Peace, Love & Barbecue is 17th Street BBQ’s newest original series, taking viewers to the place where it all began. From brisket to whole hogs, from Apple City to the Big Apple, this is a look at the Mike Mills legacy, and the BBQ Family who’s taking the good news throughout the world—one hog at a time!
This is a Travel Channel-esque series, but available on the web. The first episode is embedded above and all 6 episodes are available here.
– You may have heard recently that Chipotle is out of carnitas at 1/3 of its locations, but Charlotte Magazine is glad at least several local dishes aren’t affected
Midwood Smokehouse’s ribs
You know that feeling when you get to Midwood Smokehouse a little too late, and you see someone being served the last fall-off-the-bone, flavorful rack of ribs? Yeah, let’s hope that their pork supply remains plentiful. 1401 Central Ave., 704-295-4227, midwoodsmokehouse.com.
Mac’s Speed Shop’s pulled pork
Chipotle may be able to pull it off, but barbecue joint without pork? This is one place where if we’re coming in for the smoky, Carolina-sauced pulled pork, we won’t be so happy to substitute the chicken. 2511 South Boulevard, 704-522-6227, macspeedshop.com.
– Robert Moss’s 5 great interstate highway barbecue joints includes Fuller’s Barbecue, who we visited last fall
– In Madison County, Robin Reeves is raising her heritage-breed pigs partly on whiskey mash; introducing: WhiskeyPigs
The WhiskeyPigs name refers to Troy & Sons’ spent mash, which the pigs and Reeves’ other animals slurp down for 30 days prior to slaughter. With 10,000 pounds of mash per week, the distillery produces more than enough for the WhiskeyPigs fleet. The majority of the 2-3 percent alcohol concoction is collected for another local dairy farmer’s cows.
“They’re a little bit calmer, because they’ve had a little buzz,” says Reeves of the pigs’ final month, “but they’re pretty calm as it is. It’s their personality.”
– According to Atlanta Eats, Buxton Hall’s barbecue pop-up at Kimball House in Atlanta is one of the best things they ate this week
Upcoming Asheville BBQ joint, Buxton Hall made the journey down to Atlanta on Sunday. In one word: incredible. The line was long to get to the porky goodness, but it was SO worth it. The pulled pork was perfectly cooked and I’m still thinking about the fresh bread it rested on. So, roadtrip to Asheville soon?
– Barbecue for breakfast? It’s definitely a thing in Texas.
– The latest barbecue stops for Marie, Let’s Eat! are Paul’s Bar-B-Q in Lexington, GA and Rooter’s BBQ in Athens
– The barbecue Illuminati gathered for the Whole Hog Extravaganza at 17th Street BBQ this week:
Step 1: split the backbone with hammer and hatchet. #gowholehog #SouthernBBQ That’s a 157 pounder. pic.twitter.com/RR90Lh9xci
— Robert Moss (@mossr) January 19, 2015
– Daniel Vaughn has some great photos, in particular
The ingredients in @skylightinn‘s whole hog. Pork, S&P, vinegar, Texas Pete hot sauce, skin, and various pork cuts: pic.twitter.com/DlzKjPO62G
— Daniel Vaughn (@BBQsnob) January 20, 2015
This #gowholehog plate features @skylightinn, @PitmasterPat, and @17thstreetbbq & represents a 1670 mile road trip. pic.twitter.com/CTM1U2INXN
— Daniel Vaughn (@BBQsnob) January 20, 2015
– Sugar Creek Brewing in Charlotte and Team Spearhead are having a barbecue benefit this Saturday to benefit the Charlotte Bridge Home; brisket and barbecued chicken will be served
– According to this, Kansas and Missouri are the only two states with “BBQ” restaurants at a disproportionate level of representation, according to Yelp; more explanation here
Here’s the breakdown for NC for your reference; I wonder if all those “Southern” restaurants also included barbecue
North Carolina
- Southern — 229 percent higher than national average.
- Cheesesteaks — 207 percent higher than national average.
- Hot dogs — 80 percent higher than national average.
- Chicken wings — 47 percent higher than national average.
- Soul food — 39 percent higher than national average.
– Creative Loafing: Is there an Atlanta barbecue? With quotes from our friend Grant from Marie, Let’s Eat (via)
But is there an “Atlanta style” of barbecue? Arguably the unofficial capital of the South, Atlanta should be known as a barbecue mecca the way Memphis is, right? Or Austin? Hell, even Lexington, N.C. — with a population of fewer than 20,000 — is more of a bona fide barbecue destination than we’ve ever been. Atlanta is situated in the heart of barbecue country, but when you ask some of the area’s best barbecue bloggers and chefs to explain the city’s place in the wider world of ‘cue, you get more hemming and hawing than from a pitmaster being grilled on what’s in his top-secret rub.
– Speaking of Atlanta, the latest barbecue stops for Marie, Let’s Eat are Poole’s Bar-B-Q, Joe’s BBQ, and Sam’s BBQ-1 West
– In this past weekend’s third annual Tempeh Challenge in Asheville. a tempeh from The Bom Bus captured the People’s Choice Award with “its black bean tempeh and North Carolina-style barbecue sauce served with sweet potato mash and sweet potato chips”
– Eight years in, southern Californian Carolina Panther Ryan Kalil knows the difference in barbecue between the two areas…kinda
Q. What has become your favorite Southern tradition?
A. Barbecuing’s a big deal in southern California and it is here, too.
Q. Different styles though, right?
A. Different style, different lingo. Like back home you say, ‘Are you going to a barbecue?’ Here you say, go to grill out. I’m like, ‘Grill out?’
Q. What’s the food at a California barbecue?
A. Different kinds of burgers, steaks. Here it’s like pulled pork.
– A video feature on The Great NC BBQ Map from High Point’s Fox 8
– WRAL’s pick for favorite entree at this year’s NC State Fair was a barbecue sundae
Carthage’s own Pik-N-Pig offers the best entree option at the N.C. State Fair – The Barbecue Sundae. Now, it isn’t a traditional ice cream sundae. It is more like a barbecue parfait with layers and layers of goodness. The barbecued pork is topped with a layer of baked beans, then a layer of coleslaw. Just add your favorite sauce on top (we like a mix of both sauces), and you are all set. Served in a convenient 20 oz. plastic cup, you are able to walk and eat quite easily with this blend of sides and meat. Don’t be surprised if you end up finishing it, because it is not nearly as heavy as it sounds.
– WRAL also reviews The Fire Pit, a new barbecue restaurant in Wake Forest
– On Sunday, Sam Jones hits Dallas with his brand of North Carolina whole hog awesomeness for Dia de los Puercos
– More info on Dia de los Puercos from TMBBQ themselves, noting that the “hogs that Samuel Jones will be cooking are a Texas-raised heritage breed,” plus this cool photos
Dia de Los Puercos is Sunday & the pit is ready for @skylightinn at @fcbrewing. Tickets here: http://t.co/TsAvo0FRsQ pic.twitter.com/b8AAqx54b5
— Daniel Vaughn (@BBQsnob) October 28, 2014
– Lexington is #4 on this list of the 12 meat cities in the US, and for good reason:
Of the many “barbecue capitals of the world,” Lexington is by far the smallest. There’s a barbecue restaurant (19) for every thousand people, and most are world class.
– Finally:
“Life is too short for a half-rack.” One of my favorite quotes from Mike Mills @17thstreetbbq pic.twitter.com/Chb7Akwj7E
— barbecuerankings (@barbecueranking) October 28, 2014