Dave Mielke of Amherst and his father Harold opened Smokehaus Barbecue (278 Route 101, Amherst, 249-5734, smokehausbbq.com) together in May 2018. The duo joined forces late the year before, completely rebuilding and redesigning the inside of the former Burger Mill restaurant on Route 101 themselves to give it its rustic look. Smokehaus is open six days a week for lunch and dinner, offering a menu of low-and-slow smoked meats available as sandwich or dinner plate options, from beef brisket and baby back ribs to pulled pork and pulled chicken, as well as fresh sides like collard greens, baked beans and coleslaw, and all types of house-made dry rubs and sauces. The eatery also carries regular offerings from several local craft breweries.
What is your must-have kitchen item?
An immersion blender. We make a lot of sauce with it. We probably make around 25 gallons of barbecue sauce a week, so it gets used quite often.
What would you have for your last meal?
My last meal would be schnitzel and German potato salad. My mom makes that for me every year for my birthday.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
Papa Joe’s Humble Kitchen [in Milford]. Those guys are great. In my opinion, they’ve got the best burgers in the entire state.
What celebrity would you like to see eating at your restaurant?
Adam Sandler. If he was in town, I would be absolutely happy with my life at that point. He seems like a down-to-earth guy, plus he’s local.
What is your favorite thing on your menu?
That would be the fatty brisket. We’re one of the few barbecue places that has fatty and lean brisket. You can get it as a sandwich or a plate. My two sides of choice would be the collard greens, which are my mother-in-law’s recipe, and the coleslaw.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
I really see sustainability itself as a trend. A lot of places opening up are utilizing local farms as much as they can. People are really starting to see how important it is to help our local businesses thrive.
What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
I make a really excellent pho. My son loves it with Vietnamese meatballs.
Sweet bourbon barbecue sauce
From the kitchen of Dave Mielke of Smokehaus Barbecue in Amherst (quantities are for large batches; cut measurements down in half for smaller batches)
8 cans Murphy’s stout
3 cups bourbon
16 cups ketchup
½ cup onion powder
½ cup garlic powder
½ cup red pepper flakes
4 cups brown sugar
1 cup molasses
Combine all ingredients in a large pot. While stirring, bring to a boil until all alcohol is cooked out (roughly 45 minutes). Let cool and enjoy.
Featured Photo: Dave Mielke of Smokehaus Barbecue in Amherst, with his dad, Harold. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.