Chefs We Love
Cherry Street Bar-B-Que’s Lawrence La Pianta Shares His Best Backyard Barbecue Recipes
Published on August 23, 2024
As the owner and pitmaster at Toronto’s Cherry Street Bar-B-Que, Lawrence La Pianta knows a thing or two about grilling. Earning Michelin Bib Gourmand status in 2022 and 2023 (which celebrates establishments that serve good food at moderate prices), Cherry Street is well-known for its trays of pit-smoked meats such as brisket, ribs, pork shoulder and house-made sausage.
Before opening the restaurant in 2016, Lawrence was a location manager for film and TV productions around Ontario. Backyard barbecuing had always been a favorite hobby — his first open-fire barbecue experience was cooking Filipino-style lechon back in high school. Eventually, he travelled to Texas to take traditional American barbecue courses with pros from across the southern U.S., then started gigging as a professional pitmaster and later co-owned Toronto restaurant Aft Kitchen & Bar. Ultimately, he wanted to run his own restaurant, his own way, and that led to opening Cherry Street.
Scroll down for some of Lawrence’s best backyard barbecue recipes!
Lawrence cooks traditional, Southern-style barbecue with a Canadian twist. Montreal-style steak spice plays a starring role in his signature chicken rub, and maple syrup shows up in his cornbread recipe. “I wanted the dishes to feel like they were lifted out of the U.S. and brought to Canada,” says Lawrence.
Complementing the meaty dishes are three delicious accompaniments. Inspired by traditional Southern barbecues, Summer Slaw features fresh cabbage, carrots, peppers and radish, topped with Lawrence’s Green Dream Dressing. “It hits all the notes: there’s sweet, sour and bitter from the different vegetables and a freshness from the dressing.” Bacon-wrapped Jalapeño Poppers are bite-size flavor bombs filled with cream cheese, cheddar and spices. Finally, super-moist Cornbread with Sage and Maple Brown Butter Glaze is the perfect sweet bite. “The cornbread complements the savory richness of barbecued meats and brings the meal together,” he says.
Reverse-seared Bone-in Rib Eye with Argentine-style Chimichurri
For the Rib Eye — one of the chef’s favorite things to barbecue — he creates smoky flavor by adding a foil pack of wood chips on the opposite side of a gas grill, then cooks the meat on low before giving it a hot sear to finish. “The flavor of the wood smoke seeps into the rich meat, which is topped with lots of herbs for a fresh, beautiful brightness.” — Lawrence La Pianta
Get the recipe for the Rib Eye and Chimichurri here.
The steak is then topped with a bright, herbaceous chimichurri. “If you could take your herb garden and make it into a topping, it would be this chimichurri,” says Lawrence.
Cornbread with Sage and Maple Brown Butter Glaze
Lawrence used mini loaf pans for the cornbread, but you can make yours in a 9″ x 9″ pan! “I like my cornbread on the sweeter side, using maple syrup to infuse ‘Canada’ into a barbecue classic and to keep the bread moist.” — Lawrence La Pianta
Get the recipe for the Cornbread with Sage and Maple Brown Butter Glaze here.
Spatchcocked Chicken with Cherry Street Chicken Rub and Barbecue Sauce
The Spatchcocked Chicken is marinated in Cherry Street’s special spice rub, then cooked low and slow on the grill over indirect heat, making it equal parts juicy and crispy. “The rub packs a lot of punch but doesn’t mask the flavor of the chicken, with its crispy edges and juicy, tender meat.” – Lawrence La Pianta
Get the recipe for the Spatchcocked Chicken here.
Summer Slaw with Green Dream Dressing
“This salad is super fresh, crispy and light, and the hits of radish give it a nice bitterness.” —Lawrence La Pianta
Get the Summer Slaw recipe here.
Bacon-wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
“The heat of the jalapeño is contrasted by cream cheese, cheddar and a Tex-Mex spice blend with cumin and lime.” — Lawrence La Pianta
Get the recipe for the Bacon-wrapped Jalapeño Poppers here.
Maya Visnyei
Food styling by David Grenier