THE FIRST WORD ON MEL, FROM MEL: “I’ve always been

a social animal, the guy who teachers said was smart, doing well on tests, but spending too much time talking,” says Mel. “In college, instead of schoolwork, I was planning parties. I was always looking to make sure my friends had a good drink and a great time.” 

"BBQ IS A CRAFT...IT'S A DANCE BETWEEN THE MEAT, THE FIRE, THE SMOkE."

BECOMING BBQ  Fast-forward 10 years, I’m running the family business, things are going well. My twins were about to have their first birthday party, which I took as an obvious opportunity to entertain 100s of my closest friends. BBQ intrigued me as a great way to feed lots of people for a little money. I borrowed a buddy’s smoker, crammed it with as much pork as would fit and babysat it all night. Everyone raved about the food at that party, and I was hooked on making BBQ.

As I started to think seriously about opening a BBQ place, I knew I’d have to research. There are few places that take BBQ more intensely than Texas, so on my first trip I visited 15 places in six days including world-renowned spots like Franklin BBQ, innovative food trucks like Leroy and Lewis, BBQ legends like Louie Mueller and a dozen others. Along the way, I've chatted up pitmasters for hours about smokers, service, meat and sides – our shared love for the craft, and for great BBQ.

"BBQ FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY IS A LABOR OF LOVE. I WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH MY COMMUNITY."

MY CrAFT BBQ  BBQ is a craft. It takes hours. The wood needs to burn just right to give that clean smoke flavor and set the peppery, crusty bark on the meat. It is a dance between  the meat, the fire and the smoke, and the dance is done in its own time, not when the clock or thermometer say so. A good pitmaster uses all five senses to know when the meat is right. I’m talking about making BBQ the way  it is made when you care about the people eating it.

BBQ for friends and family is a labor of love. I want to share that with my community. I want my four boys to see me and join me as I work on my passion, to see the happy faces of local families and hear the compliments that come from people appreciating how good food tastes when it is made with passion and respect and integrity. That passion fuels me as we go forward, not only making great Craft BBQ, but making memories together, making a future for our family."

NEED MORE ABOUT MEL'S? FILL 'ER UP:

Link to Article on Facebook

Link to Article in the Tribune

Link to Pork Eater's Digest

Etc. Link

Etc. Etc. Link.