Labor Day Feature: Life in the Pits with Brandon Cook

Posted on September 7, 2009 by Porky LeSwine

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s Off for Pork We Go
A few weeks ago the Rib Rabbi and I headed west down Interstate 85 to Lexington, where we rendezvoused with a Winston-Salem Journal reporter for dinner and an interview.  I’d been to Cook’s BBQ a couple of times before, loved their food, and figured it would be the perfect off-the-beaten path location to meet.  If the reporter found her way to this hidden gem of a restaurant several miles south of Lexington, then I figured she could be trusted to report faithfully on the divine swine.  Well, the reporter got lost somewhere on the way to Cook’s BBQ and showed up a little bit late for dinner (she did show up and did apologize so she passed my test).  Lucky for the Rib Rabbi and me, while we waited on our dinner date to arrive pitmaster Brandon Cook  gave us a thorough tour of the operation. 

Zen and the Art of Barbecue
I’d wanted to talk to Brandon ever since reading an interview with him in Holy Smoke, in which he described the way-out-of-the-way location of Cook’s BBQ as follows: “Our location is a very nice spot.  Nobody drops in accidentally; if you’re coming here, this is your destination.”  The quote’s half-Zen, half-mad scientist logic struck a chord with me.  I knew I’d like anybody who thought his restaurant’s location was perfect because nobody could find the place without knowing it was there.  And maybe Brandon was right about the location, as Cook’s BBQ was doing brisk business when we were there.  In fact, it had undergone a major expansion since the last time I’d visited a couple years back.  But it still serves delicious traditional NC barbecue, as well as not-so-traditional-for-NC Texas-style beef brisket.

Beef in Lexington?! It's okay, remain calm...

Beef brisket in Lexington?! It's okay, try to remain calm...

Cook’s Cook Can Cook
Brandon Cook is a fairly young man, but he works the pit like he’s been doing it for many decades.  Brandon grew up in the restaurant business–his dad, Doug, used to own Cook’s BBQ and now owns another joint in town–and learned to work a pit at an early age.  He has been cooking ever since.  Better yet, while scores of other pitmasters (including, not Continue reading →

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A Virtual Guide to Lexington-style BBQ

Posted on September 2, 2009 by Porky LeSwine

I recently stumbled upon this video from Davidson County’s tourism site while doing “research” (can I call it that?) for BBQJew.com.  Follow the link and click on the Lexington Style Barbeque video clip for… well, honestly, for an incredibly dry (lifeless, really) yet helpful and concise guide to eating ‘cue in Lexington.  It’ll save you some embarassment if you are an Eastern-style devotee taking communion at the Cathedral of Vinegared Ketchup ‘Cue for the first time. 

Also, note the two spellings used on the video: “barbeque” in the link and “barbecue” in the video’s title screen.  Go figure.

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Children of the Corn(meal)

Posted on August 14, 2009 by Porky LeSwine

future-legends header

We recently received an email from one of the organizers of the first annual Future Legends of BBQ competition in Flat Rock, NC.  The event, a fundraiser for the Henderson County Young Leaders Program, is scheduled for October 10th.  It is officially sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS), which means it is a competitive barbecue cooking event, and has a mid-September entry deadline.  (Visit the North Carolina Barbecue Society if you believe it is a crime, or at least an insult, that a group with the word Kansas in its name is involved in sanctioning NC-based barbecue competitions!)  What makes the Future Legends event special is that the competitors are, well, children. 

If the thought of witnessing a team of 7 to 17 year olds manning (boying?) a pig cooker for hours on end doesn’t sound worth the $5 price of admission, you should get your head examined.  Of course, if the thought of a team of kids cooking doesn’t scare you half to death, you also should get your head examined.  Actually, the concept makes some real sense, given the fear that pitmasters are a dying, or at least Continue reading →

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Wilber the Bunny

Posted on July 29, 2009 by Porky LeSwine

Thanks to reader Burgeoningfoodie for making the BBQJew.com News Room aware of the recent story on Playboy’s website about America’s best barbecue joints.  (Actually, for the record, technically Burgeoningfoodie alerted us to a post about the Playboy article that appeared in the Raleigh News & Observer’s Mouthful blog.)

