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Tom Perkins

Beef brisket plate.

Double-fired meats at Shark's BBQ

To achieve the perfect juicy texture for beef brisket and pork shoulder, Louai Sharkas designed his enormous outside fire pits himself and burns oak and cherry in them — no gas or electricity. The meat is injected with nothing, just rubbed with salt, pepper, and a little garlic. He fires the meat for six hours, lets it sit overnight, and then re-fires for four hours more, always adjusting for wind, cold, and freshness of the wood. Though there is a sauce, the emphasis is where it should be, on the meat: pulled pork of creamy, melt-in-mouth fattiness and brisket with a little tangy crust. The two-meat plate or the tasting plate is the way to go. —Jane Slaughter