Why Bringing Carolina Whole Hog to Texas Is a Big Deal for Barbecue - Smoke Point

Truth BBQ is one the busiest barbecue restaurants in all of Texas. The restaurant is known for its popular brisket, but now pitmaster Leonard Botello IV is expanding his menu to bring Carolina whole hog barbecue to Houston.
Credits:
Director/Producer: Connor Reid
Camera: John Rains, Mike Kozlenko
Editor: Connor Reid
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Development Producer: McGraw Wolfman
Supervising Producer: Stefania Orrù
Associate Director of Audience: Terri Ciccone
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[@YizzERR]

Man, this dude is SO dialed in to every single detail of his passion - and is seemingly able to articulate it clearly and matter-of-factly. That is the sign of a true master.

[@Charlton2010]

He’s a bbq chef not a Jedi Knight mate 😂

[@jetpaq]

Agreed!!

[@jacobhammock3355]

I agree. The shielding the meat with the wood is cool. I throw chunks in or set them on top to try to get so e water out of it if the wood I'm using is too wet. I was disappointed that he didn't go into detail about how important it is what kind of wood you use when you are getting your bark, I guess you can't tell all your secrets though

[@maxazzopardi7446]

I'm lucky enough to work for him and you are so right. He knows every detail of his business but every detail of his employees and their struggles. When he hired me he knew my brother had an addiction and he immediately tried to help. He would show up at our house every night making sure Benjamin was doing okay. Some nights he would camp outside our house the whole night, making sure Benjamin never used. He got so committed he actually secretly moved into our parents attic to make sure Ben didn't use, unbeknownst to my parents.

[@jacobhammock3355]

@@maxazzopardi7446 popega

[@calictolentino3949]

The thing that suprised me the most is that the guy talks to a therapist. If you have work in the kitchen, you would know how rare keeping up with mental health is hard. Glad to see it.

[@aapplefry2296]

Food service is hard! I was a kitchen manager for 4 years and it was very mentally straining. It definitely had its up and I had amazing workers! But by the end of the day the only thing that kept us going was playing loud music in the Boh.

[@se1663]

This guy has a place with 5 - 1000 gallon smokers. He can afford it. Most can't, sadly.

[@ernestogastelum9123]

@@se1663 those were custom made from fuel tanks and custom made stuff are way cheaper because you are basically building your own pit which is very common for BBQ places like Truth

[@csxconductor100]

In Canada we have free shitty health care clinics

[@calictolentino3949]

@@csxconductor100 Im from canada as well, where I live ain't shitty tho

[@theitems4242]

I will never get bored of watching these BBQ videos

[@skillz78]

Same. It’s interesting to me how everyone has their own way of doing things. I mean the same can be said for everything in general. But interesting nonetheless. The one constant everyone has regardless of style, methods etc is the love/passion. That’s the same.

[@wheel-e-umm]

Love this guys mentality and the respect he has for other styles of bbq. Being from Texas I never understood the misconception that we’re just brisket crazy and that’s it. We love our brisket but we love pork just as much we’re just known more for beef. We love the art of bbqing in general.

[@FecalMatador]

I’ve lived in Texas my whole life. Sure, we do pork well. But it’s not near the level of Memphis, the Carolinas, or KC

[@wheel-e-umm]

@@FecalMatador this wasn’t to say we did our pork the best. I just get tired of people acting like we only like brisket and pork is just an afterthought here. I’ve been to Memphis and KC which has good pork but I’ve been to places in Texas where it’s just as good. I’ve never been to the Carolina’s to say but I’ve heard they do it the best.

[@NodDisciple1]

It's like people forgot that a good chunk of our founding pitmasters were German immigrants that cooked quite a bit of pork including sausage.

[@chriswoolard7962]

Barbeque is what you eat, not something you do.

[@ericcartrette6118]

I was raised on NC pork BBQ. All my life, I kept hearing about Brisket, brisket, brisket. I never knew what it was until I went on vacation a few years ago and had some brisket on a sampler plate. I loved it! Now I keep trying to perfect my own brisket at home. But I still dearly love my eastern NC pork BBQ as well.

[@TheKirbyT]

As a North Carolinian living in Texas now, it's nice to see someone in my new state not dismissing whole hog as "not real bbq" and giving it the respect it deserves. It looks really good and I'm glad that a style that's actually dying out at home is finding new life elsewhere.

[@nickinportland]

It’s bbq just not Texas BBQ. I’m sure it’s good.

