| Food - Smoked & Smothered |
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| Written by Thomas J. Carrig | |
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If you asked me what the typical professional barbecue team was like, I really couldn’t answer, because there is no “typical.” Some of these teams had their game faces on, with corporate sponsorships and large rigs with two, three or even four smokers on board. Others used their own money and viewed the event as something like a vacation. Make no mistake about it, they all wanted to win, but the camaraderie and the pure passion for barbecue was essential. With judging of the professional teams to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, the fires started and the smoke billowed on Friday evening. As I approached the contest, the smells were seductive. I stopped to chat with Jerry Dyer of JD’s Smokin’ Misfits who came in from Fredericksburg, VA. Jerry’s team is a family affair and they towed their custom rig with two smokers and three sinks behind their RV. They participate in about 10-12 competitions each year and view it as an opportunity to see the country and meet people. I listened to JD’s Smokin’ Misfits recall stories of travel nightmares and cooking tragedies as they laughed about it all and it was clear to me that these people loved competition barbecue – it added to the spice of life for them. As I parted company with JD’s, they advised me to speak to Myron Mixon of Jack’s Old South BBQ, which turned out to be great advice. Myron has won Grand Champion of Charlotte’s Blues, Brews & BBQ event for the last three years and competes in about 40 events a year, takes his BBQ damn seriously, and exudes an inspiring passion. “The biggest mistake most people make is that they get too complicated,” he told me while standing in front of his billowing smokers. “You can theorize all you want about temperature and time, but I say cook the shit ‘til it’s done.” Myron is a big dude dressed in black and looks imposing wearing a black leather full-length apron. But he was as nice as could be and provided me with some great cooking tips that I wouldn’t get in culinary school. “Barbecue is disconnected from formal training and that is a shame.” Myron runs his own school, offering three classes a year to fill the void in BBQ training. While the professional teams were all lined up neatly along the street, the “backyard grillers” were gathered in the lot across the street in what looked like one big block party. It was close to midnight as I wandered around the amateur area wishing I were one of them. It was like they were on a camping trip, with tents and supplies – except smokers of all shapes and sizes replaced the small camping grills. Almost every team that I approached to ask some questions offered me a cold beer and all sorts of BBQ advice. I consumed both with zeal.  Waking up on Saturday morning was a challenge, but I was eager to get back to the event for the judging. Whole Hog, Pork Shoulder and Ribs were the three professional categories. Each team had to make a presentation to the judges along with the food. “I love hearing the ‘BS’ that comes with each presentation,” Rick Browne told me as he prepared to evaluate Jack’s Old South BBQ in the Whole Hoingredients and technique before putting food on the plate, invoking the memory of his father and his grandfather before him with stories that may or may not have been true (the judges don’t care, they just want a good yarn). It didn’t take an expert to realize that Rick thought highly of what he was eating. I got to taste just how good it was when Mixon’s teammates shared some samples with me when the judging was over. It was incredible to a point that is hard to describe, but let me try: the hunk of bacon they gave me was nothing at all like what you get at the supermarket. This was a succulent, bone-white strip that dissolved on my tongue, leaving behind flavors of light salt, sweetness, spice and a perfect hint of fruitwood smoke. After about 18 hours of smoking, the multitude of careful flavorings applied to the 185# whole hog had melded into one hedonistic mouthful that left me craving more. At the awards ceremony on Saturday evening, Jack’s Old South BBQ won first place in Whole Hog, Ribs, and People’s Choice, thereby taking their fourth consecutive Grand Champion honors. I caught up with Jerry Dyer and he thought that JD’s Smokin’ Misfits might win something for their ribs, which turned out excellent, but they missed. His wife Mary was philosophical about it as she explained: “It’s like opening Christmas presents. The anticipation builds up for days and sometimes you just don’t get what you wanted.” The teams broke down their rigs and prepared to go home or on to the next competition, but I heard many positive commentsg category. And Myron Mixon didn’t let him down. He put on a terrific show for Browne, describing equipment, about the event and about Charlotte. Most of them will be back next year, and a few competitors told me that this event will probably get bigger each year. Who knows, I thought, maybe next year I’ll put together a team and toss my hat in the ring. But before I would enter such a competition, I’d like to learn as much about how the whole thing works and what really matters to judges. I figured, who better to learn from than Rick Browne, and where better to discuss it than at Mac’s. Nearly everything on the menu is terrific and we ate with gusto in the midst of a raucous lunch crowd. Philip Okey, the pitmaster at Mac’s, is a classically trained chef with experience at a major upscale resort and as an executive chef in a fine dining restaurant. He attributes the success of Mac’s to a relentless focus on quality. “The rubs and sauces were developed by my friend’s dad, Porter Gibson, and they are the most important components of barbecue,” said Okey. “Those are the signature flavors that turn a smoked pork shoulder into Mac’s barbecue.” Okey’s comments on the art of ‘cue reinforced what Browne had been telling me. “It’s not as easy as simply cooking what you want, because you are cooking for the judges,” Browne explained. “On one hand, you want the taste of your food to stand out, but on the other hand, a lot of judges like traditional flavors and they don’t encourage risktaking.” Browne and Okey continued to tutor me on the wide world of barbecue, barbecue as it exists not only in pork-savvy North Carolina, but in Memphis, Kansas City, and Texas, the other great United States barbecue epicenters. Whether or not I ever compete, I’ll bet that the next pork shoulder I smoke will be better, way better, than anything I’ve done before. ~Tom J. Carrig |
