Talking to social media influencer, pitmaster and “oxtail king” Les Rhodes Jr. in person is a lot like stepping into one of his Instagram or TikTok videos.
As he narrates in his deep voice what’s happening in the barbecue pits behind his commissary kitchen in South Salt Lake, he wears a white cowboy hat, red sneakers and a red T-shirt that says “Paintin’ ‘Em Red,” a reference to the deep red his meats take on as they’re smoked.
After stopping at one particular smoker, nicknamed Big Red, he lifts the lid, unleashing a hot cloud of meat-scented air, and gently sprays the red hunks of pork (destined to become pulled pork) inside with a solution made with apple cider vinegar and water. This is meant to tenderize the meat and keep it moist.
Then he walks to another pit, nicknamed Candi Red, and opens the doors to reveal rows of smoking briskets, turning over and over one another like they’re in a rotisserie …