dining The Dish
What the heck are they smoking?
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Everything — from pork to salmon to turkey. Inhale the wisdom of two of the valley’s most accomplished smokers By Julie Hession | Photography SABIN ORR
“When did you learn how to smoke?” Not my usual opening question for an interview, but in this case it made sense. I received a backyard smoker for Christmas, a gift I was extremely excited about — never mind the fact that I had zero experience smoking meat. Armed with a notebook (and an empty stomach), I hit up two local experts for words of wisdom on the technique: Chef Wes Kendrick of Table 34, my favorite neighborhood restaurant, and Henry Black of H&H BBQ, which I discovered while judging last year’s Bite of Las Vegas. (H&H easily and deservedly won four categories.) They’re very different dining establishments employing different smoking methods, but they both produce rich, tender, slide-offthe-bone bites. Whether you’re interested in infusing your own home cooking with smoky flavor or tasting some of the valley’s most expertly smoked goods, these guys are a puff above the competition.
Smoking is a delicate but versatile process. Left: Table 34’s smoked salmon appetizer. Right: Their tasty smoked turkey breast sandwich.
42 | Desert
Companion | OCTOBER 2012