NJ’s New BBQ ‘King’ Blends Filipino and Texas 'Cue
Joe Musngi of SmoKING of Meats was a hit this summer at Smorgasburg in Jersey City. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
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Like many others, pitmaster Joe Musngi found a new passion during the pandemic. But instead of baking bread, he smoked barbecue and a lot of it. Musngi’s first official barbecue pop-ups occurred during the summer last year and he graduated to a bigger operation every Saturday this past summer at Smorgasburg in Jersey City.
Serving under the name SmoKING of Meats, Musngi has quickly established himself as one of the most fascinating and delicious new BBQ pop-ups in Northern NJ. Musngi separates himself by adding Filipino flavors to American barbecue. He’s known for his Central Texas brisket, Filipino pork belly burnt ends, Filipino BBQ chicken bites, smoked gouda mac ‘n’ cheese, and more.
With Smorgasburg closed for the season, Musngi is now focused on a takeout and delivery operation in Belleville, New Jersey. His menu has expanded from the Smorgasburg operation, with new sandwiches, sides, and burgers. (You can order delivery from Seamless/Grubhub here.)
I chatted recently with Mitsugi about his life, his barbecue ambitions, and much more, and I am happy to share it here. This conversation has been edited for clarity.
The ribs from the SmoKING of Meats are delicious. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Sean Ludwig (SL): Where did you grow up and what’s your life been like outside of barbecue?
Joe Musngi (JM): I was born and raised in Rockland County, New York, where most of my family still resides. I graduated in '08 from SUNY Buffalo and worked in accounting ever since, most recently as a corporate accounting manager. This experience from the past 13 years has given me the ability to effectively tackle this new barbecue business venture. Outside of work and most importantly, I've been blessed with a beautiful wife, Stephanie, who's an extremely talented cake artist, and have two little boys — Joey, who just started kindergarten, and Josh, who’s become my little smoking buddy over the past few months.
SL: How long have you been cooking and smoking barbecue?
JM: I've been in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. If I wasn't witnessing the forming of meatballs or stuffing of artichokes by my grandmother on Mom’s side, I was an admirer of my other grandmother and her incredible talent to master dozens of traditional Filipino dishes from memory. My father was by far my biggest inspiration though. He had that "touch" to take something simple and elevate without batting an eye. From the age of 9, he would have me on grill duties and would give me his stopwatch to know when to flip burgers or steaks until I became comfortable with knowing when meat was done without one. This was certainly the foundation behind me eventually getting into the world of smoked barbecue late last year. When I smoked my first brisket for the family on Father’s Day 2020, it was an instant love. There’s also the nerd in me that yearns to master the science of BBQ.
SL: What type of smoker are you using and what type of wood?
JM: I graduated from the standard backyard offset this past May and upgraded to a 500-gallon offset that was masterfully crafted by a couple of brothers out in San Angelo, TX who build smokers as a hobby. It's been a workhorse for me ever since. For wood, I’ve used oak and hickory in the past, but my go-to is pecan wood for briskets and pork butts and cherry wood for ribs and pork belly.
The Central Texas-style brisket is another item SmoKING of Meats is known for. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
SL: How would you describe your barbecue style?
JM: I've had a lot of barbecue over the years. My menu pays homage to the regions that I believe are the best with each respective meat choice -- Central-Texas style brisket, Carolina style pulled pork, Kansas City burnt ends, you get the gist. Of course, I veer from the traditional take of all these offerings and put my little twist by incorporating some of the traditional Filipino BBQ flavors. But essentially what I make is what I love.
SL: When did you officially start selling barbecue?
JM: I had my first stint of serving the public at the Piermont Farmer’s Market in New York in late September 2020. It was those eight Sundays to close out the market season that made me realize this is exactly what I want to do with my life: Feed the world. Then I started selling in NJ this past Memorial Day weekend at Smorgasburg in Jersey City.
SL: I visited your Smorgasburg tent in New Jersey and it seemed like you built up some regulars. How was that experience?
JM: It went incredibly well and easily put me a year or two ahead of where I forecasted the business to be at this point. The traction that was gained from being at Smorgasburg could not have been better, and I’ll forever be grateful to founders Eric and Jonathan for giving me the opportunity. I cannot wait to get back out there with the team next April when the new season commences.
Joe Musngi launched his first barbecue pop-ups last year and has grown steadily ever since. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
SL: The next big project for you is your new delivery and takeout operation in Belleville, NJ. Tell me more about that.
JM: I’m excited for this next phase of the business. Being a pop-up vendor, I only had one to two times a week when I would be able to serve people. This finally gives me the ability to do what I love more consistently as well as lets me expand my menu further. For the time being, it’s strictly a delivery/take-out kitchen, so no seating to come eat there. I know that may be a dealbreaker for some, but I believe this model is the perfect one for where I’m at this point in the game. As much as I’d love to open an actual storefront, I don’t want to rush and fail. Slow growth is still growth. Until then, you’ll find me on third-party delivery apps or you can always come by to pick up directly from me.
SL: What are some of the most popular items on your new menu?
