by JENNIFER V. COLE // photos by ERIC SCHWORTZ AND JOSH BOUSEL

SMOKE IN THE

CITYThe Annual Big Apple Barbecue

Block Party Celebrates Tradition and Community with Plenty of Bourbon

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CHOPPER FROM SKYLIGHT INN BBQ PREPS HIS PORK; RIBS GET SPICED; SC'S RODNEY SCOTT MAKES A BIG CITY IMPACT; BBQ MOP; THE PIT CREW TENDS TO THE SLAWOPPOSITE: THE QUINTESSENTIAL BBQ ITEM: THE PULLED PORK SANDWICH

These days, the South is everywhere. You are as likely to find country ham, bourbon, and biscuits in Los Angeles as in Atlanta. But when I moved to Manhattan from Mississippi fifteen years ago, Southern was still the stu! of novelty. I had to “import” grits through my momma’s care packages. Crawfish boils were practically cultural experiments. And it was easier to find a rent-controlled apartment than to track down good barbecue. Then came the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party.

One June weekend in 2003, five pitmasters from across the country took to the streets along Madison Square Park to share in restaurateur Danny Meyer’s vision “to promote the cultural value of American bar-becue and launch a New York barbecue tradition.” Now, in the festival’s thirteenth year, the brotherhood of pitmasters has grown to seventeen. And for two days each summer, Southern hospitality is imported to the heart of the city. That first year, the five-team crew of early proselytiz-ers plied the rain-soaked crowds—including me and my merry band of expats—with piles of smoked meats: babyback ribs, Texas-style brisket with onions and pickled jalapeños, whole hog, pulled pork shoulder, smoked chicken. This was real barbecue—cloaked in rub, cooked on pits, and bathed in smoke. New York smelled and tasted like home. Chris Lilly, of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama, was one of those first pitmasters, and has been back every year since. “Cooking barbecue on the streets of New York—as a boy from Alabama, you just don’t do that every day,” he says. “But even in the shadows of skyscrapers, this event is a gathering of family and friends. It’s community. It’s a celebration. It is what barbecue is.” Indeed, there’s something pretty special about the sense of community that comes to life at Big Apple. On Friday, giant smok-ers that heave hickory fumes for days pull into their designated spots in midtown Manhattan. “People are heading home after work, and all of a sudden there’s a barbecue rig right in front of them,” says Jimmy Hagood of Blackjack Barbecue in Charleston, an 8-year veteran of the festival. “There’s smoke billowing, and people are rubbing down pork shoulders. Suddenly the street has been turned into a giant barbecue pit.”

That Friday night preamble, necessary to prepare for the weekend masses of well over 120,000, creates a carnival-like atmosphere. “On the day before the Block Party, when we season everything, inject the meat—we draw a crowd as soon as we light the fire,” says Lilly.

At nearly every rig, set up like a row of base camps, you will find mu-sic, cold beer, and, more often than not, a Mason jar of corn liquor that burns hotter than the embers under the hogs. Once the pit crews get their meat put to bed, they make the rounds saying hello to old friends. “It’s the calm before the storm,” says Drew Robinson of Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Que out of Birmingham. “We get to hang out, see each other, and have beers before things get crazy.”

This barbecue crew is tight.

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All About the Friendships “The first year I came, I walked around not knowing anyone,” says Sam Jones of Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden, North Carolina. “I saw all these rigs and pitmasters, and I was starstruck. I looked at these people like they were pure rock stars. I was taking pictures of all of the rigs: Big Bob Gib-son, Jim ‘N Nick’s, Martin’s Bar-B-Que,” says Jones. “But I got to know them that weekend and realized they were just good ol’ folks.”

Soon after, Jones and his wife, Sarah, had a little girl. By then, the bar-becue crew had already claimed him as one of their own: Amy Mills from 17th Street BBQ sent baby Elaina a tiny pair of red cowgirl boots; Nick Pihakis of Jim ‘N Nick’s sent Jones a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon.

When Jones showed up at Big Apple the next year with his six-month-old daughter in tow, he was family. “Elaina was passed around like a football,” he recalls. “Everybody takes group shots [of their crew] to com-memorate the weekend, and I think she ended up being in three different rigs’ group pictures.”

In between the mini reunions, this band of brothers (and sisters) get to know the neighbors.

“People who work the night shift in the pit have folks coming by at 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning and say, ‘Can you lift that lid and let me have a look?’,” says Jones. And more often than not, they oblige, willing to for-sake one of the cardinal rules of low-and-slow—“if you’re looking, you’re not cooking”—in favor of hospitality.

“We raise a barbecue village in the middle of NYC,” says Hagood. “Pit-masters come and take over a three-block area of New York. We sort of control that territory. It’s the antithesis of what Sherman did. Sherman lit the fire that burned the South. We’re lighting the fires that are feeding the North and the folks who live there.”

And year after year, they find themselves more entrenched in the local community.

