barbecue

Linkdown: 10/29/14

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– 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

– 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:

Photo Gallery: The Mallard Creek Church Barbecue, 10/23/14

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The Mallard Creek BBQ
The Mallard Creek BBQ
2014 stats
Seating
Mallard Creek
The Mallard Creek BBQ
Plate
Pork
Brunswick stew
Starting to wrap up

This past Thursday marked the 85th Annual Mallard Creek Church Barbecue. While the lunchtime rush was too long, I ended up checking it out later afternoon before the lines got long again for dinner. If I had to pass along a pro tip, it would be to go mid-afternoon like I happened to do last year. The lines won’t be too long, the politicians will be mostly gone, and the barbecue will be in better shape than it is towards the end of the day. Still, a worthwhile event that I hope to continue attending for years to come.

–Monk

Photo Gallery: 2014 Q-City Charlotte BBQ Championship, 10/18/14

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S. Tryon Street
S. Tryon Street
S. Tryon Street
Carolina Rib King
King’s Cooking
Hog Heaven Barbecue and Ribs
Boone’s Bar-B-Que Kitchen
Dan Dan the Pig Man
Pitmaster Zach Goodyear of Sauceman’s
4 bones from Boone’s
Pigzilla
Burn barrel
Weber heaven
Mish mash of smokers

A few photos from last weekend’s Q-City Charlotte BBQ Championship, now a NC BBQ Association sanctioned event. Whether it was due to the change in sanctioning bodies or different organizers, I enjoyed the changes to this year’s version of the festival a lot. The barbecue competitors were more front and center, lined up on S. Tryon Street instead of being an afterthought to a street festival. There were also several more professional barbecue vendor options to choose from to eat. All in all, not a bad way to spend a few hours on a beautiful autumn Saturday morning.

–Monk

Linkdown: 10/22/14

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– The Charlotte Observer’s Retro Charlotte blog has several old ads for the Mallard Creek Barbecue

– Speaking of the Mallard Creek Barbecue, in its 85th annual edition just as many people come for the brunswick stew as do for the pork writes Charlotte Observer writer Kathleen Purvis

– One last link for it, where they are going above and beyond to prevent health risks

– Mind wanders to Southern rock, baseball, weather – and barbecue

– Some photos and a short recap of this past weekend’s Q-City Charlotte BBQ Championship

– Village Voice: Arrogant Swine Brings the Nuances of Carolina ‘Cue to New York

The region’s other favorite barbecue preparation, Lexington style, marries pork shoulder with a thin but pungent ketchup-based vinegar sauce. On a recent visit, Ho’s thickly chopped pig was aggressively smoky but just slightly undersalted — it still sings when dipped into that sauce.

– Congrats to Johnny!