JM: The Filipino BBQ chicken bites and pork belly burnt ends have been a force since opening. I came into Smorgaburg being known for brisket and left with somewhat of a cult following for the pork belly. This has crossed over to the new kitchen as well. A few other unique items I’m offering are a Lumpia Po’Boy and brisket dirty rice arancini, both of which have been a huge hit. … I get to showcase my Italian side of the family with the brisket dirty rice arancini. It was inspired by the brisket dirty rice I had at Brisket King 2021, which was made by James Cruse of Central City BBQ in New Orleans. I do a slightly different take where I make rice balls with stuffed mozzarella and fry until golden brown with a side of house marinara.
SL: What do you think of the barbecue scene in New Jersey? Any favorite places in the area you want to shout out?
JM: It may be the little sibling to the almighty NYC, but I think Jersey has a lot to offer when it comes to the food scene, not just BBQ. I haven’t fully tested the waters of NJ BBQ, but the places I have tried are remarkable. Honorable mentions for me include the awes St. Louis ribs from Brothers Smokehouse in Ramsey. I recently enjoyed some baby back ribs from Cubby’s BBQ in Hackensack too. And of course, how could I not put my good friend Robert Austin Cho from Kimchi Smoke in Westwood, on this list. He’s someone I’ve looked up to since getting into BBQ. Not because he also uses American BBQ as a vessel to showcase the flavors of his culture, but because he’s one of the best at what he does and is always looking to support a fellow brother. I look forward to getting to one of his “Chomakase” events.
The Filipino pork belly burnt ends from SmoKING of Meats were a hit at the recent NYCWFF Backyard BBQ and are a popular menu item. (Photo by Anthony Scerri / Smoke Sweats)
SL: You recently served up Filipino pork belly burnt ends at the NYCWFF Backyard BBQ event and they were a huge hit. Had you seen people blend Filipino and American barbecue before you started doing it regularly?
JM: Thank you. I really wasn’t expecting that type of response to the burnt ends, but I’ll forever be grateful for the experience that day. I personally hadn’t seen anyone blending the flavors of the Philippines into American BBQ. But there are two places that I know of: a friend of mine, the owner of Bad for Business in Queens, NY, is killing it with Filipino street food/BBQ pop-ups. There’s also The Park’s Finest in Los Angeles that is also serving American cuts of BBQ with a Filipino flavor.
SL: What are your plans for 2022?
JM: The goal for 2022 is to take off with my business under the name “The Par-T-Q.” Some Smorgasuburg customers have already seen this side of the business when my cousin Drew came to DJ and play drums. Not only do I want to be a force in party and entertainment with my wife’s cakes and his musicianship, I also aspire to open a Par-T-Q physical storefront someday. I envision a modern vibe with a beer garden out back where I source all the beers from local breweries, as well as an area that showcases a couple of 1,000-gallon offset smokers that will actively be in use. … But first things first, let’s see if Belleville likes their new “King” enough for all the above to become a reality.
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Thank you to Joe for this great conversation. I’m looking forward to seeing how his New Jersey operation evolves in the next year and how his Filipino-inspired BBQ adds to the overall Northeastern BBQ scene.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
Pineapple Express Barbecue is a hot new barbecue option opening this weekend in Montclair, New Jersey. (Photo by Pineapple Express Barbecue)
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Pineapple Express Barbecue, a new barbecue joint in Montclair, NJ, opens this weekend after teasing itself with several popups this year. The barbecue joint is operated by chefs/pitmasters Damon Wise and Lauren Michael Hirshberg. It will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 12-8 p.m at the Lackawanna Plaza area in Montclair. READ HERE.
Sruli "Izzy" Eidelman, the owner of acclaimed NYC-based kosher barbecue joint Izzy's Brooklyn Smokehouse, has just opened a new location in Miami. "With all the restrictions and constraints in New York City, coming to Miami felt like the right fit at the right time," Eidelman, who also has plans to relocate to the area part-time, told the Miami New Times. READ HERE.
Wildwoods BBQ in New Jersey was recently spotlighted in a new Eater video. Chefs David Gill and Joel Romano bring the flavors and cooking techniques of their home country of Australia to classic American barbecue dishes like slow-cooked brisket, sausage, and ribs, along with inventive vegetarian dishes like “pulled” mushrooms and fried cauliflower. WATCH HERE.
Mutiny BBQ Company, a new barbecue joint in Asbury Park, NJ that draws inspiration from Texas, Kansas City, Memphis, the Carolinas, and Louisiana, plans to open later this month. READ HERE.
Coming off a successful first pop-up last month, vegan BBQ operation Pure Grit BBQ will be back serving up southern Brooklyn with bites on November 13th and 14th. They’ll be back at Al Horno in Bay Ridge with creative smoked veggies and other tasty bites. READ HERE.
The Brooklyn Whiskey Fest will be back this November at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint.
Here are the top BBQ and related food events coming soon to the New York metro area:
November 11, 2021: The annual WhiskyFest New York event is back in November at the Marriot Marquis in Times Square. Meet the whisky distillers, master blenders, and other whisky experts who will be in attendance. This is your chance to taste from a selection of single malt and blended Scotch, Irish, bourbon, rye, Tennessee, Japanese, Canadian, and craft-distilled whiskies, all assembled in one Grand Ballroom. BUY TICKETS HERE.
November 13, 2021: The Brooklyn Whiskey Fest returns soon with more than 100 different types of liquor to try. Held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint, the event will let attendees taste an outstanding selection of whiskies and a variety of craft spirits ranging from the all-American Kentucky Bourbons to Irish Whiskies and more. BUY TICKETS HERE.
If you would like your food event listed here, please get in touch.
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