No sweat: Raleigh-based brothers launch 'Meat Sweats'

Many an idea was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, when cooking trends like grilling out took on a new purpose. Neighbors would gather around their back patios as that time served as the lone means of socializing during widespread uncertainty and anxiety.

But stemming from that came old-fashioned American ingenuity.

Some inventiveness combined with a sense of humor led to 'Meat Sweats,' a product birthed by two Raleigh-based brothers with a veteran presence to supplement the barbecue boom. Adam Bell and Scott Chalkley have lived all over the map, indulging in the different genres of barbecue our country offers. Bell said their product, a spritz that you apply with a spray bottle, caters to all kinds of 'cue, and will have folks livin' high on the hog.

Can't get much more American than that.

"We just couldn't believe there wasn't a product like that on the market," Bell said. "It's nothing unique that we've created. We've just created the first commercially made pre-mixed spray."

So where does 'Meat Sweats' play into the grilling process?

"You spritz it during the smoke to keep the bark moist and keep the meat juicy," Bell said. "You use some seasoning or some rubs, then you put it on the smoker and that's when our product comes in. You spritz it during the smoke to keep the bark moist and keep the meat juicy, give it some really good texture, color and flavor."

Bell, who works in medical sales, got analytical and compiled a spreadsheet with the most commonly-used ingredients across spritzes. Bell estimates they tried about 20 to 30 different recipes before finding one they liked.

"What we found is most people use either apple juice or apple cider vinegar or some combination of the two," Bell said.

The guys don't consider themselves pit masters by any means. Bell spent time in the Air Force and works in genetics research. Chalkley works in advertising. Bell grew up in Georgia, where, like in eastern North Carolina, vinegar-based is the style.

"[Scott's] always been super creative and I ran this idea by him and he said 'that's got to be called meat sweats,'" Bell said.

After saying it, it was time to spray it.

All three varieties (Hog Wash for pork, Bull Spritz for beef, Bird Bath for chicken) are vinegar-based. Hog Wash is the flagship product and is a mixture of apple juice, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and salt among other things.

Bell suggests applying the spritz 20 to 30 minutes into the smoking so a crust can form. From there, you can spray about every 30 minutes.

Meat Sweats is only available online now. The guys hope 'Meat Sweats' can be in retail stores sometime in 2023.

"We really feel if you prepare the meat properly and keep it well-maintained during the smoke you actually don't need a sauce for it," Bell said. "That's where the spritzing comes into play."