It’s all about Carolina Barbecue with Ryan Mitchell co-author with his Dad Ed: Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque: Celebrating the Eastern North Carolina Whole Hog Barbeque of my African American Ancestors by Ed Michell and son Ryan Mitchell.

Ed Mitchell’s journey in the barbeque business began in 1991 with a lunch for his mama, who was grieving the loss of Ed’s father. Ed drove to the nearby Piggly Wiggly to buy a thirty-five-pound pig—that’s a small one—and fired up the coals. As smoke filled the air and the pork skin started to crackle, the few customers at the family bodega started to inquire about lunch and what smelled so good. More than thirty years later, Ed is known simply as “The Pitmaster” in barbeque circles and is widely considered one of the best at what he does.

In his first cookbook, a collaboration with his son, Ryan, and written with Zella Palmer, Ed explores the tradition of whole-hog barbeque that has made him famous. It’s a method passed down through generations over the course of 125 years and hearkens back even further than that, to his ancestors who were plantation sharecroppers and, before that, enslaved. Ed is one of the few remaining pitmasters to keep this barbeque tradition alive, and in Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque, he will share his methods for the first time and fill in the unwritten chapters of the rich and complex history of North Carolina whole-hog barbeque.

From cracklin to hush puppies, fried green tomatoes to deviled eggs, okra poppers, skillet cornbread, potato salad, and pickled pigs’ feet, Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque is filled with delicious and essential recipes honed over decades. And, of course, there is the barbeque—mouth-watering baby back ribs, smoked pork chops, backyard brisket, and barbequed chicken—all paired with lively and warmly told stories from the Mitchell family. Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque is rich with the history of Wilson, North Carolina, and yet promises to bring barbeque to the next level.  www.thepitmasteredmitchell.com

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Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2020 McPrice Myers “High On The Hog” Paso Robles Red Blend
High on the Hog shows notes of macerated cherries, strawberry reduction, sweet spice, spring flowers, plum tart, melted licorice, and fresh herbs. The palate has an exuberant, sweet approach, with a long, mineral-laced finish.  Pair with smoked brisket with red wine reduction barbecue sauce.

RP93 – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2020 High on the Hog is a blend of 48% Grenache, 26% Petite Sirah, 7% Syrah, 7% Zinfandel, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Malbec and 2% Lagrein. It has a deep ruby color and scents of tar, iron, underbrush and cured meats with a core of red cherries and potpourri. The medium-bodied palate is soft, supple and alluring with a long, floral finish. This is delicious and very easy to drink! Best After 2023.
WE91 – Wine Enthusiast
The nose offers inky iodine, cassis, beef and oak aromas, while the palate lands with satisfying richness, showing milk chocolate and more cassis flavors. Editors’ Choice
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Something Big and Bold to go with Barbeque! Available at Jacob Liquor on N. Rock Rd.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 13th, 2023 at 9:39 am and is filed under Other. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.