[@lrac_1]

People sleep on Carolina bbq I still remember the chicken I had in South Carolina 30 years ago

[@riskyb250]

As a Texan it would bother me if I heard someone say carolina bbq is "not real bbq". A bit of ribbing (pun intended) Texas vs. Carolina bbq is fine but at the end of the day it's all delicious BBQ. Huge fan of whole hog. Even a fan of "Gold" carolina bbq sauce to go with it. I want to see more spots like Truth that honor the tradition of other bbq styles. Same thing when you go to a craft brewery in the US and they have UK/European beer styles done properly.

[@2552Zeus]

Mexicans have been doing whole hog for many years in Texas it’s not a new thing

[@MrBlonde47]

To say whole hog isn’t real bbq is the epitome of irony. - SC Native

[@MAGGOT_VOMIT]

Hey Leonard, my family has been Carolina Pit Masters for since the 30's. We're also Brunswick Stew masters. You can crisp up problem areas or the whole hog quickly with a hand-mop or spray bottle of Lemon Juice. This method works for both Eastern and Western Carolina BBQ as well as whole Goat. I admire your pit passion. Cheers!!

[@bcbstmike]

That name tho

[@Thehubb1]

@@bcbstmike lol for real

[@JC-zv3bb]

As a South Carolina mountain boy living in Texas, I’m stoked to see the love and passion put into pork BBQ. Carolinas were the birthplace of BBQ and I love seeing it get the respect it deserves.

[@Mr.Martin4500]

Yes Sir, born and raised smoking pork Shoulders, Whole Hog. Vinegar Dip, Red Slaw, @Bqgrills

[@SCcountry2]

yes it was, and does deserve respect for sure.

[@nastypiglosi1788]

The vaqueros have been doing BBQ in Texas since it was part of Spain.

[@dylanhester4194]

I was raised on Alabama pulled pork/ whole hog bbq and it’s some of the best that I’ve ever had. I’ll I know is if your driving on a US or old country highway and you see what looks like a run down shack out in the middle of no where and it says bbq out front. It’s more than likely the best bbq you’ve ever had.

[@mikewilson5058]

Being a Carolina guy I love that you respect our ways of cooking whole hog bbq. Well done guys!

[@americanandroid9952]

Who The Hell Uses Mustard A Real Texas MAN Only Uses Salt & Pepper Period Mustard Is For City Boys Who Know Nothing About Country Texas BBQ

[@kelvintan6669]

As soon as he said Carolina during the whole hog part I just thought of Rodney Scott and his Eater video from 6 years ago

[@davidfence6939]

@@kelvintan6669 Been to Rodney's a few times in Hemingway. It's roughly 2 hours from my house and less when I'm on vacation. It's good, but there are so many others like it dotted all over SC that people don't know about.

[@kelvintan6669]

@@davidfence6939 he’s in Charleston now isn’t he?

[@PapagenoMF]

People have been cooking whole hogs for centuries. It's hilarious that Carolina is claiming that this is somehow their own.

[@mitchellwhite9728]

Perfect BBQ is a journey, not a destination. I'm partial to brisket because that's what I grew up eating, but the folks in Carolina know pork just as well as Texans know beef. I'm looking forward to trying some of this, with my brisket and sausage!

[@nickdillinger]

I'm thoroughly impressed by the welding an ingenuity of the hog cooker. Kudos to whoever made that.

[@eltomas3634]

Very nice design. And you can tell it's in Hustletown by the anti-theft wheel lock on it.

[@GreatwhiteShark88]

I made it

[@tbrowniscool]

Yeah it will last a few centuries, love that type of engineering. Like when Andrew Camara built his container house and just welded his quarter inch metal roof. Will be there forever 😂🏡

[@charlesshankle3178]

I love that he has showed respect to Louie Mueller's my all time favorite BBQ. He has the correct mentality all around to this art.

[@lonelobo956]

As a Mexican American from south Texas we have been doing this for as long as i know. My perants are from mexico so no part of a hog goes to waste. Lol

[@MotorsportsX]

Carolina native... it makes my heart happy to hear a texas BBQ master tell the world that carolina vinegar whole hog should be right at the top with texas brisket. We already knew that and were glad to share it with you! A huge chunk of NC economy is based on it! That's a bad ass cooker too. I'm gonna have to take a closer look at that thing one day

[@maniac6911]

Insane the amount of work that goes into all of this and the professionalism of it all. Would love to eat there the next time I visit the US.

[@CoolAsianGuy]

Please don't visit the US

[@Bala.the.Baldie]

The preparation part always fascinates me how long and precise you have to be

[@Maityist]

Yeah, it's expensive but what you're paying for is essentially that immense labor

[@SuWoopSparrow]

You can go to a fine dining place that is open from 5pm to 10pm only, but many of the chefs have been there since 8 am.