“There’s a rhythm to it that’s familiar,” says Hagood. “There’s the same policeman who walks that beat every year. There are the same volunteers who work the site. There’s a neighborhood guy who started bringing us pastries years ago, and now he’s become a part of my team for the week-end.” The inherent rhythm becomes important for Hagood and his crew, as they cook for four thousand people a day, serving a pulled pork sand-wich every 5.2 seconds.

“It’s a full on Southern invasion,” says Patrick Martin of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in Nolensville, Tennessee, just outside Nashville. “It’s not just us

showing up as pitmasters. The Southern Foodways Alliance shows up. So do chefs like Ashley Christensen and Sean Brock, and all sorts of Southerners living in the city. We put thirty cases of beer on ice and know people are going to come.”

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Barbecue Tour Turned Tent RevivalIn recent years, barbecue, from North Carolina to Texas, has received fervent attention. In fact, this past May, Austin pitmaster Aaron Franklin won a James Beard Foundation Award naming him best chef in the Southwest. “He’s brought barbecue to a reputable place,” says Robinson. “People stand in line at his restaurant because they want to know Texas barbecue, they want to understand.”

There’s no other format in the country—apart from the enviable task of being a traveling bar-becue critic—where anyone with an appetite can get a hands-on lesson in regional styles like at Big Apple. “On Saturday morning, lines form early, and as soon as we start serving, a big cheer goes up,” says Lilly. “You can do a tour of the entire South and all the different barbecue regions and styles in one afternoon.”

“It’s a completely non-competitive barbecue event,” says Robinson. “It’s a celebration. Folks talk about their barbecue with the public, with each other. It’s like a gathering of the tribe so to speak. No one has anything on the line.”

“When people think barbecue events, they think competition,” says Jones. “It’s not like that at Big Apple. Here, everybody brings their dish, their barbecue, and puts their spin on it. It’s like a big potluck, just on a major scale.”

You can call it a potluck. But at times Big

Apple feels more like a tent revival, with the Southern spirit moved by liberal servings of pork, cold beer, and bourbon. While barbecue pilgrims stand in line along Madison Avenue, Julian Van Winkle and his son Preston (yes, the bourbon Van Winkles), host a patio party—open to the public—at Eleven Madison Park on the other side of the street. And it is a real barnburner. Julian, known for his predilection

for playing the cowbell, often jumps in with The Crooners. This roots-rock-bluegrass trio keeps the dance floor twirling while bartend-ers dispense the family’s whole bourbon line, serving everything from two-finger pours of the 20-year Pappy to mint-laced Old Rip Van

Winkle juleps. Ultimately, everyone is just happy to be here.

“Big Apple Block Party is like the who’s who of barbecue,” says Jones. “When I got invited to be a part of it, I felt like I’d actually made it.”

And year after year, these soot-stained ambas-sadors prove that when it comes to the Southern lifestyle, geography doesn’t have anything to do with it.

“People are heading home after work, and all of a sudden there’s a barbecue rig right in front of them. There’s smoke billowing, and people are rubbing down pork shoulders. Suddenly the street has been turned into a giant barbecue pit.” —Jimmy Hagood

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ALABAMA BBQ COMES TO THE BIG APPLE; BBQ ENTHUSIAST GETS HIS FILL; JIMMY HAGOOD SEASONS HIS PULLED PORKOPPOSITE: MUSIC MAKES IT ALL A PARTY

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MARTIN’S BAR-B-QUE JOINT’S PULLED PORK SANDWICH WITH MISSISSIPPI SLAWFrom Pat Martin of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in Nolensville, TennesseeFor Pulled Pork SandwichSmoked Boston butt, pulled (recipe follows)Mississippi slaw (recipe follows)Home-style BBQ sauce (recipe follows)Buns

Pull a handful of smoked Boston butt and pile it high on the bun. Top with Mississippi slaw and home-style sauce. Eat.

Yield: 18-20 sandwiches

Smoked Boston Butt! cup light brown sugar! cup kosher salt" cup white sugar1 tablespoon chili powder1 teaspoon cayenne1 teaspoon dry mustard1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon white pepper

1 12–14-pound Boston butt 2 25-pound bags all-natural lump charcoal1 bag large hickory chunks

1. Start fire in grill 2 hours before cooking (this allows time for coals to burn down). Use charcoal chimney to start separate fire away from grill. Once fire is going, add another layer of fresh coals and allow them to burn down, then add another layer after about 1 hour. This fire is going to be a constant source of hot coals for grill throughout cooking process. 2. While fire of grill is heating, mix together dry ingredients to form rub, then evenly coat Boston butt. 3. Fire is ready when coals have a white-ash exterior. Build football-size pile of coals on one side of kettle grill, then place lid on grill with exhaust damper away from coals to draw heat evenly over Boston butt. 4. When you can hold your hand on grill for 2 seconds, place 4–5 hickory chunks on coals. Place Boston butt on grill away from coals. Place an oven thermometer by meat and put lid back on. Maintain 210-220 degrees in temperature. 5. Leave exhaust damper open at all times. Control your heat by opening or closing your intake damper on bottom of grill. Also remember

that when you take coals to place in your grill you’ll need to replenish your supply by adding more fresh charcoal to the side fire in your chimney. 6. Cooking time will be approximately 1 hour per pound of meat, but could vary depending on weather, especially wind and humidity.*7. When meat reaches an internal temperature of 195 degrees** on meat thermometer, remove from grill and wrap lightly in brown paper bag. Let rest 30 minutes, then remove from bag and pull meat from bone using your fingers.

