Grilling Tips from Mark Zuckerberg, Barbecue Nerd

Mom and pop restaurants in Silicon Valley might be dying a slow death, but one local resident has the makings of a fantastic smokehouse in his fenced-in backyard: Mark Zuckerberg. The billionaire Internet entrepreneur took to Facebook (where else?) for a live look at how he grills, backyard-style.

Looking for some choice backyard barbecue/cookout tips? Here’s how Zuck does it:

• Pick good proteins. Zuckerberg appears to be a true ‘cue nerd, explaining to his followers how the smoking process works and saying “half of the joy is that things taste better when you make them yourself.”

Facebook users advised him to try smoking fish — salmon, for instance — but Zuck said he prefers pork and beef (in this case, ribs and brisket). Especially if he knows who took the animal’s life.

The grim-reaper of newspapers everywhere/video obsessive has said in the past that his own “personal challenge” is to only eat meat from animals he’s killed, and it appears he is still pursuing that lifestyle. In his most recent Facebook live video, he says food tastes “doubly better when you hunt an animal for yourself. You feel more connected to what you're doing and what you're eating and it’s this whole experience.”

• Invest in fancy but well-made culinary tools. Two of the most fun things you can do, in the Facebook inventor’s estimation, is “racing cars and cooking meats.” (FYI: Zuck drives a Volkswagen GTI.)

And from the looks of it, Zuck’s backyard is outfitted with everything a barbecue fan could need. There’s a Big Green Egg, a smoker called “The General,” and a couple of cheap folding chairs.

“The green egg is great if you don’t want to spend a lot of time on it,” said Zuck, who added that The General was ideal for cooking a lot of meats and imparting a “good smoky flavor.”

• Don’t forget the backyard furniture. Zuckerberg’s furnishings look surprisingly humble for someone worth a reported $55 billion. During the video, he appeared to be sitting on a simple outdoor folding chair, similar versions of which retail for around $20 at Wal-Mart.

• Mark Zuckerberg Facebook Live [Facebook]
• All Barbecue Coverage [E]