Shepard Barbecue Pitmaster Brandon Shepard

[00:00:00] What you want, when you want it, where you want it.

[00:00:06] This is the mesh.

[00:00:07] In the Carolinas, the debate always continues between Eastern and Western.

[00:00:14] Your choice for the best depends on personal preference, but when it comes to geography,

[00:00:19] you can't get much further down East than Emerald Isle.

[00:00:22] That's where Brandon Shepard and his family along the North Carolina coast and find out more about his business at shepardbarbecue.com that's S-H-E-P-A-R-D barbecue.com and me into it the most. Yeah, definitely hear a lot of people talk about that, other generations bringing them into it and you're kind of watching them as you grow up and you say from around here,

[00:03:00] that's way down east on the Eastern shore,

[00:03:02] North Carolina around Jacksonville

[00:03:04] and specifically in Emerald Isle, right?

[00:03:06] Yes, sir. I've always been in the restaurant business, so I've cooked all kinds of things. And we had a couple different concepts of things, and barbecue's always been something that I was definitely going to get back to. But it just wasn't at that time. And then COVID hit. And as you know, the world kind of got flipped on its head.

[00:04:20] Oh yeah.

[00:04:21] We were trying to find ways of keeping the business alive.

[00:04:24] And I kept telling my wife, look, I've're at, and you kind of alluded to this before, but are there any other barbecue restaurants on Emerald Isle? No, it is us in the middle of seafood. Yeah, so you've got kind of a quarter on the market, right? You would think so. I mean, coming out here, it's like everyone's looking for, you know, wood, all wood barbecue. So that's the first thing you do is smell it. But when you come to us, I think you're going to find a family oriented based restaurant. I mean, it's a small kind of town, so everyone knows everybody. And then when the tourists do come in, they actually get to see, you

[00:07:02] know, a solid face. First thing you do when you come in, you meet my wife don't know, try us out because the lines get so long so they're like oh man they kind of you know hunker down and wait for the storm to roll over. So we like to stay open during the winter time just so those people can actually get to try it and they come back in. But during the on-season

[00:08:20] we are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Okay, popular across the state. Even down east where you're at, a lot of other folks are bringing brisket on and that's gained a lot of popularity. Would you say that it's a fan favorite on your menu, the brisket, or is there something else that's most popular and it would be a shame to watch that the one little way. I mean, if you're looking now, Texas is really starting to push the whole hall game. Oh. And it would be, yeah, man, if we were to kind of step on that,

[00:11:00] I think that would be a disservice to everyone in our area.

[00:11:03] Yeah, definitely keeping a traditional live

[00:11:06] that goes back to, like. Yeah, cool. Well, I want to talk for a few minutes now about the Carolina Barbecue Festival and we're definitely excited to partner with those guys. And I know you're going to be among 14 pitmasters there at the festival this year, April 5th

[00:12:23] and 6th.

[00:12:25] How did you get hooked up with the Carolina Barbecue Festival and Lewis Donald and all

[00:12:28] those guys? 300 miles, five hours or so to get from Emerald Isle to Charlotte. So apart from knowing Lewis and feeling like the state needs something, why do you participate in the festival? I mean, honestly, for me, festivals are one of the, I mean, I have the most fun there. I mean, of course you love serving your daily customers and you love gatherings and all

[00:13:43] that kind of this. If it's not, you know, the trust of Yeti Coolers, then we're asked to talk to the guys and borrow the pits. I mean, Lewis Donald, he's always been like once again a good friend and anything, if I was ever in that area needed help, he was the first guy to do it. So, ever I'm loaning the pit from him or we're actually hauling ours down there, it's, we're making it happen

[00:15:03] some way. Yeah, well so for this year, what are you going to be taking to the So we actually marinated pork butts in ancio de paste and a bunch of citruses and things like that. We smoked them off, then we wrapped them in banana leaves. We popped them back into the smoker and the banana leaves get some kind of form of barbecue. So I mean, we kind of play off of that a little bit. Yeah, it's kind of a fusion of global food culture and, and Carolina barbecue.

