"Barbecue has long been one of South Carolina’s signature cuisines, but pitmaster Hector Garate brings a Caribbean flair to the smoked meats at Palmira. The Puerto Rico native, who spent much of his childhood shuttling between the island and the Carolinas, fell in love with live-fire cooking and built his own custom offset smoker. What began as a hobby turned into a food hall stall and, earlier this year, a standalone restaurant in the West Ashley neighborhood. “From the start,” Garate says, “my goal was to use barbecue to highlight our unique style,” which he describes as a combination of Carolina and Texas techniques with Puerto Rican influence. He smokes pork with an adobo dry rub and seasons ribs with sazón (a blend of onion, garlic, and coriander powders lifted by sweet, peppery achiote). Among the best-sellers are the beef cheeks, which are so tender each bite dissolves into a pool of spice and flavor."
