HOW DID YOU START BARBECUING?
I was sitting around with some relatives and we all agreed that we would give it a try back in 2011. There was a cook-off here in Justin and we did it [with] two cousins and a friend. We got our very first first-place [finish] in that contest.
WHERE DID YOUR BARBECUE CAREER GO FROM THERE?
After I acquired another smoker, [my wife and] I started Torres Cooking Concepts and began catering and consulting with some of my friends who own restaurants, helping them narrow down their menus.
HOW DID YOU COME TO MENTOR THE CARROLL ISD BARBECUE TEAM?
I suffered a stroke last year in February, and I’m confined to a wheelchair. I figured what better way to be involved in barbecue than to work with these kids and pass the wisdom down. They’ve done excellently. They surprised me with their abilities.
WHAT MISCONCEPTIONS DO YOU THINK PEOPLE HAVE?
Most people think you just light up a pit, throw a piece of meat on there and let it go. That’s not true. You have to maintain temperatures and you have to understand wind patterns and humidity. Take all that into account and the type of wood you’re using, what smoke you need to use, what seasonings. There’s a science to it.
WHAT MISTAKES DO YOU SEE PEOPLE OFTEN MAKING?
One of the big mistakes I notice is people try to rush it. If things don’t seem like they’re going at the pace they want [them] to go, then they try to force the heat or the fires to get hotter. They end up either scorching the meat or burning it.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CUT OF MEAT?
I would have to say brisket. It’s the toughest to barbecue, and it takes a lot of thought and preparation.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BARBECUING?
For me, it’s a stress reliever. I worked a very high-pressure job before, and when you barbecue, your mind is on the food and the presentation. You kind of forget everything else that’s going on around you.