Built in a Florida garage, cooked across the country.
Stray Dog Smokehouse started as a backyard meat club in central Florida. It became a recipe library when our friends would not stop calling for the brisket rub. It became a kitchen store when we kept buying gear and giving it away. This is the story.
The kitchen, in pictures.
A pellet grill, a stray dog, and a stack of butcher paper.
In 2019 the founder bought a 22 inch offset smoker on Craigslist for $180. Two months later a stray rescue showed up in the driveway, settled in next to the smoker every Saturday, and never left. We started writing the recipes down because guests kept asking. We built the library because we wanted to remember.
Today our test kitchen runs out of a converted commissary in Lake Mary, Florida, where seven of us cook every recipe at least three times before it goes live.
Who is in the kitchen.
Beau Tatum
Started Stray Dog in a Sanford garage. Author of the brisket guide and the original 8-4-4-2-2 rub.
Sissy Holcombe
Former pastry chef in Asheville. Now leads recipe development and tests every dessert that goes live.
Annette Pickens
Grew up in a Charleston kitchen. Brought us shrimp and grits, sweet potato pie, and a great pecan praline.
Dom Catalano
Knows deep dish like a love letter. Tests the Midwest recipes and runs our pizza Sundays.
Three rules that show up in every recipe.
Tested three times.
Every recipe is cooked at least three times, by three different cooks, in three different kitchens before we publish it.
Written for real cooks.
No vague instructions. Times, weights, temperatures, and the doneness signs you can actually see.
Organized by region.
Pick a cuisine, cook it for a week, master it. Then move on. Pace beats novelty every time.
Want to cook with us?
Start the 30-day free trial. No card required to browse the free library.