[@maix139]

Looks delicious and I appreciate all the love, care, and time put into it

[@johnnyspankspence152]

I love the freaking passion everyone has that cooks BBQ in Texas

[@cros5190]

'If you spend more than 10 hours on anything it becomes art' well said.

[@PapagenoMF]

Not really. I spent 10 hours babysitting my sister's kids yesterday and it was no where near art.

[@ASM31237]

@@PapagenoMF Been doing it for three years now on Fridays and Saturdays. Not freaking out is an art form. I’ve lost a 50” TV to those little turds.

[@chadsanders7439]

Well done!!! I live in Eastern NC. Thank you for respecting all BBQ from Texas to NC.

[@RandyCFP]

Just amazing. I appreciate the details he shared. Learned some things to try out for my Brisket and Sausage prep and now I'd like to venture into Whole Hog too! 😂

[@cwalker3166]

From a Carolinian...I. see why this guy is successful. Respect plus innovation must produce amazing food.

[@Shek1nah]

what a dedicated place. treating ingredients with respect, and try to not waste anything. using up "leftovers" for a damn yummy looking sausage. great respect for them

[@queenbunny999]

I appreciate your love and passion put into the briskets! Would love to taste the bbq myself :)

[@mig2546]

Eater had got to be my favourite KZbin channel. Love your guys content the music and editing quality every video is just straight to the point and also a vibe.

[@ddn79]

Been to Truth several times and way back when they were in Brenham. They do have the best ribs!! From top to bottom, it's one of the best BBQ restaurants in TX.

[@bandbam9587]

This is the best commercial advertisement, because I’m from Florida and I want to check this place out, I can see the passion in this food

[@zacksmith2227]

Giving the knowledge. Loved it when he said people don't realise wood has to be cured. Wood is flavour. The 1st and best rule of all Bbqs.

[@robertabrams8562]

HOLY COW…this was such a delicious looking video! If I ever had to choose my last meal, it will definitely be from this place 👍🏼👍🏼👏🏼

[@nkyryry]

That is the most impressive smoke room I’ve ever seen.

[@davidcourreges2595]

I’m all in on this “Q”. Dude is doing it all the right way. As an NC native, I am a bbq snob, and he put the big star on his Q when he seasoned the chopped pork with a vinegar based sauce. Well done, well done!!

[@traviszuluaga5672]

Bro. That shot of the knife running along the crispy skin is just 🤤🤤🤤

[@aaronl4128]

This reminds me of when I was a kid watching my grandpa do whole hog roast. He does a great job representing the Carolinas on this.

[@robertgoudy3223]

I ve been involved in a few whole hog cooks. A few in pits, and one in a Caja china. But first one I ve watched by a pro. What a student and master of his art. My mouth is watering. Great shot, and edited content.

[@benjaminlaster3773]

slightly more than impressed with this fella. can you imagine a world where everyone was this passionate about their profession?

[@michaelorsini9695]

These dudes are absolute Craftsmen in a world dominated by corporate standardization...MUCH RESPECT FOR THE LOST ART!!!

[@kylevalentine6080]

Used mustard too as a binder but recently started adding a dash of Worcestershire and a bit of apple juice concentrate to the mustard to some very pleasing results. Loved the video!

[@joshuakuehn]

Oh I gotta try that

[@williamadams2601]

Hands down, the BEST bbq in Houston. I waited in line 40 minutes on the day they were serving whole hog.

[@Mrbink01]

Shots fired at Aaron Franklin with that last line

[@Brian-fr9jr]

I love the German words sprinkled in his language "Spritz" and "Deckel". Seems like he has got some roots over here :D

[@thebossness1440]

Both of those terms came from German immigrants who went to Texas in the mid 1800s, but they've entered barbecue vocabulary at large. I honestly didn't even make the German connection until you mentioned it, it's ingrained in American culture deep.

[@ernestogastelum9123]

@@thebossness1440 US did have a large German population that German language almost because the national language. so its not surprising some words got ingrain in the BBQ vocabulary

[@rossmacrae749]

@@ernestogastelum9123 Misinformation. German was never close to being the national language, it peaked at 9%

[@YoungSwaggness]

I really enjoyed the whole informative process from start to finish!!

[@Rageplant1]

What an amazing episode. Truth bbq is one of the best

[@hookedonbarbecue]

I first went to Truth about a month ago, and damn, the brisket was fabulous. One thing I will say though, is that the line was moving really slow, like abnormally slow. We got there before opening, and we were 8th in line. It took like 40 minutes to get served. Truth needs more people cutting meat.

