whole hog goes global in texas

Two pitmasters from unlikely origins are spreading a new kind of barbecue gospel-from the Carolinas to Texas

- ERIN BYERS MURRAY

As thousands of barbecue fans were set to descend on Lockhart, Texas, the barbecue capital of the state, on November 4 and 5, 2023, more than a dozen pitmasters spent the wee hours of the morning filling the air with the heady scent of post oak and seasoned meats. Nearly all of them were prepping the Texas standards: brisket, hot links, beef ribs. All except for a couple of guys laboring over two open pits where the smells wafting out were distinctly different-fattier, headier, spicier. These two were cooking whole hog.

The unlikely renegades were Hector Garate of Charleston's Palmira Barbecue and Don Nguyen of Houston's Khói Barbecue. They were not the first to cook a whole hog at this particular festival-where brisket rules and the only seasoning to be found is salt and pepper-but theirs was, to many, the most memorable.

They were serving at the BBQ World's Fair, the first day of the fest, which celebrates globally inspired flavors from the newest wave of pitmasters.

Nguyen-Vietnamese born, Houston raised-had cooked at the festival in the past, sharing his take on a smoked beef short rib served with coconut curry over garlic rice. But this time, he had Garate on his team-a Puerto Rican who was raised in the Southeast and has become a student of true Carolina whole hog.

Garate had flown in the night before, surprising Nguyen with his arrival, and would only stay until the last plate was served. One of their whole hog pits was being fired up for the first time ever.

As more than 5,000 attendees made their way around the food tents in Lockhart that day, so too did the barbecue editor of Texas Monthly, Daniel Vaughnevery four years, Vaughn ranks the Top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas. To say he knows his 'cue nearly diminishes his expertiseby his count, he's eaten at 2,318 barbecue joints in Texas (and that's not even all that are currently open in the state).

Consider him a PhD in Texas smoke.