If you missed the Today Show this morning, meaning if you have a job and don’t lie around all day watching TV off an antenna, then you’ll have to pick up the Internet stream of Jimmy Hagood and the Blackjack BBQ team here. Jimmy and the boys left the “Big Red Rig” up in NYC after the James Beard and Big Apple BBQ bash and showed up to challenge none other than legendary barbeque god Ed Mitchell himself. Now I’ll defend SC “Q” to the ends of the earth, but Mitchell is one hell of a cook. His new Raleigh, NC location, The Pit, puts out the best North Carolina style pig this Southern boy has ever munched upon; so it was no surprise when he wowed the judges and took home a unanimous victory.
Of course, these things tend to be rigged, and since Al Roker, who looks like he’s been hitting the buffet early and often once again, couldn’t even pronounce Jimmy’s last name (in two attempts), I’d say that Mitchell had the inside advantage. It helps that he long ago achieved promotional fame with the Southern Foodways Alliance, as they tend to be king makers in this sort of thing. But Jimmy sure is getting Chucktown some street cred. Perhaps in another year or two, the SFA will cut us some slack and get around to including our little ole’ state in their “BBQ Trail” exhibit. After all, we’ve got a real, live Jim N’ Nicks franchise right downtown now and we are just as close to New Orleans as North Carolina. That, along with a big city TV appearance, should have people like the SFA and Food Network clamoring to show the Big Red Rig to the world – and Jimmy was on today, quick to point out the “only state with three sauces” adage that gives SC a singular distinctive claim in the world of barbeque snobbery.
Also to be found on the Today website are a couple of pork shoulder recipes from the masters. Now, I don’t see any secrets divulged in there, and I’m pretty sure that the amount of charcoal called for would put a kettle grill well over the 400 degree mark, but they do a good job illustrating the differences between SC and NC barbeque.
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