[00:17:40] Yeah, cool. So I know that you've been it's a long haul with the smokers up there. Yeah, for sure. While we're on the topic of Triple D and Gaffiadore, tell me what was that

[00:19:03] experience like having them at your it was kind of a nerd

[00:20:24] wrecking a little bit because I've watched a show growing up.

[00:20:27] Uh-huh.

[00:23:00] So this holiday season, reap the benefits. and triple part in helping us, you know, kind of grow the business, whether it's me asking my business question or inviting us out somewhere and just to have fun in Lulu. So it's been great. Wow, that's really cool. I'm really glad to response that it was gonna get and we've been blessed ever since and so far ever since then it's been just lights out. Yeah wonderful so that's cool it delivered a good

[00:24:24] response for you guys and a positive experience's all about technique. I mean, we're, believe it or not, that salt and pepper, you know, barbecue place. And I guess the number one question we're always asked is, you know, like you said, you high as 250 we've actually already developed a good bark on it and then next a lot of people like to focus on you know the dreaded start to think about wrapping. And then of course, then you got the big rest, which definitely rushed your briskets. I can't tell people that enough. I mean, I remember when I first had my first brisket, I did not rest the thing. I was like, oh man, this is going to be amazing.

[00:28:21] It comes out, it's. Yeah it's tried and true tradition for a reason because it works right all these generations this work because it works. Well let's go kind of a little bit more back into the

[00:29:40] family jewels and what we call secret time here on the low and slow barbecue

[00:29:44] show even though it's not really any secrets but tell me what do you enjoy Matt register out there, I mean he was amazing. I mean everything, I've never met a nicer person than that. Then I mean you had Anthony Bernardino from Swig and Swine out there in South Carolina. Every time I asked a question, he was there. I mean Brian, he's another guy.

[00:31:02] That's one aspect that I love.

[00:31:04] It's almost like it's a brotherhood. and we're like, yeah, sure, what's up? And she's like, can I actually go out back and see your smokers? And we're like, yeah, of course, you know? And she's showing us all these pictures of pork nuts that she's cooked and brisket that she's done. And I guess the best part about it is, is whether you're young or I mean, you're a little older,

[00:32:21] everybody loves barbecue in some way

[00:32:23] and everyone's normally have to work but it helps you I mean get through I think it goes back to a story my grandmother told me. One day my grandfather was outside, he was working, he was doing something, and she kind of asked him, she was like, what are you doing? And he thing you've ever made is? I think honestly, I don't know. I mean it would have to go back to

[00:36:21] It was it probably a Cuban sandwich. I mean I

[00:37:23] to pull from too and all these events that you're in. So when you're looking around and not maybe looking for advice but when when Brandon Shepard's going

[00:37:28] for barbecue what's your favorite North Carolina barbecue restaurant and where

[00:37:33] is it and why is that your favorite?

[00:37:38] You go to barbecue when you're not working. So, Brandon, you've been very generous with your time. I've enjoyed talking with you, but we're gonna wrap it up here with our low and slow showdown. And these are kind of quick hitters and I may get a little bit more out of you if I can, but we're just gonna jump right into it. So what's your favorite gas, charcoal, pellets or wood? Wood all day, live fire on the wood.

[00:39:00] So what's your favorite wood?

[00:39:03] Peekin, definitely a peekin.

[00:40:07] I know it's a lot about brisket today but I guess I wouldn't be to Eastern North Carolina but I said that's not like my go-to. Where's the kid I think I

[00:40:12] like cooking the most? When it comes down the whole lot, you just can't beat it.

[00:40:17] Yeah, can't beat it. So what is the best state in these United States for barbecue?

[00:40:22] North Carolina. I know people love to say fact there's a sauce so yeah So sauce with in last night. I lost my sign Last one and this is a tough one. I know is barbecue a verb or a noun. I Think when it comes that I mean a lot of people are gonna hate me for this

[00:41:43] I think it's a

[00:42:44] You can hear other podcasts in our Carolina Pitmaster series, including interviews with Ronald Simmons from Master Blend Family Farms, Matthew Register from Southern Smoke BBQ of

[00:42:50] NC, and Garren Kurtman from John G's BBQ in Peachland.

[00:42:55] If you like what you hear in the Low and Slow BBQ Show, please follow us, subscribe in your

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