Pitmaster Andrew Golden breaks down a platter from Golden Horseshoe Barbecue

In less than two years, Golden Horseshoe Barbecue went from a consistently sold-out pop-up to a permanent restaurant, taking over a Popeyes location at Dupont and Christie and surrounding the neighbourhood with the delicious smell of smoked meat. We asked pitmaster Andrew Golden, who co-owns the business with executive chef Kris Hansen, to break down a platter of his Texas-style barbecue.

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1. The charro beans are a riff on a recipe made by Golden’s mentor, Nolan Belcher, at B4 Barbeque and Boba in Mabank, Texas. Pinto beans are cooked down with fresh tomatoes, chicken broth, bacon, onion, jalapeño, and leftover odds and ends from the cuts of meat. “I love them because they’re different from the molasses-based baked beans you usually find with this style of barbecue,” says Golden. “They have more of a Tex-Mex vibe.” $7/$13

2. As it’s smoking, chicken is slathered in a Mexican tinga paste, then garnished with morita salsa. $20 for a half chicken

3. In a twist on burnt ends, morning pitmaster Brian Vo takes five-hour-smoked pork belly, cuts it into cubes and marinates it in an el pastor glaze of vinegar, pineapple juice, garlic, oregano, salt and guajillo chili. The porky bites are smoked for two more hours, then finished with fresh pineapple and cilantro. $28 per pound

4. Golden’s mom, Doris, is the pastry chef. She makes the tallow bread with rendered beef fat, and every order comes with a slice of it.

5. The brisket, sourced locally from Prime Meats, is seasoned with a secret four-ingredient rub, then smoked for 12 hours, after which it’s put to rest in a warming cabinet overnight. $45 per pound

6. The mac and cheese has a béchamel base, two types of cheese (mozzarella, cheddar) and a finishing coat of garlic bread crumbs. It’s the top-selling side dish. $7/$13

7. With the exception of the banana pudding, desserts rotate based on what Doris feels like baking. Sometimes it’s key lime pie, which happens to be her son’s favourite. $10

8. Golden says a side of coleslaw—made with cabbage, green onions and carrots in a house vinaigrette—is a must-order: something needs to cut through all that rich and fatty meat. $6/$11

9. Since Golden Horseshoe opened last September, they’ve sold 5,000 pounds of pork ribs, which they also source from Prime Meats. They’re seasoned simply, with salt, pepper and a rub that includes Mexican chili. $29 per pound

10. Doris’s banana pudding is a family recipe made using Nilla Wafers (which are almost impossible to find in Canada, but she has a secret source), vanilla custard and bananas. “Even people who are stuffed manage to make room for it,” says Golden. $9

11. Doris is also responsible for the cornbread. It’s sweeter and cakier than the gritty stuff and comes with a cinnamon-honey butter inspired by Texas Roadhouse, a popular steakhouse chain in the Lone Star State. $6

12. Cold-smoked sausages include Andouille and jalapeño-cheddar. The restaurant makes more than 1,000 links a month. $7 each 

13. Complimentary house pickles come with every order. 

14. Hansen (who previously worked at the Carbon Bar) likes to let the natural meat flavour do most of the talking. But, for those who are committed to condiments, two house sauces are on all the restaurant’s tables: Texas red sauce and Carolina mustard. 

15. Golden’s favourite side dish is the esquites. Roasted corn kernels are tossed with red onion in a cilantro-lime crema, then garnished with jalapeño, chili-lime seasoning and cotija cheese. $6/$11

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