If you are reading BBQJew.com somewhere other than work, I recommend you see the full Playboy article here and the section on Wilber’s here.  If you are currently at work, rest assured the article is 100% nudity-free, but it does contain some graphic depictions of near-naked barbecue covered only in slaw and a bun.  Still, BBQJew.com’s Legal Department recommends you save the article for home, unless you work somewhere that considers it kosher to log onto Playboy.com (in which case, you probably work for Playboy).

The last time a pig and bunny got together.

The last time a pig and bunny worked together.

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The BBQ Song

Posted on July 22, 2009 by Porky LeSwine

On the off chance that you–a person who is voluntarily (I hope) reading a blog about barbecue–have yet to see “The BBQ Song” video, now’s your chance.  Not only is the song hilarious, kinda catchy and educational (they have Mayonnaise-based sauce in Alabama?!), but it was recorded by North Carolinians.  The comedy duo Rhett & Link are sort of like Flight of the Conchords for southerners.  (Then again, the Flight of the Conchords guys hail from New Zealand, which is a lot further south than North Carolina… .)  Watching North Carolina folks sing a funny song about ‘cue oughta make you right proud of the Tarheel state.

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Barbecue Road Trip?

Posted on July 17, 2009 by Porky LeSwine

I truly believe North Carolina ‘cue is the finest in the country, and I know for a fact that it is the direct descendant of the original American barbecue.  Still, I remain just open-minded enough to admit that I like pretty much any meat that is slow-cooked over wood coals (that is the proper definition of barbecue, of course).  If you are like-mindedly open-minded, and might find yourself crossing beyond the NC border sometime this summer, then check out JJ Goode’s May 2008 article in Details magazine (once the page loads click anywhere on the image to be taken to a .pdf of the full article). 

I know, I know, Details is not exactly the magazine you’d expect to be ground zero for barbecue writing.  However,  Goode’s article provides what appear to be solid recommendations for barbecue joints across the U.S. (Skylight Inn and Lexington #1 are called out for NC), along with some mouth-wateringly terrific photos.  Bon voyage and bon appetit!  But for (Texas) Pete’s sake, make sure you wipe that thick tomato-based sauce off your chin before you return to NC…

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Capitol Q

Posted on July 13, 2009 by The Rib Rabbi

Damn you, Joe York. The Leni Reifenstahl of the Southern Foodways Alliance has an entire catalog of short films that do nothing but make you hungry.

OK, fine, they also make you appreciate the cuisine, cooks and culture of the South. York recently turned his lens to barbecue. The result, Capitol Q, profiles our beloved Skylighttps://bbqjew.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=1380&message=1ht Inn. Folks, this is 16 minutes of riveting swine celluloid:

The film does a nice job documenting the multi-generational excellence of the Jones family. Having enjoyed the Jones’s ‘cue, I can attest to the fullness of their brilliance and the flatness of their corn bread.

York captured a few great lines from the co-owners. On how they go through two cutting boads per year and whether any of that makes it into the ‘cue, co-owner Bruce Jones unleashed this one: “Our wood tastes better than most people’s barbecue.”

Co-owner Jeff Jones described the menu’s simplicity:

“We don’t have, like, a long menu of different things. all we do here is barbecue cornbread and slaw. When you walk in the door, all we need to know is, like, how much you need.

On the topic of amounts, the menu lists a 6-pound to-go bucket of barbecue as one of the options. Sign me up.

The film even featured our pals John Shelton Reed and Dale Reed lending their wisdom on North Carolina ‘cue. Although it’s too bad that Dale doesn’t get a word in and that John has a South Carolina flag on his jacket. (…kidding)

The only objection I had with the film was its end, when Bruce Jones compared the Skylight Inn to the King James Bible. Hey, guys, let’s not mix barbecue and religion. I mean, come on!

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Documuttonary Film School

Posted on June 10, 2009 by Porky LeSwine

As you, dear readers, are well aware this website has a narrow-minded myopic laser-like focus on North Carolina’s pork barbecue culture.  Still, we cannot refrain from putting a plug in for a documentary film on another of America’s underappreciated forms of barbecue–Kentucky mutton.  Mutton is one of just a handful of distinct barbecue styles in the U.S., and without a doubt it is the most obscure of the styles.  A new (to us) documentary helps bring mutton the attention it deserves. (Disclaimer: I have not actually eaten mutton, so perhaps the film is bringing mutton attention it does not deserve.) 

