Back in Summerville, SC

Cooking teams set up at campsites on the shore of Shrine Lake in Summerville, SC.  Smokin' Gringos (foreground) won third place in ribs and brisket.

The difference between the last contest sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society that I attended to the current one couldn’t be greater. My last KCBS contest was the American Royal, the world’s largest barbecue cookoff. Now I’m in Summerville, SC, for the Brew & Que on Shrine Lake, which is one of the smallest contests that I participate in.

The turn-in area is quiet before the judging activities begin.

This year 15 cooking teams again participated (compared to 468 at the open contest of the Royal). Although Brew & Que limits the number of teams that can compete, quite a few judges always apply each year. The close proximity of Summerville to Charleston (with its sight-seeing attractions) probably influences a lot of them to register. At the table where I judged, they were from Florida, Iowa, and Georgia.

Trophies are ready for the awards ceremony.

At Brew & Que, which is organized by the Dorchester Shrine Club as a fundraiser to support Shriner Hospitals for Children, the teams competed for $4,000 in prize money. Again cooking teams were very competitive and included two teams — Smoke Central BBQ and Muttley Crew BBQ — that had competed at the Royal.

Muttley Crew BBQ, which competed in the American Royal, came in second in pork at Brew & Que.

Although small in scope, Brew & Que is an excellent contest for teams to end the competition year. Because it's also a popular choice for judges, the cookoff will continue to be a favorite for everyone.

Judging in an Alligator Zone

Being a BBQ judge usually has nothing to do with alligators. All that changes in Summerville, SC, where Brew & Cue on Shrine Lake is held.

The Brew & Cue contest was held at scenic Shrine Lake.

After checking in with the organizers when I arrived, I had time to walk through the cooking team area before the judges meeting began. As I walked, what captured my attention more than the smoke coming from the cookers were signs posted to beware of alligators. Later during the day, judges entertained each other by telling tales about past alligator experiences at Shrine Lake.

Signs at the lake warn about alligators; clubhouse where judges meet is in background.

The cookoff was organized by the Dorchester Shrine Club as a fundraiser to support Shriner Hospitals for Children. All judging activities took place in the organization’s spacious clubhouse. The cooking teams set up at shaded campsites on a scenic peninsula jutting into Shrine Lake. Although we were on the lookout for the possibility of spotting an alligator, none were seen during the contest.

Cooking teams set up at campsites on a scenic peninsula.

The competition featured 15 cooking teams. Because 14 had won as a champion of other events, the level of competition was very high. In fact, when all the judges’ scores were totaled, only 0.026 points separated the top two teams (a big contrast to the 21.12 points that separated teams 14 and 15). The cookoff is one of six contests in South Carolina that are sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society and contribute to a points chase that determines the winner of the Palmetto BBQ Series. By winning the grand championship of Brew & Cue with such a high score (698.2740), the team Smoke Central BBQ significantly advanced its standing in the points chase.

Rusty Cook, contest rep, checks that every team has the correct time before turn-ins begin.

Being a judge at Brew & Cue was rewarding because the barbecue was exceptional and deserved very high scores. The location was scenic — and not seeing any alligators was very much appreciated.

Judging in the Shrine of Eastern N.C. Barbecue

Barbecue cooks will be talking about the Big Pig Shindig, the inaugural event of the 2018 North Carolina Whole Hog Barbecue Series, for years -- not because the competition, the pigs, or the prizes grabbed their attention but because the wind did. When the cooks were trying to set up their sites on Friday evening, high wind warnings and watches were in effect from northern Georgia to southern Maine, a distance of 900 miles.

Dustin Taylor stands ready at his site as the judges arrive.

Wilson, NC, where the Big Pig Shindig is held, is in the middle of this zone, and this year March roared in like a lion. Although the winds were more severe to the north and parts of New England experienced hurricane-force wind gusts of 75 mph, the winds at the start of the cookoff were tremendous, and tents were difficult to erect and stabilize.

The pig cooked by Roy Parker is ready to be judged.

A couple of cooks even passed on trying to put up tents. One competitor who was cooking with wood had to move his cooker to a different location because he was the first one in a row and was receiving the direct impact of the gusts.

Only a few pigs showed signs of uneven brownness or areas that were burned.

Sponsored by the Wilson Chamber of Commerce, the Shindig was sanctioned for the first time by the N.C. Pork Council in 2018, although the cookoff had been held before. The change to being sanctioned attracted more teams, almost doubling the number from last year’s event. Of the 23 teams registered, 21 were judged. Two withdrew from the competition because the high winds interfered with their cooking efforts.

After the judges complete their evaluation, the once perfectly intact pig is in shambles.

While the Shindig was going on, the chamber also held its annual Spring Expo. More than 100 businesses and organizations set up booths to discuss their services and products. To accommodate the increase in cooking teams and the ever-growing crowd for the expo and cookoff, the chamber moved the events to the Wilson County Fairgrounds to give them more space.

