This week we sit down with Barry Sorkin, founder and pitmaster of Smoque BBQ, a personal favorite of the Joiners boys and, for our money, one of the best barbecue joints on the planet. But the road to BBQ greatness wasn't exactly obvious. Barry joins us in the studio to talk about leaving a career in IT consulting to chase an obsession with barbecue, building Smoque from scratch, surviving the chaos of opening day, and what it actually takes to cook great brisket at scale. Along the way we get into the surprising economics of barbecue, why the best hires often have no restaurant experience, plenty of practical advice for anyone trying to smoke meat at home, a near-death-row meal -- and so much more!
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