Carnitas' Snack Shack Births Barbecue Offshoot

Out of the porky depths of Carnitas' Snack Shack comes the Smokehouse Kings, a new side project that will offer cured meats and seafood, barbecue catering service and custom smoking for local restaurants.

Carnitas' owner Hanis Cavin told Eater that they've been smoking meat for industry friends for more than a year, and recently purchased a trailer with five smokers that's powered by a blend of local avocado, apple and cherry wood.

Though they'll start off as a mobile business, the chef says the Smokehouse Kings hope to open a brick-and-mortar barbecue restaurant by the end of the year. Cavin will supervise, but the main meat men are two of his best chefs, Ivan Muñoz and Max Bonacci, formerly of The Linkery.

Muñoz, who previously worked at CUCINA urbana, has been honing his barbecue skills for years; through the Smokehouse Kings project, dubbed "San Diego Barbecue Labs" they'll produce sausages, cured and smoked meats, rubs, sauces, pickles and condiments.

The Smokehouse Kings have their official debut at this Sunday's Chef Celebration Artisan Food and Craft Beer Festival at Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens in Liberty Station, where they'll be serving baby back ribs with Muñoz's barbecue sauce, which will be available for retail soon along with their house cured bacon.
· Smokehouse Kings [Official Site]
· All Coming Attractions on Eater [~ESD~]