Canadian-born Perth resident Donovan MacDonald never used to be big on meat. He was more of a 'protein shakes' kind of guy, but that all changed after catching a whiff of a Texas craft barbecue.
MacDonald has gone from working supermarket aisles to becoming a cult barbecue figure in Western Australia.
"I had zero food experience prior to discovering backyard barbecue around 2015," MacDonald tells SBS Food. "Barbecue and brisket got me into food. It's a rich food, and I loved eating it."
After travelling to North America, MacDonald developed an appetite for bringing the Texas barbecue back home.
"It was not done well anywhere in Australia at that time, and trips to the US opened my eyes to that," MacDonald says.
Wanting to replicate this popular American barbecuing style, he began learning how to do it in his backyard by purchasing an offset smoker. To hone his craft, he went to Texas numerous times to visit his barbecue idols, and so began his journey to becoming a pit master.
Barbecue and brisket got me into food. It's a rich food, and I loved eating it.
"Learning to smoke ribs and trying to perfect brisket ultimately led me into a great appreciation for all food," he says. MacDonald started documenting his progress, posting his latest masterpieces, including beef brisket, beef ribs and pork ribs, on social media. While brisket can be a little tricky at times, the biggest piece of advice Macdonald shares with us is to absolutely rest your meat right after it's cooked. Patience certainly is key.
His passion for slow cooking resonated online. "I saw an opportunity to share it on social media. I got in as it took off," MacDonald says of his decision to blog his barbecue journey.
Support from his dedicated carnivorous followers soon led MacDonald to start his own business; something he says he didn't plan for or even set out to do. He sources many of his ingredients across Australia or in some cases in the US.
"There was no goal for it being a business. My unequivocal focus [was] on community," he says. "Because usually, when a business says 'community', they mean customers."
He began holding pop-ups around Perth, which he called Big Don's Smoked Meats and described as "underground barbecues". But after the local council pulled him up in 2019 for having a pop-up in his backyard, he properly registered his operation as a business.
Now, he also sells meat packages online, which usually sell out within minutes of posting.
I don't eat [my Texas barbecue food] as much but I really enjoy other people eating it and seeing people having an 'ah ha' moment realising what brisket should be.
Soon his loyal fans won't have to wait long to satisfy their cravings. MacDonald recently announced plans to open a permanent outlet alongside the upcoming microbrewery New State Brewing. The joint venture is expected to open in early 2023 in two industrial warehouses in Bayswater. While they will be spending the first 3 months testing new menu items, they've got plenty of exciting things to trial, such as their house-made dough for tortillas to featured alongside their platters.
As for MacDonald's own barbecue intake, he admits it has slowed down since cooking it for a living.
"I don't eat it as much, but I really enjoy other people eating it and seeing people having an 'ah ha' moment realising what brisket should be."
Guajillo roja salsa
"The best sauce for any BBQ, in my opinion, is salsa. The acidity cuts through the rich and fatty meat and adds some freshness to your smoked barbecue meat with a colourful tang."
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 20 tomatoes
- 15 garlic cloves
- 20 guajillo dry chillies
- 10 arbol dried chillies
- ½ cup honey
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp morita spice
- 2 tbsp ancho spice
- Salt, to taste (about 7 pinches)
Method
- Roast the tomatoes over the fire until charred. Roast the garlic in a pan.
- Toast the dried guajillo and arbol chillies in a pan until fragrant, then mix in the remaining ingredients.
- Optional: add pineapple to give it a fruity overtone.
- Once combined, transfer to a bowl and serve chunky or blended fine.
Note
• You can find these spice and chillies at specialised grocers or online stores.
