Just an engineer with a couple of ugly drum smokers and a Green Egg....
Ever since I was a kid in St. Louis, I've enjoyed cooking. This culinary enjoyment was fostered by my family’s passion to cook, working at fast/casual restaurants in high school, and my time working at a park that hosted evening dinner events. But I never took cooking seriously. While earning my degree in engineering from the University of Kansas, I'd have to become pretty creative with meals on my skimpy food budget, but cooking was still not my passion. It wasn't until after college that I started looking at cooking as more than just a necessity, but an actual hobby.
After my spouse and I bought our first house in Olathe, Kansas in 2005, I started to cook more and more. My passion/skills were developed from watching cooking shows (Alton Brown, Good Eats was a must watch) and the internet (Kenji Lopez-Alt at Serious Eats). More specifically, I got into visiting and reading quite a few BBQ blogs (Meathead Goldwin at Amazingribs.com was a constant source) to learn the art and science behind smoking meat.
That led me to purchase my first smoker in Houston, TX (yes, I drove down there and back) to give this ‘smoking’ thing a shot and hone my skills. Well seventeen years, two kids, hundreds of briskets, and a pandemic later, I've finally decided to take the next step and share my passion with the world.
If you're having a gathering or just want some BBQ for dinner, check out my page and leave me a message.
P.S…..what’s the story with the name ‘Smokey By Nature’??? Well, besides just being a dope-@$$ name, I wanted to honor the history, creativity, & ingenuity of African-Americans in this country.
Many know hip-hop was the creation of the rap pioneers in the late 70’s and early 80’s. And being a child who came of age in the 80s/90s, hip-hop was a huge part of my life. Artists such as Wu-Tang Clan, Naughty by Nature, The Notorious B.I.G, Dr Dre, Snoop Dog, Outkast, and many others, created and popularized a musical genre that many thought was a fad. Man, were they wrong.
Secondly, due to the commercialization/regionalization of BBQ, what many people don’t know is the impact African-Americans (as well as indigenous peoples) had on smoked meats and BBQ in general. From slaves taking the “bad” parts of the meat no one else wanted and turning them into mouth-watering dishes, to the creation of burnt-ends by Authur Bryant right here in Kansas City. If you’re interested in more of this history, check out Adrian Miller’s book Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue or Dr. Howard Conyers, PhD important work on the impact of African-Americans in BBQ.
So there you have it. Two prominent and amazing contributions of African-Americans wrapped (see what I did there?) up into one name. Now go listen to some ‘SpottieOttieDopaliscious’ or the SbN playlist on Spotify, grab a good book, and make sure not to get BBQ sauce on your white shirt (poor decision if you knew you were going to eat BBQ….)
#smokedmeatshooray
KC’s Finest
I’m always supporting local. Check out my favorite Kansas City businesses…(and maybe a few outside the KC area)
For an excellent list of Black Businesses in the KC area, check out KC Black Owned at the link below
If I Ruled the World
If I ruled the world, these initiatives would have unlimited funds. Check them out and please support if you can!
"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."
- Maya Angelou -
