TJ Steele

October 2019

Kicking off ‘Goatober’ in style we had one of the biggest names in barbecue: TJ Steele of Claro, Brooklyn, an Oaxacan-influenced restaurant in Gowanus with an emphasis on seasonal cooking and a uniquely awesome way with barbacoa, mezcal and corn. TJ makes everything by hand – from cheese and chorizo to mole and masa – and works directly with Oaxacan farmers to source and import non-GMO heirloom corn from the region.

Awarded a Michelin star the year it opened, Claro has basically hoovered up every award going, earning a place on The New York Times’ top 10 restaurants in the city thanks to club bangers like TJ’s ‘Barbacoa de Cabra’ (chilli-rubbed kid goat, steamed in avocado leaves, slow cooked in duck fat and served with blue and yellow tortillas, green salsas and a bowl of consommé). GOAT? You don’t even know the half of it…