket. And then it goes on a biryani rice. I didn’t think anyone would ever want spicy curry with brisket — that I’d get run out of town for doing that. Next thing you know, people are asking me to combine more of these Indian flavours.”
An Alternative Take in Atlanta
Next up on the barbecue tour, it’s beef… but not as you know it. We head to the Peach State for an alternative take on the holy grail of barbecue: the brisket. We hooked up with Terry Sargent — one of the top five vegan pitmasters in the world. He’s owner of the Grass VBQ Joint, a place that prides itself on using local ingredients that provide full flavour. His mock meats are made in house and cold smoked for five hours with Terry’s signature blend of Georgia hickory, maple, and cherry wood. “We sell out every night of the week,” he says of his faux-meat dishes. For the Bizarre-BQ series, Terry cooked DJ BBQ one of his incredible (and patented) veef briskets. Creating a dough out of vital wheat gluten, a top secret veef stock mix and beetroot powder for colour, he actually cooks it before taking it to the smoker. “I don’t do this for the vegans,” says Terry. “I do this for the non-vegans. I want them to understand that vegan food can actually taste good.”
Sam and Shauna Share Smoky Secrets
The third stop on the smoky safari takes us to the windswept Gower Peninsula in Wales to meet Sam Evans and Shauna Guinn. Self-proclaimed ladies of barbecue, they’ve taken barbecuing to the next level with a uniquely bred lamb found on the local salt marshes. They’ve been cooking this incredible Welsh delicacy, sprinkled with some Kentucky-style flair on one of the craziest contraptions ever — a grill that takes at least two people to flip. After quitting their jobs to go on an epic road trip across America’s South, their voyage of barbecue discovery led them to realise that pit mistresses are a bit like the salt marsh lamb, a rare breed. They’re paving the way to show women that cooking with fire is not just men’s work. You just need to roll your sleeves up, get a sharp knife, light a fire and start barbecuing. Using their giant, flippable grill, they’re showing the world the delights of cooking the salt marsh lamb. Because it grazes on sea purslane and salty samphire, the meat is almost pre-seasoned and tastes sweeter. “The thing with barbecue,” says Sam, “is it’s hot, it’s heavy. It’s hard work. And I think if you’re dedicated to it, it’s a lot of fun. What we’d love to do is encourage more women to pick up the tongs, get behind the flames and do it. If we can do it, anybody can.”
To view the series, click here.
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