The Journal · Pit-side.
Every Stage Stop journal entry tagged Pit-side. Methods, recipes, and BBQ history — written by the pitmasters running the cook.
4 entries
- EquipmentMethodPit-side
Pellet vs stick burner: the decision
Two stick burners + one pellet smoker at the Cantina. Stick burners on every truck. Why we run both, what each does best, and why we'd never recommend a stick burner to a first-time home pitmaster.
13 min readBy Chef Eve Natasha - ServiceOperationsPit-sideStory
Saturday rush vs. Tuesday quiet
Two rhythms, one Cantina kitchen. Saturday 11-3 is eighteen pit workers covering four stations, ticket times under eight minutes. Tuesday at 2 is four staff, ticket times under three, and the cambros get deep-cleaned. The rush teaches resilience, the quiet teaches refinement — and Wednesday is still soft.
14 min readBy Chef Eve Natasha - MethodPorkPit-side
The bark vs. the bear claw
Pulled pork is not shredded pork. The bear-claw pull, the 90-minute rest, the fat-cap-chunk rule, and why we never toss our pork in sauce. Plus where we still fall short at Saturday rush.
13 min readBy Chef Eve Natasha - MethodPorkPit-side
The art of pulled pork
Bone-in shoulder, fat-cap-down over apple with a cherry finish. Twelve hours to probe-soft, an hour in the cambro, pulled by hand. The cuts that go to sandwich, platter, and taco — and why we don't smoke whole hog.
12 min readBy Chef Eve Natasha