Whole Hog State Championship

The place to be if you’re interested in a whole hog barbecue cookoff is Raleigh, NC, where each fall the annual state championship is held as part of the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival. The championship is the culmination of a series of barbecue cookoffs, and only the top pitmasters are invited. Each one has won or placed with top honors in a regional contest earlier in the year.

The state championship was held as part of the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival.

Each regional contest is very competitive with the champion eking out a victory over the second-place finisher usually by only a few points. The state championship is even more intense as award-winning pitmasters seek to prove who is the best of the best.

Pitmasters set up along South Street in Raleigh.

For the 2018 event, the weather couldn’t have been more favorable. The morning of judging activities was balmy and sunny as should be expected in late September in central North Carolina. However, this year the event was sandwiched by two monster hurricanes — Florence and Michael — that brought high winds and excessive rain that devastated many areas. Fortunately, the contest itself was not affected by either one.

Lots of interest developed early in the people's choice contest.

I was very happy to be a judge that morning because I have long appreciated how the series culminates in the selection of the state champion. The competition included several categories — on-site, crispy skin, and blind taste by judges certified by the N.C. Pork Council. In addition, a sauce competition was held with “celebrity” judges (writers and chefs), and a people’s choice category let the public vote for their favorites. In all, 13 different cooks won a trophy or a cash prize.

Andy Curliss (left), CEO of the N.C. Pork Council, makes sure judges are ready.

As one of the judges in the blind taste category, I sampled entries from each competitor without knowing the pitmaster. In this competition, most entries were moist with a mild vinegar-pepper flavor. Only a few entries included a piece of crispy skin, either separately with the barbecue or finely chopped into it. Every entry was definitely prepared by a champion, and differences between the scores was very limited.

Judges had an official scoresheet to complete for each entry.

Top honors as the winner of the on-site category went to Chris Fineran of Beach Boys Barbecue who as declared state champion again. He had previously won in 2016. Fineran was also the winner in the crispy skin category.

Chris Fineran of Beach Boys BBQ reigned supreme again this year.

The top two winners in the blind taste category were Mark Copeland and Billy Perry of Pocosin Boys, first place, and Ashley Wheeler of Smokin’ Black Jack BBQ, second place. Third place was a tie between Bobby Prescott of BP Country Cookers and Kevin Peterson of Showtime’s Legit BBQ. 

Only Wheeler placed in the inaugural people’s choice competition. He won second place. First place went to David Hoffman of Grilling Palms BBQ, and Brooke South of Purdy in Pink Cookin’ Team won third place.

Brooke South of Purdy in Pink Cookin' Team placed third in the people's choice contest.

As the judging activities got underway in the blind taste category, I missed seeing the pitmasters and cookers where the barbecue had been prepared. In cookoffs sponsored by the N.C. Pork Council when I have judged, I’ve been on-site with the other judges as each pitmaster watched as we evaluated the entry.

Proceeds from the sale of tickets for the people's choice contest were donated to the Interfaith Food Shuttle and Bluegrass Trust Fund.

However, I appreciate the format of the blind taste category and the objectivity that it provides because judges can’t identify pitmasters with their barbecue. Being a judge in the state championship was a very rewarding experience, and I consider myself very fortunate to be part of this special weekend.

Smokehouse at Pinehurst Brewery

Most barbecue restaurants I visit are usually historic or legendary. However, for the Smokehouse at Pinehurst Brewery, I wanted to visit before it opened and earned its reputation.

The new brewery occupies the historic steam plant building.

A few days before it opened to the public, I had an opportunity to have lunch as well as take a tour. Beer lovers will appreciate the 10-barrel microbrewery, the focal point of the taproom. More interesting to barbecue fans will be the smokehouse for the restaurant.

The brewery combines old and new architectual features.

Meats -- pork shoulder, beef brisket, chicken, and sausage -- smoked on site with local oak, hickory, and pecan woods are the primary menu items to be enjoyed as sandwiches or plates. They are complemented by four signature sauces: eastern N.C. (spicy vinegar and pepper), western N.C. (sweet and tangy), S.C. mustard, and blackberry habanero. Smoked mashed potatoes, baked beans, coleslaw, mac ‘n’ cheese, and collard greens are among the sides.