Chris Fineran, who won first place, smiles with Michole Evans, event organizer.

The winning team was Beach Boys BBQ, led by Chris Fineran, who consistently places high in N.C. whole hog cookoffs. Because he had been the state champion in 2016, he was invited to cook the previous weekend for the BBQ Summit, a training event for judges, cooks, and contest organizers. 

One team had banana pudding for each judge (although the pudding was not a scoreable item).

Fineran is a regular competitor in the Whole Hog Barbecue Series once it gets underway each year. When he won the state championship in 2016, he had participated in 18 of the 25 contests in that year’s series, placing in 13 and winning 4 of them.

The pig cooked by Kevin Wooten earned the second highest score.

The second place team in Wilson was Pickin’ & Grillin’ BBQ, led by Kevin Wooten. Third place was won by Showtime’s Legit BBQ, led by Kevin Peterson, who himself is also a past N.C. Whole Hog Champion, thus showing the high level of competition that the Shindig attracts. When Peterson won the statewide competition in 2017 at age 34, he became the youngest champion ever.

Scores are tallied quickly by a team of volunteers to determine the winners.

For the Shindig, the judges in addition to myself were Lubin Prevatt, Tim Croon and Paul Derrick. All of us were impressed with the excellent results not only by the three winners but by the entire field of competitors.

Judges (Ray, Paul, Tim and Lubin) relax while the scores are counted.

Judging in Wilson is an honor because, as Chamber President Ryan Simon has said, Wilson “is the shrine of eastern North Carolina barbecue” and its agricultural heritage “is still very much a part of the Wilson economy.”

Finding the Best Barbecue in Jacksonville, NC

It’s easy to find the best barbecue cooked whole hog style in Jacksonville, NC. All you have to do is head for the Onslow County Shrine Club when it is having its annual pig cookin’.

The sign by the highway that draws attention to the cookoff is only yards away from the Shrine Club where the cooks set up.

The Shrine Club attracts some of the best cooks in North Carolina who are competing for the right to advance to the state championship sponsored by the N.C. Pork Council. The top three cooks at the Onslow County event are eligible to participate in the Whole Hog Barbecue Championship, which this year will be held in Raleigh during Wide Open Bluegrass, the largest urban bluegrass festival in the world.

Sometimes a fan is needed to control the cooking temperature.

I was pleased to be one of the three judges for the Onslow County event and worked with two seasoned pros, both from Newport, NC: Jim Bristle and Bobby Prescott, who not only judge but also complete as cooks. Each has been a finalist in a regional event and competed in the state championship cookoff, which Prescott himself won in 1989 and 1996.

Judges begin their evaluation of the first of 15 cooked pigs.

The pigs that the Shrine Club provided the cooks weighed an average of 125 pounds with the biggest one weighing 131. Of the 15 cooks who entered the Onslow County contest, 12 had participated in previous years and were seasoned competitors well prepared to win. The three cooks new to the contest were very successful, even without more competition experience.

The judges turn a pig over to evaluate both sides.

The NCPC criteria for judging each pig include appearance, brownness, skin crispness, moisture, and meat/sauce taste. In addition, the cook’s site is evaluated for completeness. The winning pig depends on the skills of the cook, who is prohibited by the rules from using any sauce or injecting the pig to improve moisture. Because judging begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, the cooks set up the day before and begin their cooking so that their pigs are ready for evaluation when the judges arrive at their sites the next morning.

After the evaluation by the judges, the once perfectly intact pig is in pieces.

The top three cooks were David Grandy (1st), Kevin Peterson (2nd), and Roy Parker (3rd). Earlier this year Parker had placed first in the Johnston County Pig Cooking Contest in Smithfield and the Kickin’ It Country Whole Hog Cookoff in Raleigh, both in May, as well as first in the Gen. William C. Lee Celebration in Dunn in June.

Scoring sheets are filled out before moving to the next cooking site.

After the judges have completed the scoring, the cooks turn in chopped barbecue to the contest organizers who sell it to the public beginning at 11 a.m. Patrick McGirl of the Shrine Club estimates that about 350 plates are sold (at $7 a plate), and additional barbecue is sold in bulk quantities later in the day.

Judges evaluate the pig cooked by Roy Parker (left is Jim Bristle and right is Bobby Prescott).

The pig cookin’ in 2016 was the ninth annual contest conducted by the Onslow County Shrine Club. Because it limits the contest to 15 cooks, they are forewarned to register early next year for bragging rights and the opportunity to advance to the Whole Hog Barbecue Championship. Next year the Shrine Club’s tenth annual contest will again be the place to find the best barbecue in Jacksonville.

After the pigs are judged, the cooks
prepare chopped barbecue for the Shrine Club.

The winning cook
takes home an
impressive trophy.