[@StevieTwoTimes]

I find the staff there pretty pretentious as well. I frequent the other staples in Houston more, plenty of great options in town

[@joseguerra3989]

What time did you get there to be 8th in line?

[@hookedonbarbecue]

@@joseguerra3989 at around 10:45

[@hiramatangi1736]

Wow! These guys are killing it 🙌🙏👊

[@matthewtyler7562]

Great job. Carolina boy here and you definitely did it justice, I’m starving.

[@mariuszarszylo1476]

God bless the people who make delicious bbq. I don't have the patience myself, but am more than happy to pay for excellent quality.

[@kevinanderson2881]

Such a great video!! I was working a farmer's market right across the straight from one of their locations. I saw the name and chuckled saying yeah we'll see if this place is the truth... and now I crave their brisket pretty much every day. This is probably the best barbecue I've had to date. Not much compares to it

[@bodyandsoulinconstanttrans9190]

impressiv! You guys really nailed it. If I ever get to USA I'll visit you

[@stephenherendeen2703]

I'm an eastern carolina guy. Chopping the bbq with the pork skin and the vinegar sauce is spot on. I'd love to try yours sometime and compare it to Pete Jones and B's.

[@bandbam9587]

9:46 creeped me out , also he’s so dedicated and dialed in, love his passion

[@TheLakshmiKarthik]

If you are so interested to know why he is explaining it so much and in a great detail -> 8:00 " If you spend more than 10 hrs on anything ,,, IT BECOMES ART " 🤘🏽

[@SilatShooter]

Super interesting video! Appreciate the effort and attention to detail. Will definitely make this a stop next time I'm out that way.

[@UncleMike1776]

Such a humble man! Delicious food!

[@GotHoai]

I live in SC and we were pretty excited when Lewis BBQ brought us incredible texas bbq, happy to see we're sending some whole hog bbq back

[@jacobsmith-hi6ey]

Finally this is one of my favorite spots in Texas. People always says you need to go to franklins or blacks but I love this joint

[@upnorth6722]

Thank you for the tour ! Peace from Up North .

[@KinGTeraTino]

Whole hog BBQ started back in slavery. This is king in Carolina all though we vinegar baste it just seeing the traditional Carolina way outside of Carolina is dope. You are killing it brother. I was born and raised in Williamston, NC Eastern Carolina to be exact. I literally had to wait my turn as a kid watching the pit, to loading the coal barrel with wood, or shoveling coals, it’s a art and privilege it’s a way of life in North Carolina at least for me it was. Hispanics also cooked whole hog BBQ and still do. All in all it don’t matter where you are from and how you do it. BBQ bring culture and people together!!

[@joshuaprice7306]

Speaking of Martin County, I’d love some Shaws right about now. Haha. 252 all day

[@KinGTeraTino]

@@joshuaprice7306 Small world see BBQ will do it, this is Ernest!! That do sound good right about now. Blessings to you brother. I hope you Nate and the family are healing well 🙏🏽.

[@ErdoganIstKeinZiegenfi...]

he said "spritzing" and my german heart danced from joy :D

[@anthonyshellender9801]

This is pride in your work. My dream job. Great group of guys

[@WhosTagg]

First time I’ve seen someone outside of NC pretty much nail whole hog like this. Good shit

[@mohnjark3739]

That control with heat is amazing!

[@keystonerider1308]

Props to the delivery guy rolling in the big boy stack!

[@TrulyUnfortunate]

As a BBQer myself I'm surprised I'd never heard of Truth until recently. I started BBQing around 35 years ago and did some competition BBQing. When I first started we didnt have the internet so you had to do a lot of trial and error or better yet find an old timer to show you the ropes. Brisket is by far the toughest piece of meat to master. Pork is pretty simple and forgiving. I'll have to check out Truth to see how it compares to mine and other pitmasters out there.

[@GreyGooseNWO]

Did you eat at Truth yet ?

[@TrulyUnfortunate]

@@GreyGooseNWO Not yet. Recovering from hip surgery so I dont get out much.

[@gerardbonner6464]

@@TrulyUnfortunate what about now?

[@jackhand4073]

@@TrulyUnfortunate how bout now?

[@TrulyUnfortunate]

@@jackhand4073 Still in the same condition. They have me on two fast relief and two slow release tabs of morphine not to mention a couple of muscle relaxers. Going anywhere is brutal.

[@crankybastid2197]

Chicken, ribs, roasts, Pizza, you name it. It's all better smoked and grilled. Thanks for posting.

