A lifelong North Carolina resident, Matt Barry grew up in Charlotte attending family barbecues where the smoker was center stage. He realized early on how social gatherings, weddings, work events and family reunions were enhanced by togetherness and the process of cooking food that is good for the soul. Today, Barry’s authentic and locally sourced barbecue is the cornerstone of Midwood Smokehouse.
A natural-born storyteller, Barry studied history at NC State University, where he also worked part-time at a local barbecue restaurant. Work became a hobby, and soon Barry recognized that his hobby should be his career; so, he swapped history books for racks of ribs and pursued a career in barbecue. Barry left Raleigh for the Queen City to join newly opened Midwood Smokehouse in June 2011 as sous chef.
Midwood Smokehouse holds a special place in Barry’s heart, as it’s the place where he met his wife—a teacher who spent her summers working at Midwood. Now, as executive chef and pitmaster, a typical day starts at 6 a.m. at the pit where he checks that the meat has slow-roasted to perfection overnight. Throughout the day, Barry works with his dedicated staff to create new flavors from traditional concepts. Barbecue is constantly evolving and education plays a huge part in that—Barry attended Texas Brisket School in January 2013 at Texas A&M University and will be returning this summer for Barbeque Camp in June.
Ingredients
- 4 ears of sweet summer corn
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 4 tbsp queso fresco
- 2 tbsp preferred chili-based seasoning
- 1 lime cut into small wedges
Instructions
Set the EGG for direct cooking without a convEGGtor at 350°F.
Shuck corn down to last layer of the husk and soak in water for 1 hour to saturate and prevent burning.
Place corn on grates and cook for approximately 15 minutes (the fresher the corn, the less time this will take). Rotate ears to cook evenly on all sides. Retrieve corn and shuck final layer when cool enough to touch.
Slather kernels with mayo and roll corn in crumbled queso fresco. Shake seasoning of choice over all sides of each ear of corn. Squeeze fresh lime to taste. Serve immediately.
The easiest and best thing is buy Trader Joe’s “Everything but the Elote” seasoning.