[Note:
This post, prepared originally for OutreachNC magazine, is hosted on the magazine’s
website, with excerpts and a link to the website posted here.]
Being a judge at a barbecue cookoff is the best way to spend
a weekend. Imagine tasting the best barbecue prepared by dedicated and
enthusiastic pitmasters.
Judging at barbecue contests connects me to cooking traditions
of our state, which boasts a rich history, sometimes united but often divided
between western and eastern regions.
Barbecue fans in our area argue seriously about how to cook
(wood vs. gas, whole hog vs. shoulder) – as well as the sauce (vinegar-pepper
only or with ketchup added) and meat (pork only or also chicken and beef
brisket). I don’t enter such arguments. I simply enjoy the style of each region
and contest and try to stay true to the traditions and standards.
On the morning of a cookoff, the cooking sites are
absolutely quiet – hardly a sound is heard -- as the cooks concentrate on their
final preparations. When photographer Katherine Clark accompanied me at one
whole hog contest, the sun was slowly rising as the judging began at 8 a.m.
Continue reading with an online version of the July 2017 issue of OutreachNC ...
No comments:
Post a Comment