Smoking a Fatty

I picked up the fatty at a BBQ competition with my BBQ Team, Four Q. It was the morning of turn-ins, after everyone had been up all night tending fires, checking temps, and making sure everything was going right. Brisket and pulled pork were already on, ribs were about to go on, chicken was marinating. There's this window before crunch time where the smokers are going and you've got a little room to breathe. Someone tossed a fatty on the smoker and handed me a slice off the cutting board. That was it. I was hooked.

A fatty (also spelled "fattie") is one of the most simple and effortless things you can throw on a smoker. It's easy, it's tasty, and it's meant to be shared. Slice it up, pass it around, and you'll make some new friends real quick. There are tons of variations out there. One of them actually made national headline news a few years back as the Bacon Explosion. You can stuff them with cheese, jalapenos, cream cheese, whatever you want. Some people go all out with a bacon weave on the outside. This version requires a little less effort and there isn't any weaving involved. Master this one first, then go crazy.