Scotty masters the low and slow Texas-style BBQ in Fyshwick

Former Canberra radio personality Scotty Masters has thrown open the doors to his new BBQ restaurant, Smoke Masters BBQ, located in the former Zierholz Brewpub on Kembla Street in Fyshwick.

With the restaurant having a fun play on his surname and Scott having years of BBQ experience behind him, Scott’s dream of having his own venue is five years in the making.

“I’ve been catering at events and weddings with the portable smoker for five years now. I had an idea that one day I’d like to have my own place, and here we are,” Scott tells Region.

The 3-tonne custom-built portable offset smoker that Scott started with is still the heart of his new venture and sits proudly out front, chuffing away and packed full of brisket, pork shoulder, ribs and wings.

You can’t enter into the BBQ game without staking a claim on which US state’s BBQ ethos you’re aligning with, and Scott goes in for Texan-style BBQ. With a focus on simple rubs primarily consisting of salt and pepper, Scott says it’s all about quality meat.

“I’m a firm believer in using the best quality produce you can get your hands on and putting love into it. I’ve been using Alpha as my meat supplier for many years now. They’ve been in business in Canberra since 1952, and they sourced me the Wagyu Brisket that I opened with.”

It’s hard to escape one’s past, and it turns out that Scott comes from a long line of meat masters.

“My dad was a butcher, my grandfather was a butcher, and I grew up in butcher shops. I took a pig’s head to show and tell when I was a kid, which didn’t go down well with the girls. It’s funny, 45 years later, here I am working with meat every day,” Scott recounts.

With meat in his veins, Scott’s smoking practice is the real low and slow deal. The offset smoker holds up to 30 full-sized briskets and requires regular tending throughout the day.

“We have an alarm set every hour, so even when we’re busy, we remember to take care of the fire,” says Scott.

“There are dampeners on the chimney stacks that manage the airflow, allowing us to increase or decrease the temperature. And I know where all the hotspots are so I can utilise those to get things through quicker or slower.”

Scott’s wood of choice is well-seasoned ironbark, which burns long and hot, perfect for the 8 to 12-hour cooks that Scott undertakes throughout the week.

Scott has put a lot of thought into keeping the meat moist while it rests and uses American-style warmers that heat the cabinet and not the air, which stops the meat from drying out.

“We rest the meat for a long time, which allows it to absorb all the moisture. I’m very particular about what goes out to our customers.”

The breakfast menu is served from 8 am until 10 am and takes care of the tradies and early-smoko crowd with a brekkie burger, pulled pork brekkie wrap, brisket and cheese pie, kransky and onion gravy roll and hash browns.

Come 10 am, the BBQ meats come to the fore with a range of burgers, including brisket and pulled pork burgers, smoked wings, loaded fries and the ultimate BBQ dish, a carnivore platter that features a little of everything plus sides.

After 2 pm, bar snacks kick in to go with the beer taps lined up across the bar. These include two types of pizzas topped with brisket and pulled pork, deep-fried crispy chicken wings and loaded fries.

As a nod to the building’s former occupant, Scott is keeping local beer Zierholz on tap. Still brewed right next door, it doesn’t have far to travel, and with Zierholz’s philosophy of a great session beer, it goes perfectly with a session of smoked meats. You’ll also find other local brews on tap.

Clearly skilled with fire and smoke, Scott keeps it humble, explaining that BBQ isn’t Michelin-starred cooking, although many BBQ fans may argue that it’s better, but he’s all about mastering the simple things and paying attention to detail to deliver the best BBQ around.

Smoke Masters is located at Unit 7a, 19-25 Kembla St, Fyshwick. It’s open from 8 am until 4 pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 am until 6 pm on Fridays and 10 am until 3 pm on Saturdays.

You can check out the BBQ action on their website or Facebook page.