A sunny Saturday morning is the perfect time to be a judge at the Blue Ridge Barbecue Championship in Tryon, N.C. Unfortunately, even for my hardy Verizon connection, it wasn't the best place to send Tweets from the action. I only got sporadic Tweets to go out.
Before we get to the action, the winners were:
Overall: Rocky Top Barbeque, Walt Moulton, Jonesborough, Tenn.
Governor's Trophy: Smoke in the Mountains, Brandon Ray, Asheville, and Smoke This, Scott Jarrett, Hickory.
Chicken: Rocky Top. (Scott Adams, Sauced! BBQ, Charlotte, placed third.)
Pork: Fowl Butt BBQ, Jan Mitchel, Decatur, Ind. (Zach Goodyear, Sauceman's BBQ, Charlotte, placed second.)
Brisket: Smoke in the Mountains.
Whole Hog: Bubba Jack's, Jack Chavis Jr., Charlotte. (Jeff Del Mastro, Mac's Smoke Shop, placed fourth.)
Anything But: Flaming Pig, Vick Wilkins, Red Springs.
Dessert: Scott Adams, Charlotte.
Yep, that's me, judging once again.
Isaac Brown, 17, was a first-time judge.
My favorite category: Ribs.
Jim Tabb, in hat, founded the festival.
Whole-hog judges study an entry.
Thighs are popular in the chicken category.
Judges are sequestered until after the contest.
We can't visit the teams until the end of the day.
Chicken entry #2 looks like mine. No skin. the skin shrunkMarried ftacts and looked like a little hat on top of the thigh so I took it off and finished cooking with periodic additions of sauce to sort of form a "skin". It was a failed strategy.
Wow, the odds would be slim that you could spot your own entry: There were 96 teams and 16 tables of six judges each. By the time they put the code numbers on each entry, it's tough to guess. But if it was you, I can honestly say that wasn't the worst one I judged that day. The worst one? Well, we shall not speak of it.
"Bourbon: A Savor the South Cookbook," and "Pecans: A Savor the South Cookbook" are part of the UNC Press series on Southern cooking. Each one has more than 50 recipes for drinks, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes and desserts, part of a series with two dozen books on Southern ingredients and occasions.
About this blog
Observer food editor Kathleen Purvis is a food journalist, cook and eater who focuses on food in Charlotte, the Carolinas, the South and beyond. She's a member of the Association of Food Journalists, the Southern Foodways Alliance and the James Beard Foundation awards committee. She also writes regularly for Our State magazine and other publications. Send questions and feedback to kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com.
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3 comments:
Chicken entry #2 looks like mine. No skin. the skin shrunkMarried ftacts and looked like a little hat on top of the thigh so I took it off and finished cooking with periodic additions of sauce to sort of form a "skin". It was a failed strategy.
Wow, the odds would be slim that you could spot your own entry: There were 96 teams and 16 tables of six judges each. By the time they put the code numbers on each entry, it's tough to guess. But if it was you, I can honestly say that wasn't the worst one I judged that day. The worst one? Well, we shall not speak of it.
I only say that because I used small (4oz) thighs, I use a golden brown sauce and I don't form the thighs to resemble little pillows.
Is was a great day and I hope you enjoyed yourself. Best BBQ event around these parts imo.
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