Eat Barbecue and Tacos in Dallas With a Chef From a Michelin-Starred Spot | Eater Dallas
"At the Uptown Farmers Market location we ordered the El Jefe—one third of a pound each of brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs, turkey, burnt ends, and sausage—plus sides of Mexican street corn and a creamy red slaw after the chef insisted on “a vegetable with actual fiber in it.” From appearance he expected the smoked turkey, but the pulled pork won him over: “I love all braised meats, shredded meats. In restaurants or for myself I like to cook beef cheeks and oxtail, and it reminds me of that,” he says. He found the pork rub and sauce so flavorful they dominated the tray and suggested the pork “would be good on a Cubano sandwich,” even entertaining the idea of a collaboration between the barbecue crew and his own kitchen. The chile-dusted Mexican corn prompted a moment of education about taco seasoning—cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder—and he singled out cumin’s role: “I get the cumin a lot, which is good because it brings a freshness to all the cheese and fat, almost cutting it.” He also emphasized attention to accompaniment: “For me, it is the small details. I judge the sides, because you can see the attention to detail. At most of the places you go, people don’t know how to cook green beans and serve them undercooked, which I think is disgusting. Small details show how much care is taken every step of the way.”" - Courtney E. Smith
