Early on Sunday mornings, when many people are still barely awake, Matthew Danforth of MJs Barbecue is usually standing in the grass behind Roma’s Butchery in Royalton, tending a pair of black barrel smokers.
“Those are pork belly burnt ends,” Danforth, 36, said as he lifted the lid to reveal the caramelized morsels sometimes called meat candy for their sticky crust and molten interiors. They’d sell out over the next two days, as would the fork-tender brisket, pulled pork and chicken that Danforth and his business partner, Jashua Tetrault, 35, sell at Roma’s each Sunday and Monday from noon until all the smoky, locally sourced meat has been snapped up.
MJs is the latest pop-up to take up residence at Roma’s, packing boxes with aromatic barbecue for customers to take home or eat in the historic building’s cozy dining room or on the back deck. In the spring, Roma’s owner and butcher, Elizabeth Roma, invited the pair to use her shop’s kitchen. “Initially, we were going to go food truckin’, and [then] this incredible opportunity came around,” Danforth said. “It’s been full throttle ever since.”
“It’s a good model,” said Roma, who has hosted several chefs and pop-ups since opening five years ago. “Running a restaurant in Vermont for five or six days a week is extremely hard. Some nights you get nobody. Some nights you are slammed. It’s hard to predict.”
Roma’s supplies some of the meat that Tetrault and Danforth dry rub, wet brine and smoke each week. “They go through a lot more beef and pork than we can supply,” she said. MJs sources the rest direct from local farms, such as Robie Farm in Piermont, N.H.
MJs is a redux for the partners, who previously ran a catering company in North Haverhill, N.H., called Hawg’s Catch. That business closed four years ago, due in part to the pandemic. The Roma’s invitation prompted a new venture. Rolling out a pair of custom-built smokers, the men began serving there at the end of April.
When pressed to categorize their style, Danforth said their brisket has “very, very simple” Texas roots, while the pulled pork leans toward a tangy Carolina style. Mostly, he said, they aim for simplicity with a definite New England touch: maple syrup in place of sugar and maple wood in the smoker, where they slow-cook local meats for up to 14 hours.
“Once we started firing maple wood, it just started clicking,” Danforth said. “It’s a lighter smoke, not a deep heavy smoke. I smoked chicken with hickory one time, and all you could taste was the smoke.”
MJs also eschews seed oils, such as soy and sunflower, and instead fries in beef tallow, even at quadruple the cost. “If we’re not going to feed it to our kids,” Danforth said, “we’re not going to feed it to the public.”
The resulting sweet potato fries ($5) are luscious. Brisket, pulled pork and pulled chicken are sold by the pound ($19 to $28), as plates ($17 to $19), on sandwiches with housemade potato buns ($10 to $14), atop baked potatoes ($8 to $10), or loaded onto mac and cheese ($6 to $14). The brisket and beef or pork burnt ends ($25 per pound) usually sell out first. Maple milkshakes ($6) occasionally make an appearance, and sides ($2 to $5) include corn bread, coleslaw and fruit. MJs has added a Saturday pizza night, slinging cheese pies ($12) and versions topped with barbecued meat ($15 to $17).
A decade after he began smoking, Danforth reflected on what he’s learned the hard way: Use good ingredients, and don’t over-season. If you get too elaborate, he said, “You’ll start to taste the seasonings and won’t appreciate the meat.”
MJs Barbecue at Roma’s Butchery, 5615 Route 14, Royalton, noon-7 p.m. every Sunday and Monday or until sold out, 788-8101, mjsbarbecue.net
The original print version of this article was headlined “Brisket Business | MJs Barbecue sells out farm-to-smoker meats each weekend in Royalton”