Holy Smokes

In 2019, Jeremy Yoder, a BBQ chef that had a huge YouTube following, was working as a caterer in the Valley. He wasn’t Jewish, but some of the workers at the company were, and they requested kosher meat. Suddenly, Yoder had to learn how to make kosher BBQ. So, he found a kosher BBQ group on Facebook and asked if anyone could help him.

Danielle Goldblatt saw his inquiry and responded. “I taught him all about kosher,” she said. “I became his mashgiach (kosher supervisor) and oversaw the production.” At one point, Goldblatt made pulled veal for Yoder and his wife, who were astonished that it wasn’t pork. “His wife freaked out,” she said. “But it was just veal that I was getting from kosher butchers and making myself.”

When Goldblatt, a wife and mom, started collaborating with Yoder, she was also working as a Jewish Studies teacher at de Toledo High School (formerly New Community Jewish High School), her alma mater. She has a master’s in Jewish education and never intended to start cheffing on the side. 

In fact, growing up, she didn’t cook at all. But she was always deeply connected to her Judaism, keeping fully kosher when it came to meat and observing Shabbat.

“People called me the rebbetzin,” she said. “I loved Judaism. My family was traditional. I always wanted to be more observant.”   

When Goldblatt started living on her own and got married, she became more observant and interested in cooking — something she found she actually liked.  

“My husband Aaron got me a sous vide for my first Mother’s Day,” she said. “I loved it. Then I started playing with fire. I BBQed and tried smoking meat. I was hooked.”

Goldblatt would make meat and then post pictures of it on Instagram. When the pandemic hit, she decided to transform her hobby into a business and sell meat out of her house. She called her company Holy Smokes Kosher BBQ, and it was an instant hit in the Jewish community. 

Goldblatt would cook meat and then post pictures of it on Instagram. When the pandemic hit, she decided to transform her hobby into a business and sell meat out of her house. She called her company Holy Smokes Kosher BBQ, and it was an instant hit in the Jewish community. Her BBQ was frequently selling out, and she filled orders for Shabbat and the holidays. 

Recently, Goldblatt had a spot at the Kosher Food and Wine Experience and gave out her signature brisket tacos with pickled onions. Other menu items she offers include spicy Korean short ribs, biltong, 14-hour smoked brisket, cornbread and loaded baked beans. 

The chef prepares her meat at Mega Glatt Mart in Tarzana, and it’s RCC glatt kosher certified. People can pre-order and pick up individual meals, or hire Holy Smokes to cater events. Goldblatt also teaches “meatology” courses, demos and tastings for people who want to learn more about picking out the best cuts of meat at the butcher.

“We go over the different parts of the cow and how to cook them,” she said. “People get to try the meat as I talk about it throughout the class.”

Right now, Goldblatt is balancing being a mom to her two young boys while running her business. She still has time to carpool and go to school events, which is important to her.

“If I’m smoking meat, I miss one bedtime that week,” she said. “We’ve gotten into a rhythm, and I try not to miss more than one bedtime. My husband is very supportive. He does my designs for me. He and my son label my bags for biltong. My sons say, ‘Ima (mom) is a chef.’”

As for the future of her business, Goldblatt is thinking about opening up a food truck. A restaurant could be in the distant future, but she knows that the rate of failure is high. She’s hesitant to take that risk. If she can continue doing what she’s doing now on a bigger scale, she’ll be happy. 

“I want to do a kiddush Hashem,” she said. “I’ve always loved yiddishkeit and Judaism. I love teaching about kashrut and giving people kosher food. I want people to be wowed and bring kosher food to Jews who wouldn’t necessarily buy it otherwise.”

She continued, “I make great BBQ that happens to be kosher. That’s my tagline.”