[@RobBrown2288]

Anthony Bourdain once declared in an episode of No Reservations that NC whole hog barbecue was his favorite. I love it all, but agree totally

[@Sunny_Tang]

that shoveling coals under the whole hog to crisp it up is some next level tech

[@STINKINGLOWLIFE]

Very inspiring, you guys are legends ✌

[@mattblom3990]

I'm 36 and it's great to see new pit masters close to my age carrying this knowledge forward.

[@zesticide1010]

I don't eat here often, but it is a great treat from time to time. It's one of the better BBQ joints here in Houston, I like to stop by right before grocery shopping across the street. Yale @ Washington, 6th ward.

[@rocketprops3739]

Love this guy's passion, and I will definitely be eating some of that in the future. For my own reference, anyone know if using Iodized salt on the skin makes a difference over Kosher salt?

[@anthonyb2559]

Just their passion makes me wanna go there

[@NathanHarrison7]

There’s a lot of love in those details.

[@Michael-uf1hz]

That pit room is on another level, this guy knows his stuff

[@nicomeier8098]

Your dedication to excellence shows and the products look outstandingly tasty!

[@pkendall99]

okay, looks like you nailed Eastern NC Whole Hog BBQ.. And you chopped it! Mad RESPECT. Never seen lemons used our vinegar bbq sauce, but lime is good on Pernil.. so let's try it. Bravo.

[@seofutbol]

Showcasing what the Food Network should have been showing all along. Great work, folks!

[@arnoldomartinez1245]

It’s awesome to see the love and care of bbq.

[@jeffatgorbysgrill9480]

I came, I saw, I drooled. Defo on the bucket list. Amazing.

[@aliciaw3347]

OMG....they're amazing! The brisket needs no sauce at all. I get the brisket sandwich and corn pudding. 🤤🤤🤤

[@Bijnori_chora]

I don’t even eat Beef but I love watching these programs. 😂😂😂

[@charlies.campbell9996]

An ART for sure. Beautiful

[@arjunsatheesh7609]

He seems like a guy who knows his propane and propane accessories.

[@raz1739]

Been there. Loved it . H-town has some great BBQ joints.

[@Sabrinakay2008]

We visited this weekend, it was by far the best we have every had. The service was amazing and my hubs loves the hat :)

[@anthonyrichard461]

BBQ is a passion and an art at the same time. My 250 gallon stick burners' name is SmokeZilla

[@donaldgoodnight7853]

I miss restaurant work. I just do international food logistics now. Smoke my own meats for friends though. I liked this video. Reminded me of my restaurant days. Now I help to supply corporations. But my family and friends get the best food I can make. No complaints. No leftovers.

[@petertimmins6657]

I like how they make their own sausage from the trimmings. Great idea!

[@curtpopejoy9884]

This man is literally the definition of "if you're lookin, you ain't cookin"

[@Screedomy]

5:35 I loved the part where they spray aluminum foil with vinegar hahaha

[@zhubotang927]

I remember growing up meat was rationed along with sugar, cooking oil, and rice. That one serving portion there probably has a person's monthly ration if not more. Obesity and heart disease were exclusively reserved for people with political connections. America is a success story. People tends to forget just how productive their industry and agriculture are.

[@nicholaskearney678]

Great insight,enthusiasm and wowderful product- superb.

[@bglivingstonfishing]

Looks good! If you haven’t had 2M Smokehouse in San Antonio, you need to get there fast! It’s 🔥

[@oldshovelhead]

Great video! Looks like someone is giving Franklin some serious competition!

[@bordaz1]

Crunching some serious numbers....Leonard says Truth cooks 500 creekstone usda prime briskets a week, creekstone itself sells individual packer briskets for $175 each.....not counting delivery or middlemen, that's almost $90,000 a week for brisket alone! Luckily for them, like everywhere in Texas' big cities, they're selling sliced brisket for $31/lb. I couldn't imagine getting into the BBQ business anywhere right now, much less in Houston, DFW, or Austin

[@rayray5195]

We have been cooking whole hog in Texas forever and it is better than Carolina ever thought about being.

[@charlesvillasenor2064]

My personal favorite Brisket in Houston! Truth kills it! When I have family come in from out of town I take them here!

[@SanderVanierschot]

Excellent work. Outstanding cooking! Would love to work there! 👊🧡🙋‍♂️🧑🏻‍🍳

[@RealCoachRonn]

Boy that's a setup from heaven! 😲🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@josenarciso2547]

I like the fact he respected our Carolina BBQ I want to see what it tasted like because I stayed in Texas for 8 years and there bbq pork sucked but that f***ing brisket is amazing

[@charlessavoie2367]

This is the RIGHT way to use hogs, their destiny is fulfilled by becoming food for people. This serves their purpose well, with seasoning and CUTLERY!