By SmashMeals Team — 2026-09-02 — Company News
A Great Day in the SmashMeals Kitchen
Some days in the SmashMeals kitchen are all about volume — proteins on the grill, rice cookers running, labels printing, and hundreds of fresh meals getting packed for pickup across the Tri-Cities. And then there are days when the cameras come back.
We were excited to welcome Kelly Goetz and the crew from WJHL News Channel 11's In the Kitchen with Kelly back to our kitchen in Kingsport, Tennessee for a new segment, “In the Kitchen with Kelly: Smoking Meats with Smash Meals.” This time, the topic was one of our favorite things to cook: slow-smoked meats.
Owner Lew Kizer walked Kelly through how the SmashMeals team approaches smoking a Boston butt and a brisket — the same kind of flavorful proteins that show up on the SmashMeals weekly menu for customers across the region.
Smoking Boston Butt
Boston butt — also called pork butt — is one of the most forgiving and rewarding cuts to smoke. In the segment, Lew talked through the fundamentals the way we think about them in our own kitchen: a good seasoning rub, steady smoke, and enough time at the right temperature for the connective tissue to break down into something tender and full of flavor.
There is no shortcut that replaces patience with a Boston butt. You season it well, you let the smoke do its work, and you cook to temperature and feel rather than the clock. That is the process Lew shared with viewers — not a secret recipe, but the honest fundamentals that make smoked pork worth the wait.
Brisket Takes Patience
If Boston butt rewards patience, brisket demands it. Brisket is a tougher cut with a reputation for humbling even experienced cooks, and Lew walked through the realities of smoking one: building a good bark with seasoning and smoke, managing the long stall, and knowing when it is truly done rather than when the timer says it should be.
The lesson of the segment was simple: great barbecue is learned, not hacked. Temperature, time, and repetition matter more than any trick — and that is exactly how our team approaches the proteins we prepare every week.
Why Smoking Meat Fits the SmashMeals Approach
Smoking meats fits naturally with the way SmashMeals cooks. Our customers count on us for flavorful, high-protein meals that are ready when they are — and big smoked cuts like Boston butt and brisket are a perfect example of doing the slow, hard part in our kitchen so dinner is easy in yours.
The same patience and process that go into a good smoke session go into every batch of fresh weekly meal prep we make: real ingredients, careful seasoning, and proteins cooked with attention instead of shortcuts. It is also the same behind-the-scenes kitchen Kelly visited earlier this year — you can read about that first visit in our previous In the Kitchen with Kelly feature.
100% Gluten-Free Kitchen
SmashMeals cooks everything in a dedicated 100% gluten-free kitchen in Kingsport — that is what makes our gluten-free meal prep safe for customers with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
One important note from the segment worth repeating here: smoked meat is not automatically gluten-free. While plain meat itself does not contain gluten, rubs, seasonings, marinades, sauces, and injections can — so ingredients always need to be checked. Because our facility is entirely gluten-free, customers never have to wonder about cross-contact in our kitchen, but it is a good reminder for anyone smoking meats at home: read every label on every seasoning and sauce you use.
Proud to Be a Kingsport / Tri-Cities Business
SmashMeals has served the Tri-Cities since 2017, cooking fresh meals each week for families, athletes, busy professionals, and anyone who wants to eat well without spending Sunday in the kitchen. We are proud to call Kingsport home and to serve neighbors in Kingsport, Johnson City, Bristol, and the surrounding communities.
Having WJHL News Channel 11 come back to feature our kitchen again means a lot to our team. Local stations telling local food stories is good for the whole region, and we are grateful to Kelly and the WJHL crew for spending time with us.
Watch the WJHL Segment
“In the Kitchen with Kelly: Smoking Meats with Smash Meals” aired on WJHL News Channel 11 on September 2, 2026. Check WJHL News Channel 11 and the WJHL+ streaming app for the full segment to see Kelly and Lew in the SmashMeals kitchen with the Boston butt and brisket.
Ready to Try SmashMeals
Want to taste what comes out of the kitchen Kelly visited? Browse this week's menu and order your meals online. Pickup is free at our Tri-Cities locations, home delivery is available locally, and we ship to eligible addresses. Weekly orders close Thursday at midnight.