SETH: Fernando.

FERNANDO: Hey, how are you?

SETH: I'm doing pretty well.

Nice to meet you.

Debby.

DEBBY: Nice to meet you too.

Welcome to Riverdale Park, and welcome to 2Fifty Barbecue.

SETH: Thank you so much for having me, because I've heard about this Wagyu brisket, which sounds just incredible.

DEBBY: We can't wait to show you our signature dish.

SETH: Well, I like the sound of that and Fernando, I believe you are the Pit Master, correct?

FERNANDO: That's what they say and I have some secrets to share with you in the kitchen, how about that?

SETH: Let's go take a look.

FERNANDO: Let's go take a look.

All right, welcome to the prep room.

So this is our American Wagyu brisket.

This is from Snake River Farms.

We love this product.

It has a lot of marbling, and it has a lot of flavor in it.

We have Tony here.

He's deaf.

He's also our sausage maker.

He's an expert on how to trim briskets.

This is really where the skill of the trimmer comes into place, because you really need to focus on making this aerodynamic shape, but still preserving all those good flavors.

SETH: So after Tony is finished, what kind of seasonings do you throw on top of it?

FERNANDO: Salt and pepper.

SETH: That's it?

FERNANDO: That's all there is.

SETH: That seems like a pretty simple mix.

FERNANDO: Are you ready for the smoker?

SETH: Let's go take a look.

FERNANDO: Are you ready to spend 14 hours at the smoker?

SETH: Let's maybe see where it is in the process right now.

FERNANDO: Let's go then.

All right, welcome to the smokehouse.

SETH: Fernando, man, this is not a smoker, this is a submarine.

What is this?

FERNANDO: She's a beauty and a beast.

It's a gray direct flow primitive pits, 1,000 gallon smoker.

SETH: 1,000 gallons.

The Wagyu's, they're cooking right now?

FERNANDO: They're being cooked right now.

SETH: Let's go take a look at them.

FERNANDO: Go check it out?

SETH: Sure.

FERNANDO: All right, check them out.

All right, be ready to cry.

SETH: Oh, you weren't joking.

FERNANDO: That's the good stuff.

SETH: I mean, that crust.

FERNANDO: Yes, that bark is really what we're looking for.

You don't want anything crunchy, anything too crispy on the edges right here.

SETH: And, I mean, you've been doing this for so long.

You don't even need to stick a thermometer in this thing.

You know when it's done.

FERNANDO: We cook by the feeling, mostly.

SETH: And that smoke is definitely, whew.

FERNANDO: You never get used to that.

You're always crying here.

SETH: Where's the fire that's creating all this smoke?

FERNANDO: This is a direct flow.

You have the smokestack on that side, and you have the firebox on that side.

Let's check it.

SETH: That's a heavy duty smoker, man.

FERNANDO: 65 pounds per door.

All right, this is our firebox right here.

SETH: Oh, wow.

That is hot.

So what kind of wood are you using?

FERNANDO: We are using primarily oak.

With the wood, it's always a guessing game when we are determining if this wood log is ready or not, you want to see those little cracks in here.

You want to see some brown edges to it.

SETH: So the viewers at home know, you know it's 92 degrees out today.

FERNANDO: It's hot.

SETH: It's hot.

We're sweating.

But I'm sure you're also out here on days when it's you know, when it's 32 degrees out.

FERNANDO: Absolutely.

Sometimes, you're starting the fire at 6:00 in the morning, and you have 20 degrees.

You have wind blowing through the smokestack.

You have a snow forecast.

It can be crazy around here.

SETH: And so you're not using anything, just besides this oak, right?

FERNANDO: This is what we do here.

All wood, all good.

SETH: I like that.

FERNANDO: Actually, it's time for me to put another log in.

SETH: Cool.

Let's do it.

FERNANDO: I'm getting hungry too.

DEBBY: Cutting the briskets, it's a privilege for us.

Fernando is very adamant on how to do it.

It has to be the right thickness.

It has to be the right knife.

It looks really easy, but then when one of the cutters is learning, they go, "No, no, no.

It's just Fernando that makes it look easy."

In Texas, brisket is king.

We want every single pound to feel all the love that we put behind it, all the craft, all the knowledge, and every single customer has to be able to get it from that first bite.

SETH: Guys, this looks so good.

FERNANDO: Are you hungry?

SETH: I'm starving.

I think it's all the Wagyu, but I see what looked like maybe different parts of the brisket.

FERNANDO: Exactly.

The good thing when you come to our restaurant is, you can ask for, let's say, half a pound of burnt ends, the tip end of the flat, or lean or fatty brisket, whatever you prefer.

SETH: Alright, well, I do like a nice fattier piece of meat, so I'm going to start over here with this brisket.

FERNANDO: Oh, that looks good.

SETH: That is a good looking piece.

I'm excited to try this.

That is so good.

The smoke, it's not overpowering the flavor of the meat.

A nice little layer of fat in that bite too, which I always appreciate.

That is really, really good.

FERNANDO: We're glad you like it.

There's plenty more.

SETH: I'm curious to see how a barbecue professional decides to eat their brisket.

FERNANDO: What you're looking for really is for the lean to fall on it's own weight, or with a nice really light pull to it.

DEBBY: Tug.

FERNANDO: From there, you just want a perfect Texas biscuit, which is a piece of white bread, some pickles, and some pickled onion, and you're all set.

Sauce is optional on Texas barbecue.

That's another subject.

SETH: It's not just the actual cut of brisket here on the plate.

Tell me about some of these sides.

DEBBY: The sides reflect our Hispanic heritage.

The beans are made from Central American beans, with brisket trimmings.

The street corn is a fair snack in El Salvador.

Fried plantains are a hit here.

The caramelized pineapple is baked with cinnamon and honey, and it's great to cleanse your palate.

SETH: I could tell there really are no shortcuts here.

You guys are doing things the right way.

DEBBY: That flavor, it does not come from cheap or easy, or quick.

It really takes a long time, and that reflects on the final product.

SETH: I got to say, I don't think I've ever seen the crew looking this hungry.

So I think we got to wrap, so we can give them a little chance to take a bite of this.

Thank you guys so much for sharing.

I think I'm going to remember this for a long while.

FERNANDO: Thank you for joining us.

DEBBY: Thank you guys for coming and for appreciating the craft too.