Pitmaster & Owner, BEAST Craft BBQ
David Sandusky
BEAST Craft BBQ Co.Belleville, Illinois
“Barbecue is butchery first. Get the meat right and the fire does the rest.”
Signature Dish:Brisket and St. Louis pork steaks
David Sandusky brought a fine-dining background to the pits when he opened BEAST Craft BBQ in Belleville, just across the river from St. Louis. His brisket and pork steaks have topped regional best-of lists, and his butcher-minded approach — whole-animal sourcing, house charcuterie, a serious wood program — set a new bar for the metro's craft-barbecue scene.
Philosophy
Treat barbecue like a chef treats a kitchen — sourcing, butchery, and fire all matter.
Technique
Whole-animal butchery and long smokes over hardwood, with a chef's attention to sourcing.
Influences
Central Texas brisketChef-driven whole-animal cooking