A plate of ribs comes with cornbread and two sides (collards and mac 'n' cheese were my choices).

For the Smokehouse at Pinehurst Brewery, another reason to visit is to see its facilities, which occupy the old steam plant for the Village of Pinehurst. Built in 1895, it was decommissioned in 1998 after providing power and heat for homes, businesses and hotels of the village for decades.

Four sauces are available to add flavor to the smoked meats.

The building was fully renovated, but the original brick, façade and steel windows have been kept. Old piping and other artifacts reclaimed in 2016 by Black Dog Savage, an architectural salvage company, are displayed as artwork.

Black Dog Savage saves original features of the steam plant in 2016.

Having another barbecue restaurant that cooks meat slow and low over wood is much appreciated. Even though it’s brand new, it will soon become a destination. The smoked barbecue by itself is reason to visit, but the craft beer and scenic setting are additional enticements.

Original fixtures of the steam plant add to the interior decor.

The smokehouse uses oak, hickory, and pecan wood.

A new smokehouse was built next to the brewery, which occupies the old steam plant building.

Oinktoberfest Again

The most family-friendly barbecue cookoff that I’ve ever attended is Oinktoberfest, held annually in late September in Clarence, NY. It’s held at the Great Pumpkin Farm that conducts a fall festival more than a month long with a full schedule of activities, events, entertainment, and contests, including the cookoff. The farm is one of “America’s top pumpkin patches,” according to several travel and media organizations.

The Great Pumpkin Farms hosts Oinktoberfest each September during its fall festival.

On one weekend during the seven-week festival, Oinktoberfest brings in cooking teams and judges for a contest sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society. The cookoff, the longest running barbecue competition in New York, has grown from 10 teams in its first year to more than 90 in some years from throughout the United States and Canada.

Some teams, such as this one, came across the border with Canada -- and even had signs in French.

Two years ago, the first time that I was a judge at Oinktoberfest, 54 teams participated. This year 51 teams, including 9 from Canada, competed for the prize money and trophies. So many teams require a lot of judges, and they take full advantage of the large space available at the farm. Many judges have been certified for years but judge at only a few events each year, and a few judge only annually at the Oinktoberfest.

Cooking teams set up in open areas of the farm among festival activities.

Before and after the judging activities, the judges wandered among the farm’s festivities. The huge display of pumpkins, gourds, hay bales, cornstalks and mums was the most popular attraction for the young and young at heart. Musical groups also performed at the outdoor stage, which was next door to the events building where the judges met.

Judges relax in the events building before their activities begin.

Although the people who attended the festival were interested in the barbecue contest, the pumpkin displays definitely captured more attention than anything else at the festival. The cooking teams unquestionably prepared competition-worthy entries, which I enjoyed judging. However, the festival activities made being at the contest that much more enjoyable.

Displays of pumpkins capture more attention than BBQ signs.

First Love at “Historic” Ralph's in Weldon, NC

I can’t remember when I had my first taste of barbecue, but I can remember when I selected a pitmaster for my personal Hall of Fame. Anyone willing to travel out-of-state to bring chopped pork barbecue, Brunswick stew, coleslaw and hushpuppies to deprived, lonesome souls homesick for North Carolina foods and flavors deserves special recognition. Thus I humbly acknowledge my appreciation for Ralph’s Barbecue of Weldon, NC. 

A very tall sign lets you know when you are getting close to Ralph's.

A career in the Air Force took me to distant places less than a week after I had graduated from college. Little did I realize how much I would miss Southern foods. Several years later, when I was living in a suburb of Washington, DC, I attended a college alumni event where lunch with N.C. food was part of the program. Although I went out of allegiance for the ol’ college, lingering at the food table became more important than listening to the speakers, and I kept going back for seconds. At that summer Saturday in 1983, I implanted the name of Ralph’s in my memory and was determined to visit its location when I was back in North Carolina. First, I had to find Weldon, a town I hadn’t known before, just south of the border with Virginia.

Since 1952, Ralph's has been in this location, although a dining room expansion now seats 180 people.

