Good BBQ is Worth the Cost - Quality Matters

Sourcing locally is not a straightforward option in barbecue. If you priced out barbecue, says Wade Elkins, from the hours the pitmaster puts in to the wood that burns to the product itself, it makes local sourcing difficult. One factor in that pricing is what the customer is willing to pay for their meats and sides. Is $10 per half pound for whole hog fair—weighing in the fact that the hog in question is a humanely raised and processed heritage-breed hog?

Says Erin Smith: “It is a constant contradiction. You want to support local but you can’t always because of pricing.” She mentions her carrots as an example. “There is a perceived value to getting a side of carrots in a food court restaurant. It isn’t the venue to put them on a pretty plate and say: It’s worth $7.” When it comes to sourcing meat, she says, it’s not always local but it is always intentionally sourced. They use beef from 44Farms a lot, and all of their whole hogs are heritage breeds. “They are much more expensive than commodity but there are reasons for that: There is a quality reason, there is a humane reason. There are a zillion reasons.”