Barbecue has often been associated with men. Think backyard grilling and who's often in charge. Barbecue or grilling outside involves fire, smoke, soot, sharp implements and heavy lifting — things considered manly, once upon a time. I'm happy to report that female pitmasters are now exploding onto the scene, and they're crushing it, of course.
Susan's Barbecue is a one-woman show, owned and operated by Susan Harrell. It's not your typical barbecue joint, as she explains.
"I'm not cutting corners anywhere. I'm small-batch, craft barbecue with a focus on quality, not quantity. I'm handcrafting seasonal dishes, respecting the art and history of smoked Southern meats."
Yes, this vivacious woman is passionate about her barbecue. "I'm constantly working on my meat!" she exclaims during our recent conversation. She's telling me how she and her husband migrated to Central Oregon six years ago from Asheville, North Carolina, and how they recently sold their house in town and bought a small farm in Tumalo. The farm is where she's growing her own garden and planting her barbecue food truck for the summer.
She's also giving me the rundown on how she goes about preparing and smoking her meats. "I age the meat then I season it overnight. Then I smoke it the next day and then let it rest and then it sits overnight again. It's a several-day process. I do everything from scratch, including all the sides," Harrell explains. "And it's just me doing it by myself."
Harrell was born in Florida and has been barbecuing meats since she was young. She really got in to it when she went to college in Memphis, Tennessee, where she studied history and criminal justice with the intent of following in her father's footsteps and becoming a lawyer. Her love of food and cooking and an older sister's insight ultimately led her in another direction.
"I always cooked. I always had dinner parties, even in college. So I was like, 'Hey, dad, I don't want to be a lawyer after all.' And he was supportive but insisted I go to culinary school even though I already had my degree," she grins as we sip coffee and talk about the wonderful world of slow-cooked meats.
Slow-roasted and slow-cooked meats, also known as barbecue, is one of Harrell's favorite things to eat and cook. And in case you aren't familiar with the history of barbecue in this country, Memphis-style barbecue is one of the four main styles of barbecue recognized in the U.S. There's also Carolina, Texas and Kansas City style. Harrell borrows techniques and flavors from pretty much every style. "Every region does something well," she reasons. Carolina and Memphis-style barbecue are pork-centric with variations in their sauces. Texas is famous for its beef brisket and Kansas City barbecue features sweet and spicy sauce on all kinds of meats.
Susan's Barbecue offers whole hog, brisket, half chickens, pork belly burnt ends, pork hop sausage and sandwiches including chopped brisket, Carolina whole hog and smoked chicken salad. Harrell has plans to rotate in different menu items along the way as well, such as smoked cheeseburgers, a fried chicken sandwich and even a smoked vegan burger. Meat specials may also include things such as smoked pulled lamb with a mint chimichurri sauce, spareribs, smoked duck carnitas and more. All the meats are served with pickled red onions, pickled zucchini, pickled jalapeño and white bread. Her from-scratch sides include Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw, Picnic Potato Salad, Marinated Black Eye Pea Salad and Mac 'n Cheese. There's Pimento Cheese for the kiddos as well.
I was intrigued when I saw a post on Instagram about a pop-up Susan's Barbecue was doing back in April at MidCity SmashBurger. It was the kick-off event for the season and she sold out in record time. That gave her hope that her new idea, of opening her barbecue food truck at her own farm for the summer, might work after all.
"I was about to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant/market/catering place right when the pandemic hit. I had second thoughts and stepped back and regrouped. I had a smoker built and I figured I could do pop-ups or whatever, and just do what I wanted to do and make it work somehow," she recalls. "We ended up selling our place in town and buying the 4-acre farm in Tumalo. So now, I've got my full food truck at the farm and I'm growing flowers and veggies. It's like a little green oasis, with a view!" The vision for White Elm Farm also includes a seasonal u-pick flower garden, a farm stand and plenty of space for kids to run around. There are picnic tables and mountain views and everyone is invited to bring their own lawn chairs, blankets and beverages and enjoy the food and the vibe.
Open to the public on weekends from now until November or whenever it gets too cold, the current hours are 11:30 am to 3 pm Saturday and Sunday. Harrell says she may start opening earlier and serving breakfast once the flowers are ready for picking. She's also continuing her catering business with advance orders available for pickup at the farm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Follow Susan's Barbecue online for menu/hours updates all summer long.
