Hector Garate is an award-winning Pitmaster in the craft-barbecue scene, known for creating sustainable farm-to-table barbecue using old-school wood-fire techniques with Puerto Rican influences.

Garate’s passion for BBQ ignited at an early age and has driven him to continuously perfect his craft. Born in Puerto Rico, he was exposed to whole-animal cookery from a young age. Specializing in smoking beef cheeks, brisket, whole hog, and house-made sausages, Hector’s dedication to excellence extends to building his own custom cooking appliances, including an offset smoker.

In partnership with Peculiar Pig Farms, Garate sources the most sustainable, high-quality meats for his Charleston, SC-based project, Palmira Barbecue. Recently, Palmira Barbecue was awarded “Best New BBQ Joint in the South” by Southern Living and ranked number one in Texas Monthly’s “United States of Texas” list.