My Father's Barbeque

How My Father’s Barbecue Brings Alabama and Texas Traditions to California | Eater LA

"At the Carson, California restaurant run by pitmaster Shalamar Lane, I saw how she fuses her Alabama and Texas family traditions into a distinctly Californian barbecue—"a mixture of everybody," as she puts it. I found the smoked pork rib tips especially revealing: they're coated in deep-red spices from her father's side in Bessemer, Alabama, yet also feature the cracked black pepper and large salt granules associated with Texas. Other specialties include smoked turkey legs with collard greens, wagyu beef brisket that Lane injects with seasonings before slow-cooking for hours, and smoked pork spare ribs mopped with both wet and dry rubs. While all the dishes are based on family recipes, she often invents her own spice and seasoning combinations—"tested and approved by the family," she says—and the result is food that feels rooted in family tradition while also creating something new; cutting into her super-tender brisket and plating the ribs makes clear how barbecue here brings people together." - Terri Ciccone