Orlando pitmaster Tyler Brunache is bringing Central Texas-style BBQ to Central Florida foodies via his Smokemade Meats + Eats, and I caught up with him at a recent pop-up appearance at Redlight Redlight to check out his offerings.
Smokemade Meats + Eats was born on 2019 from Brunache’s passion and love for Central Texas BBQ, while he was living in Washington, D.C., but during the pandemic, he decided to relocate back to the Orlando area.
Two things to note about Central Texas BBQ: it’s cooked low and slow over wood, and it’s served dry to let the flavors of the meat speak to your taste buds.
Smokemade’s menu features brisket, pulled pork, house made sausages, ribs, and an array of other delicious eats, which we sampled via The Smokemade Sampler platter.
My favorite was the brisket, which is smoked for 16 hours and seasoned with only coarse kosher salt, black pepper, garlic, and onion powder. It had a great flavor, a nice bark, and a great flavor.
The pulled pork was also a favorite. It’s smoked for 10 hours, and seasoned with coarse kosher salt and black pepper. I really liked it drizzled with the regular Texas-style BBQ sauce Smokemade makes, but the more vinegary sauce was good, too.
Of the sausages, the Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage was my favorite, as it had a nice heat to it with plenty of cheese. My guest favored the Hot Gut Sausage, as she’s not a fan of heat. Good thing the platter offers both.
Rounding out the platter are pork spare ribs, which also had a nice bark, and sliced turkey breast that is finished in butter.
My guest and I also tried the brisket chopped in a sandwich. It was lightly tossed in sauce and topped with pickled onions and a sweet and tangy Apple Coleslaw for a taste and texture contrast. So good and definitely big enough to satisfy a hungry eater!
If you’d like to check out Smokemade Meats + Eats, you can find them at these next pop-ups:
- Sunday May 30 from 1pm-7pm at Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company (1300 Alden Rd, Orlando)
- Saturday June 5 from 6pm-9pm at Conrad’s Shanty (1205 N Mills Ave, Orlando)
For information on future pop-ups, I suggest following them on Facebook at facebook.com/smokemademeats and Instagram at @smokemademeats. I also recommended you get there early, as they tend to sell out and will close early if that happens.
Smokemade Meats + Eats also offers catering options for pick-up or for on-site special events. For more information, visit smokemade.com
Disclaimer: We were invited to a media tasting. As always, my opinions are honest and my own.
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