It was under wraps at first, but now the word is official. Petite Maison chef-owner James Porter's new Old Town Scottsdale barbecue joint -- Big Earl's BBQ, opening later this month -- has a deal with Desert Smoke BBQ's Tony Morales to provide all of the restaurant's sauces and spice rubs.
"Our relationship started through Twitter. I've been a big supporter of Petite Maison" says Morales, who launched his Desert Smoke BBQ Sauce line a little over two years ago. "When they came to me about this, I was hugely flattered."
Morales says his tangy Sweet & Spicy barbecue sauce will be served as Big Earl's Sweet & Spicy, and the restaurant will use his Southwestern spice rub as well. He's been working with Porter to develop a Big Earl's Original sauce that'll be a little sweeter, a lot less spicy, and a lot more tomatoey. And for Big Earl's hot sauces, he's creating two fiery versions made with ghost chile peppers and habanero chile peppers.
Big Earl's BBQ will have a small retail space selling all of the bottled sauces and rubs (along with t-shirts, cookbooks, and more), and the products will also be sold online.