Although east of I-95 (even if by only a few yards) where the whole hog tradition is dominant in the state, Ralph’s makes barbecue daily using only pork shoulders (as used in the Lexington style, although Ralph’s is definitely far removed from Lexington). The vinegary flavor of Ralph’s barbecue, however, confirms that you are in Eastern North Carolina, not in Lexington where the ketchup flavor is so pronounced.

The chopped barbecue and Brunswick stew pans on the buffet are popular spots.

The business was started in 1941 and moved to its current location in 1952. The third generation of founder Ralph Woodruff now manages the operations and continues the unbroken traditions of their grandfather, including how he made barbecue. Brunswick stew, always a favorite as it was in 1983 when I enjoyed Ralph’s stew for the first time, is still made using a recipe that dates back to 70 years ago.

Another large section on the buffet station is ready for hungry customers.

Chicken (fried, baked, or BBQ) seems to be as popular as the pork barbecue (pulled or chopped). All dinners are served with Brunswick stew and a choice of two sides, which are numerous. Although a full menu is available, most customers make a beeline for the buffet, which is plentiful. Everything that I want — barbecue, Brunswick stew, coleslaw, collards, hushpuppies, banana budding, and maybe one or two more items, such sweet potato pie — is on the buffet, so why even look at the menu?

Banana pudding (baked!) is the best and most popular dessert.

 After I was first introduced to Ralph’s, I stop when I am traveling in the area. If I haven’t arrived at a meal time or don’t have time to stop and eat, I always take home large quantities of my favorites to remind me of Ralph’s goodness for many days. When my son is travelling on I-95, he makes a quick detour to Ralph’s and brings me some Ralph’s fixin’s as a surprise.

The take-out window is always busy.

Sides are available as take-out too.

Although Ralph’s is not a destination on the North Carolina Historic BBQ Trail, it’s a place that I have appreciated for more than 30 years. I can’t think of another restaurant (barbecue or other) that I’ve appreciated for that long a time, so to me Ralph’s is definitely historic. Plus any restaurant that uses a 70-year-old recipe for Brunswick stew is certainly legendary.

A Cookoff with a Mission in Richmond, Virginia

Barbecue cookoffs are always good times with fun activities so that everyone has an enjoyable experience. Some contests also contribute to an important community cause or local charity, and sometimes an organization conducts an event to promote a greater awareness of its role in a community as well as to raise needed funds.

Signs at the fest promote recovery from the disease of addiction.

With the name of Recovery Fest, the contest each fall in Richmond, Virginia, lets you know that it’s about more than determining the best pitmaster. The fest was started in 2005 to increase the awareness of substance abuse and to celebrate the recovery of individuals and families from the disease of addiction. The barbecue competition, added five years later to expand the activities of the event and broaden its appeal to the public, is the most socially conscious cookoff that I have attended as a judge. Its motto – Smokin’ Meat … Not Drugs –emphasizes the importance of recovery.

Cooking teams set up on the campus of Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church.

The fest and cookoff is organized annually by the McShin Foundation, which helps individuals and their families fight substance abuse disorders. The foundation is housed in Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church, and cooking teams set up on the church’s campus. During the fest, state agencies, supporting nonprofits, and families share resources at kiosks and popup tents, musicians play at a central stage, children activities entertain the young, and vendors sell food. Although the atmosphere is quite lively and spirited, the cooking teams and judges go about their serious business typical of a contest sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society.

With rain in the forecast, musicians perform under a huge tent.

This year the cookoff attracted 29 teams, a smaller turnout than the 35 teams that competed last year. The McShin Foundation even entered its own team, but the results show that the experience of teams competing regularly have a clear advantage. For example, the grand champion (Sauce This BBQ) and reserve champion (Rockin Robyns BBQ) of last year’s contest placed again in the top 10, although they weren’t the top two teams. This year the team Redneck Scientific took home won grand champion honors, and the team 3N1Q was reserve champion.

The team Redneck Scientific, grand champion, settles in on Friday between two other teams.

Many judges had participated in this contest in previous years. Maybe they were motivated to return to a cookoff conducted by a community organization that has such an important mission. Participating in an event that contributes to local causes is always rewarding, and I hope to be a judge again next year.

Judges relax as they arrive before their activities begin.