Rodney Scott: from backyard chores to Barbecue Pitmaster

October 6, 2020

Live to Eat is back with another new episode! This week, I chatted with Rodney Scott, the legendary pitmaster behind Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ.

I devoured his recent Chef’s Table episode, and was thrilled to be able to have Rodney as a guest on Live to Eat! My husband is from Oklahoma, so I thought I knew something about barbecue, but boy was I wrong. Lucky for us, Rodney is a barbecue expert, with such an inspiring story too!

Rodney Scott is king of the pit—the barbecue pit. Awarded Best Chef: Southeast by the James Beard Foundation, the name Rodney Scott is synonymous with barbecue. His ever-expanding restaurant, Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, was named one of the Best New Restaurants by Bon Appetit Magazine. Rodney grew up in Hemingway, South Carolina, cooking his first whole hog at eleven-years-old, and this simple backyard chore manifested into a career, offering Rodney a business partner, and a spot as a feature chef on Netflix’s Emmy-nominated docuseries, Chef’s Table: BBQ. Though his signature sauce might be a smidge spicy, Rodney is all sweet. Rodney is a positive thinker and believes that life should be enjoyed.

  • Tune in to find out:
  • :: How one phone call changed Rodney’s life
  • :: The inside scoop on all the different styles of barbecue
  • :: Why smoking meat and baking cupcakes have more in common than you might think
  • :: Rodney’s secret to making every day a good day

I couldn’t stop day dreaming about the banana pudding Rodney serves at his restaurants, so I’m sharing my banana cream pie recipe, which fills that craving!

Banana Crem Pie

Serves 8

Ingredients

For The Graham Crust:

  • 10 whole graham crackers (20 squares)
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted

for The Banana Filling:

  • 5 ripe medium bananas (about 2 pounds)
  • 2 ½ cups half-and-half
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

For The Sweet Whipped Cream:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make The Graham Crust:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a food processor, process the graham crackers, sugar, and cinnamon until fine crumbs form, 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the melted butter, and stir until evenly coated (the crumbs should hold together when pressed between your fingers; if not, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the crumbs hold together). Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan and bake until dry and set, 8 to 9 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely.

Make The Filling:

Peel and slice two of the bananas into ¼-inch rounds and place them in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the half-and-half and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, cool for 30 minutes, cover, and chill, letting the mixture steep for 1 hour and up to 24 hours (the longer you steep, the more intense the banana flavor). Strain into a bowl and discard the bananas.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and salt until smooth, then whisk in the cornstarch. Add the banana-infused half-and-half, whisking briskly. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until thickened and bubbling but not fully set, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla until smooth. Using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, press the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and cool, stirring every few minutes, until just warm, 10 to 15 minutes.

Make The Sweet Whipped Cream:

In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld mixer, whip the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form, 2 minutes. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Fill And Top The Pie:

Slice the remaining three bananas into ¼-inch rounds and toss with the lemon juice. Pour a little less than half (about ¾ cup) of the warm filling into the prepared crust, then arrange two-thirds of the sliced bananas on top of the filling. Top with the remaining custard, then arrange the remaining sliced bananas on top of the custard. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly against the surface of the pie, and refrigerate until chilled and set, 4 to 5 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Top with whipped cream.

If you make this recipe, tag me @candacenelson for a chance to be featured on my stories!

 
episodesCandace NelsonRodney Scott