*Yes, this seems like a long time, but trust me. When cooking at 210-225 degrees, anyone who gets it done faster than about 1 hour per pound is either cooking it too damn hot (such as a competition cooker), has taken it off too early, or started with a smaller butt of say 8-9 pounds. **A lot of recipes will have you cook to an internal of 165, or 180 degrees. That's why so many BBQ recipes in cookbooks are wrong—the collagen hasn't had time to turn gelatinous which is what makes BBQ.

Mississippi Slaw! cup olive oil " cup cider vinegar 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon celery salt 1 teaspoon mustard 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 head green cabbage, shredded ! head purple cabbage, shredded

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in large salad bowl. 2. Add shredded cabbages, then mix to combine.

Home-Style BBQ Sauce2 cups ketchup, preferably Heinz1 cup Coca-Cola! cup cider vinegar2 tablespoons light brown sugar 2 tablespoons light molasses (not blackstrap) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon dark brown mustard or spicy deli mustard 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Prepare 1 day in advance. Whisk together all ingredients in saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, then remove from heat. 2. Cool to room temperature. Store in refrigerator.

BAKED BEANS From Sam Jones of Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden, North Carolina1 large green pepper 1 large onion 1! pounds ground beef or pork Oil for pan10 pound can of pork beans 3 cups ketchup 1 pound white sugar 1 pound brown sugar 3 tablespoons mustard3 tablespoons Worcestershire

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.2. Cook peppers and onions with meat until done in skillet.3. Add remaining ingredients and toss together.4. Place skillet in pre-heated oven for 1 hour.

Yield: 20 servings

JIM ’N NICK’S PIMENTO CHEESEFrom Jim ’N Nick’s Bar-B-Q in Birmingham, Alabama1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated 1" cups mayonnaise, preferably Duke’s! teaspoon hot sauce, preferably Tabasco! teaspoon cayenne pepper1 10-ounce jar fire-roasted red peppers, diced

1. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl.2. Serve troweled into celery ribs or spooned onto saltine crackers or however you want— it goes with pretty much everything.

Yield: 2! cups

BANANA PUDDINGFrom Jimmy Hagood of Food for the Southern Soul and Blackjack Barbecue in Charleston, South Carolina2 quarts whole milk

3 vanilla beans, split lengthwise24 egg yolks3 cups sugar 1 cup cornstarch " cup unsalted butter, softened 2 cups heavy cream1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar1 box vanilla wafers 5 bananas, sliced

1. Combine milk and vanilla beans in medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Turn heat off. 2. Scrape vanilla beans, strain mixture, and set aside. 3. Whisk yolks and sugar in large glass bowl until fluffy. Add cornstarch and whisk until smooth. 4. Whisk " hot milk mixture into yolks until thoroughly combined then whisk in remaining hot milk mixture. 5. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. 6. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Cool in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. 7. In mixer, whip heavy cream with confectioners' sugar to stiff peaks. Fold whipped cream in cooled custard mixture. 8. Place layer of bananas and vanilla wafers in bottom of medium glass bowl. Pour in ! custard, then add another layer of bananas and wafers. Top with remaining custard and serve.

Yield: 20 servings

GRILLED SWEET & SPICY PICKLESFrom Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama*1" cups distilled white vinegar1 cup sugar2 tablespoons salt10 small cucumbers (4–5 inches long), quartered lengthwise1 medium onion, halved and cut into !-inch-thick slices6 dill sprigs3 garlic cloves, minced3# teaspoons red pepper flakes

1. Build charcoal fire for direct grilling and preheat to 500 degrees.2. In medium saucepan, combine 1" cups water, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Cook over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover, and set aside.3. Grill cucumbers over hot coals until they char and slightly soften, about 2 minutes on each side. Divide cucumbers and onions among 3 hot sterilized pint jars. Add 2 sprigs dill, garlic, and 1" teaspoons red pepper flakes to each jar. Pour pickling liquid evenly into each jar and tighten the sterilized lid. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Serve chilled.4. Pickles will keep refrigerated for 4 weeks.

Yield: 3 pints

*Recipe reprinted, with permission from the author, from Fire & Smoke: A Pitmaster’s Secrets by Chris Lilly, Clarkson Potter 2014

RECIPES CONTINUE ON PAGE 129

BBQ Southern Pitmasters share some of the dishes that often disappear before the smoke clears at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. While perfecting that Boston Butt requires precision, the rest are straightforward crowd-pleasers.

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