Former Pitmaster, Bogart's Smokehouse
Skip Steele
Signature Dish:Apricot-glazed, blowtorch-finished ribs
Skip Steele was the executive chef and pitmaster at Bogart's Smokehouse in Soulard, a Pappy's Smokehouse spinoff that opened in 2011; St. Louis Magazine reported in 2013 that Pappy's and Bogart's ribs were tended by the same pitmaster, Steele. At Bogart's he finished ribs with an apricot glaze caramelized with a roofer's blowtorch, and the restaurant became known for its blowtorch-finished ribs. Steele and Pappy's co-founder Mike Emerson sold their interests in the restaurant group in 2018.
Technique
At Bogart's, Steele finished ribs to order with an apricot glaze caramelized under a roofer's torch; he said the high heat creates "an almost clear-coat finish" and seals in the mahogany color.