Squeal-ING

Pete Gillis does it pop style at Cous Cous June 3rd. What is a pop restaurant? A limited night restaurant concept. Here is a Q&A….Make your reservations now
peter@saucierfoods.net

So peter gillis whats the focus or theme of the place?

Barbecue! The art of smoked meats and, of course, Cousin Pete’s Magic Meat Elixir, my Eastern Carolina style sauce! I will also be unveiling “Old Scratch” which is a heated up version of the Magic Meat Elixir I have ben tinkering with. My sauces are available at www.CousinPetesBBQSauce.com and I plan on adding Old Scratch and some meat rubs to the site after this event. And there’s the pitch, now back to the question…
I am having people seated “picnic style” at large communal tables and the side dishes will be served in large bowls, to encourage folks to share and interact with people other than the ones that they came with. It is part of my philosophy of barbecue, the roasting, smoking and sharing of meat is something primeval, harkening back to our hunter/gatherer ancestors. Tearing meat from the bone with your teeth, it’s very cavemanish. And yet we have kept and refined that experience to what we have now.

What style of BBQ are you doing?

Well, i guess you’d have to say Virginia Style. That is, I have taken techniques and flavors from all over the American south and southwest and fused them into something a bit different. There will be dry rubs, tomato based sauces, vinegar sauces, hickory smoked meat, mesquite smoked beef and maybe a surprise or two thrown in for good measure.

Is it a set menu or can we order al carte?

A little of both, I am featuring a Prix Fixe, which will include a little bit of everything: ribs, pulled pork, brisket, sausage, chicken, sides, dessert and more. It’s going to be a lot of food. But there will also be a la carte and to-go items available. If you want more, you shall have it.

Any signature drinks we should wet are whistles with?

Yes, expect some fun with bourbon and some rum too. I love to serve PainKillers, a rum boat drink kind of thing, with barbecue. So those will definitely be on the menu. But to be truthful I’m still “working” on these. And researching bourbon cocktails is as arduous as it sounds.

Whats your secret to smoking meats?

There is no real secret, just slow and low. Barbecue takes real patience, it is not something that is done quickly if it is done properly. I do have a couple of tricks up my sleeve that I like to employ, some folk would call what I do blasphemy, but you can’t argue with the results. And that is what really matters

What parts of the pig and cow are you using?

Beef Brisket, Pork shoulder & Ribs, and whole chickens, which are not part of a pig or cow at all. I make my own sausage, which will have both pork and beef and I use natural hog casings for those as well. We are using everything including the squeal: Smoke & Squeal…