Pitmaster Carey Bringle brings the true flavours of Tennessee to Sydney

The list of regulars at Carey Bringle's Nashville cinder-block barbecue restaurant would make for one heck of a boot-scootin' country music festival.

"We had Kings of Leon in last night," says Bringle over the phone in a slow Tennessee drawl that's warm like whiskey. "Those guys are good friends of ours. Sturgill Simpson, he's a customer. Steve Earle loves our ribs. Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch, they're in a lot too."

Indeed, it was Rawlings and Welch who recommended Bringle when Good Food Month creative director, Myffy Rigby, was looking to bring an American barbecue legend to Australia. The Music City pitmaster will be cooking one-off dinners with Morgan McGlone (Harpoon Harry, Belles Hot Chicken) for Sydney Good Food Month on October 20 and 21.

"The nice thing is that Morgan and I knew each other when he lived in Nashville," says Bringle. "It'll be great to catch up and cook with a buddy already familiar my food."

Bringle was born and raised in Nashville, however his family hails from West Tennessee. He says barbecue is in his blood.

"My granddaddy lived in Memphis and that's where my mum and dad grew up. You've got the heart of barbecue country right there. I started cooking with my uncle when I was little, something like 35 years ago."

Tennessee barbecue only uses pork and chicken. "If you want brisket, go to Texas," says Bringle. "For West Tennessee-style barbecue, the sandwich is going to have pulled pork, sauce and slaw on it. Meanwhile, Memphis is known for its dry-ribs, and that's really our specialty at Peg Leg. We smoke those ribs with nothing on them but salt and then once they're done we hit 'em with our dry seasoning."

Peg Leg's dry seasoning is paprika-based with about 16 ingredients including chilli powder, mustard seed, onion powder and pepper. "I'll have the seasoning with me when I come to Australia," he says. "I'm packing a separate suitcase just for it."

Bringle says he's also bringing a few bottles of his Peg Leg Porker Tennessee bourbon for Australian barbecue fans to sample. The whiskey took home a gold medal at the highly respected San Francisco World Spirits Competition in March.

And yep - the Nashville native's bourbon and barbecue brand name exists because Bringle actually does possess a peg leg.

"I had bone cancer when I was 17 and lost my right leg, right above the knee," says the pitmaster. "I went through intense chemotherapy for about 10 months and luckily it never spread. I'm a real lucky guy."

Bringle's artificial leg is made from carbon fibre and aluminium with a microprocessor knee that needs to be regularly charged. More like Terminator than Blackbeard. "These things cost about $70,000," he says. "I got drunk in New Orleans last year, fell in mud and damn well shorted that son-of-a-bitch out! I had to get it completely rebuilt. Thankfully they fixed it under warranty, though, I couldn't believe it."

American-style barbecue has skyrocketed in popularity over the last decade in Australia and around the world with competitions, reality television shows and a host of new bars and eateries waving the "low-and-slow" flag. Bringle attributes this rise in popularity to a new public appreciation of how much time and effort it takes to barbecue properly.

"This isn't something you cook in five minutes, you know? If you're not dedicating 18 to 20 hours to it, then it's not getting done right. The competitions have really helped spread the word about barbecue and get more people involved. It's accessible. Anyone can do it. You don't have to be a trained chef - you can get pretty good just by experimenting with barbecue in your own backyard."

Bringle adds that barbecue is also very much about being part of a community.

"It's about hanging out with friends, having a drink, listening to music and having fun. People always ask me what's my number-one piece of advice for cooking barbecue. The first thing I always tell 'em is have fun! That's what it's all about.

"Barbecue isn't a fad or a trend. It's a lifestyle, and that's we want to convey to people through our hospitality. I love to feed people and make them happy."

Carey Bringle's playlist for an all-American barbecue knees-up

Burning Love - Elvis Presley

Lawyers, Guns and Money - Warren Zevon

The Promise - Sturgill Simpson

Feel Alright - Steve Earle

Tighten Up - The Black Keys

Wait For Me - Kings of Leon

Whiskey River - Willie Nelson

New York, New York - Ryan Adams

Patches - Clarence Carter

Pig Meat on the Line - Memphis Minnie

The Whole Hog with Harpoon Harry

Bringle lights up the smoker at Harpoon Harry with our very own Morgan McGlone. This is the peg-legged pitmaster's take on the flavour of Nashville 'cue, straight up. Wentworth Street never smelled so good.

Sunday October 20, 6pm. Harpoon Harry, 40/44 Wentworth Avenue Surry Hills. $50 per person; includes a drink on arrival of either Yalumba wine, Coopers beer, Thatchers cider or Schweppes. Tickets available here.

Dinner with the Barbecue Master

An intimate dinner for the truly devout. This is your opportunity to get up close and personal with one of the greatest barbecue masters to come out of Nashville. Besides serving a three-course menu of his greatest hits, Bringle is on hand to answer every question you can possibly dream of about barbecuing beasts.

Monday October 21, 6:30pm. Harpoon Harry, 40/44 Wentworth Avenue Surry Hills.

Good Food Month presented by Citi is filled with events during the month of October. Head to goodfoodmonth.com for more.