You ever tried curing meat with a hint of something that really shows the land? I’ve been fiddling with a new spice blend that’s got me thinking about how we keep our recipes alive in the modern world. What’s your take on that?

You keep the salt, keep the pepper, and remember the smoke—that’s what’s going to keep this from becoming a fancy lecture. Traditions ain’t meant to be buried; they’re the bones we run around with, not the fossils we keep in a drawer. Keep it simple, keep it real, and the old ways will still taste like home.