Hmm...

Um, no...

According to its website, Mutton: The Movie “takes you on a magical journey to the northwestern corner of Kentucky (Owensboro to be exact) where the descendants of the Welsh who settled the banks of the Ohio River don’t count sheep, they barbecue them.”  Well put.   Mutton is an informative, entertaining documentary and clocks in under 20 minutes long, so you really have no excuse to not watch it.  Of course, we respectfully disagree with Owensboro, Kentucky’s claim to the title of “Bar-B-Q Capital of the World.”  Heck, the people of Owensboro can’t even spell barbecue right!  Still, in the interest of fostering good will among the barbecue-loving people of the world, we present this in-depth analysis of the common ground between mutton and NC pork barbecue:

  • Both mutton and NC barbecue are traditionally cooked over Hickory wood.
  • Both are sources of local pride and the products of hard work, sweat and tears beers.
  • Mutton is often cooked by Catholic churches as a fundraiser, while NC barbecue is a common part of fire department fundraisers.  Catholics and firefighters fear hellfire and fire, respectively, yet have no qualms about Continue reading →

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America’s Largest Pork Display

Posted on May 13, 2009 by Porky LeSwine
America's Largest Pork Display

This sign was all I needed to lure me to Nahunta.

I saw the billboard pictured above and it made me crave knowledge and enlightenment (and some pork).  Specifically, I wanted to understand what was meant by, “America’s Largest Pork Display.”  Could I be so lucky?  Could this statement really be true?  And what the heck does “pork display” mean anyway?  These questions burned in my mind like a pork shoulder over hot hickory coals.  So I decided to turn off Highway 70 just west of Goldsboro and follow the road to Nahunta Pork Center.  I’m glad I did.

The Pork King is a benevolent dictator.

The Pork King is a benevolent dictator.

The Nahunta Pork Center (NPC) has been around for over 30 years, and the story goes back  even farther to a 1950s hog market and slaughterhouse located in the small Wayne County township of Nahunta.  It’s hard to believe that anyone could run a successful business in NPC’s off the beaten path location–five miles off the main highway, out in the country and just past the race track, to be specific–for a year let alone half a century.  But judging by the amount of pork I saw for sale at NPC, they must be doing brisk business. 

When you walk in the front door at NPC, you immediately understand why they claim to have America’s largest pork display.  Also, you wonder where else in the world there might be a larger one.  It’s truly a scary thought.  I’m about as far from vegetarian as I can be short of injecting hog fat directly into  my bloodstream, so I’m not easily impressed by the sight of meat for sale.  But one glance at the pork display at NPC is enough to make the most devout carnivore hope to the heavens that God is not, in reality, an angry vegeterian (is there any other kind?).  If He is, I can at least take solace in the fact that the road to hell is paved with good swine.  Continue reading →

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How to Find Good Barbecue

Posted on May 4, 2009 by Porky LeSwine

It’s not easy to accurately judge a book by its cover, but your friends at BBQ Jew are always willing to try.  Our goal is to prevent you from wasting too much of your valuable time–or too many points on your cholesterol level–eating mediocre barbecue.  You deserve better.  Below are our tips (commandments?) for separating the wheat from the chaff meat from the gristle when it comes to finding good barbecue joints.

Viva le wood!

Viva le wood!

WOOD IS GOOD
– If there is a wood pile outside it’s worth going inside. The wood pile may be tucked away in the back, it may be right up front, but it must be somewhere if they cook with it. Once you find the pile, check for signs that it has been used recently and isn’t just there for decoration (this trickery has been reported, though if the BBQ Jew was king such deception would be a criminal offense).

NEW IS OLD NEWS – Be very suspicious of a barbecue joint if the building it is located in was built less than 20 or so years ago. Sure, there are some good joints that challenge this rule of thumb, but a shiny new building is at best a honkin’ big red flag.

PARKING LOT PARADISE – Glance around the parking lot. Ideally, there will be a diverse mix of beat up pickup trucks, vans with commercial tags, compact cars, lawyer mobiles (Mercedes, BMW, etc.) and more. If all those different people think the ‘cue is worth eating, you probably will too. Continue reading →

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