For years I’ve wanted to attend the granddaddy barbecue festival of all, the long-running event organized by Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC. Finally, in its 88th year, I got to see why it’s so
famous.
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| Now in its 88th year, Mallard Creek is the place for BBQ in October. |
More than 20,000 people attend the latest incarnation of an
event begun in 1929 when the nation fell into the Great Depression. That year
the church cooked two hogs and a goat, and sold its first barbecue to pay a
contractor who was constructing Sunday school rooms. Now proceeds raised support
local and world missions and supplement the church’s building fund. The food --
chopped pork barbecue, Brunswick stew, coleslaw, and applesauce -- continues to
please each new generation.
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| The annual event is a reunion of church members and community residents. |
The crowd includes plenty of politicians eager to campaign
before elections are held in only 12 days and greet voters as they move through
the waiting line. A lot of food is needed to feed the crowd. This year more
than 13,000 pounds of pork barbecue, 25,000 gallons of Brunswick stew, 2 tons
of coleslaw, and 400 gallons of coffee were prepared. Each plate costs $10, and
a sandwich only is $4. (If you call ahead, the church can accommodate group
orders of 50 plates or more – but no deliveries.) Barbecue is also sold by the
pound, and stew and slaw by the quart.
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| The BBQ plate costs $10. |
While applesauce on a barbecue plate may not be usual, the
biggest surprise is the Brunswick stew, which is made with rice, not potatoes.
In addition, instead of shredded chicken and other meat such as beef, it has
ground-up chicken, pork, and beef; instead of lima beans, it has only tomatoes
and corn. Rebecca McLaughlin, who died
in 2004 at age 93, is responsible for the stew recipe. According to her son
Dale, she began overseeing its preparation in the 1940s and continued for about
40 years. Because she thought potatoes were too mushy, she swapped them out for
rice. She stopped using lima beans because she thought they were too strong.
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| Four drive-through takeout lines serve customers until all the food is sold. |
Always on the fourth Thursday of October, the sale requires
much more effort than is obvious and begins in earnest early in the month when the
Community House, where the event is held and that is located two miles from the church, is cleaned up
and checked for general repairs. A week in advance, equipment for cooking the
meat is set up and the seasoning room is prepared.
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| Politicians greet customers as they walk through the waiting line to the serving area. |
On the Thursday before the event, the first meat comes off
the cooker, and the chopping and seasoning process begins. Next the barbecue is
weighed and bagged in one-pound packages. Then the equipment and area are
cleaned and prepared for another day of cooking on Friday. On Saturday, the
slaw – cabbage, onions, carrots, and celery – is made. More cleanup is needed
on Saturday as well as Sunday afternoon.
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| Barbecue, Brunswick stew (made with rice), and coleslaw can also be bought in bulk quantities. |
On Monday as early as 2 a.m., church members start cooking
chickens to make the Brunswick stew. On Tuesday, the ingredients for the stew
are mixed, and then the stew is dipped into containers. Additional site
preparation continues on Wednesday so that the area is ready for the big day on
Thursday.
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| The serving line never rests. |
Customers begin arriving as early as 9:30 a.m. (although the
publicized start time is 10 a.m.) and keep coming until the barbecue is sold
out. On some years, it’s gone by late afternoon. Then the final cleanup begins
as tables and chairs are taken down and paper goods are consolidated and
stored.
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| Local neighbors, the only paid workers at the event, stir stew with long paddles. |
The event is a major undertaking. It seems each church
member has an important task, and many work countless hours. Their joy and camaraderie
are obvious as they work together and serve the crowd. So much good-tasting
food is prepared for so many customers, and they keep coming back year after
year.
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| Huge trailers keep prepared food refrigerated until the day of sale. |
