Creative BBQ Dishes Shine at Jeff Michner Benefit Despite Rain

Creative BBQ Dishes Shine at Jeff Michner Benefit Despite Rain

This past weekend’s annual Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit, held at Pig Beach in Queens, NY, attracted more than a thousand barbecue lovers — despite torrential rain. The event, now in its third year, brings together pitmasters from around the country to raise money for charity and bring together the barbecue community.

The third annual Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit was full of rain, but pitmasters still brought their A-game. Attendees huddled under tents to eat dishes and also found room inside. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

To give everyone a little backstory, Jeff Michner was the founding pitmaster and executive chef at the first Pig Beach location in Brooklyn. He unexpectedly passed away following a sudden brain bleed in May 2018. At the age of 36, his death was heartbreaking, and he left behind his wife Sara, daughter Hayes, and his close Pig Beach family.

The Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit was created with a primary goal in mind — to raise money for the Jeff Michner Foundation, which supports families managing loss and grief and creates scholarships for "graduating high school students with a love for cooking and golf," two things that Jeff loved dearly. Ever since the event launched, nationally known talent has come out to help support it.

Craig Verhage (aka the BBQ Ninja) and Leslie Roark Scott of Ubons BBQ cooked up excellent BBQ wings. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

This year’s edition was a little different than the past two iterations of the Benefit, with the TV show BBQ USA filming an episode during the proceedings. Celebrity chef and pitmaster Michael Symon, host of the show, was working the crowd, talking with talent, and trying bites of the food.

Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q served up pulled pork sliders with smoked hominy and cheese. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

To make the episode of BBQ USA more exciting, this year’s Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit also added a competition element. Handpicked judges would taste all the dishes and pick an overall winner, while there would also be a People’s Choice trophy handed out to the crowd favorite.

Amy Mills of 17th Street Barbecue made some delicious whole hog at the Benefit. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

Trying to pick a winner in a sea of talent (and rain) would prove a difficult task with so many good dishes. Some of the best dishes included celery-seed-spiced tri-tip, charred broccolini, and spiced pinto beans from Tuffy Stone; sausage, pastrami, and banana pudding platters from Handsome Devil BBQ; pork spare ribs from Rodney Scott; grilled homemade spam sandwich from Hometown BBQ; beef sausages over tortillas from Hoodoo Brown Barbecue; whole hog from 17th Street Barbecue; smash burgers from Gotham Burger Social Club; and more.

Tuffy Stone shows off his celery-seed-spiced tri-tip, charred broccolini, and spiced pinto beans. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

The People’s Choice trophy was awarded to Pig Beach, which was a natural pick given they were the host and serving a sandwich named for Jeff Michner. They offered up the Chef Jeff’s Brisket Sandwich with pickles, crispy onions, and sweet and smoky BBQ sauce. The runner-up for People’s Choice was awarded to Holy City Hogs, which served up a fried heart-shaped grit cake topped with Louisiana shrimp.

Wagyu burnt ends over crab fried rice was the perfect dish to combat the cold rain at the Benefit, and it had a great balance of flavors. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

The Judges’ Choice trophy went to Mike Johnson of Sugarfire Smokehouse out of St. Louis, Missouri. Johnson served up a flavorful Wagyu brisket burnt end crab fried rice. The fried rice ended up being one of the most unique dishes of the Benefit and one of the best things you could eat to stay warm in the wet, windy weather. The runner-up for judges' choice was awarded to Five Monkeys BBQ from California, which served up a delicious smoked pork egg roll.

Mike Johnson of Sugarfire Smoke House accepts the top prize after his brisket fried rice dish won. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

It will be fun to see how this event translates to the TV screen when BBQ USA airs an episode about the Jeff Michner Benefit. With pitmasters able to bring to life so many good dishes, even with the weather being so treacherous, this will be a masterclass in cooking in the elements.

The team behind Pig Beach won the People’s Choice Award and spoke a few words about their friend Jeff Michner. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

At the end of the event, it was clear that the rain wouldn’t stop a good time, especially a good time with so much incredible food and a great cause to support. If you want to see more photos from the BBQ Benefit, be sure to check out my Instagram.

Sean Ludwig
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet

—Joe Pearce of Slap’s BBQ was the winner of the Kansas City Smoke Show event at the NFL Draft last weekend. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)—

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Last week, Kansas City played host to the NFL Draft, a massive event with over 300,000 fans in attendance for the festivities. Not surprisingly, barbecue played a big role, with several local joints serving food at the event and visitors braving long lines at restaurants throughout the city. A barbecue-centric event put on by Eximius Productions called the Kansas City Smoke Show took place at the NFL Draft Experience. The event, which was attended by actor Eric Stonestreet, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and several Chiefs players, featured cooking demonstrations, food samples, a rib-eating contest, and a fierce BBQ competition. Competitors in the contest included pitmasters from local restaurants such as Joe’s Kansas City, Chef J BBQ, Slap’s, Scott’s Kitchen, and Jazzy B’s, as well as competition teams such as Burnt Finger BBQ, Smoke ‘n Magic BBQ, Smoke On Wheels, and JDQ BBQ. The event was hosted by World Champion pitmaster Todd Johns and former Chiefs player Mitchell Schwartz, with competition judges including KCBS founder Carolyn Wells, food writer Jill Silva, former KC mayor Sly James, and The Smoke Sheet’s own Ryan Cooper. KCBS CEO Rod Gray was on hand to adjudicate the competition, with categories including chicken, ribs, burnt ends, and steak. In the end, pitmaster Joe Pearce of Slap’s BBQ came out on top and was named Draft Champion of the Kansas City Smoke Show. READ MORE.

An article in Atlas Obscura highlighted the increasingly global transformation taking place in the Texas BBQ scene. According to the article, Texas is becoming more diverse, with pitmasters coming from a wide range of cultural backgrounds developing menus that incorporate flavors from around the world. “What tastes great with Texas barbecue? It turns out a lot of foods, including banh mi, injera, curry, birria, ramen, and more. These global influences have created a new generation of Texas barbecue that is a continuation of the genre’s history of contributions from different cultures, rather than a departure from the norm.” READ MORE.

Planet Barbecue, the new television show from acclaimed pitmaster Steven Raichlen, will showcase the diverse and exciting culinary scene in San Antonio, Texas. “We picked San Antonio (for filming) because this show is called Planet Barbecue, and if there is one place that has a global feel, that is certainly San Antonio,” says Raichlen. The 13-episode season will highlight both traditional barbecue as well as world barbecue cuisine from Curry Boys BBQ and Chama Gaucha. Planet Barbecue will air on PBS starting Memorial Day Weekend. READ MORE.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram recently profiled five Fort Worth women who are making waves in the Texas barbecue scene, including Cecilia Guerrero of Goldee’s Barbecue, the top spot on Texas Monthly’s Top 50 list of BBQ Joints. Rita Olsen, pitmasters at Vaquero’s Texas Bar-B-Que said, “There are a lot of women emerging in this business, more today than I’ve ever seen, which is so exciting.” READ MORE.

ADDITIONAL READS

Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ is slated to open their brick and mortar in Buda, Texas, this spring.

Windy City Smokeout recently announced the BBQ lineup at this year’s event, which will include many returning pitmasters along with several newcomers.

Blogger at disKCovery Devan Dignan has taken on the daunting task of writing the Kansas City BBQ Bible, releasing the first installment covering the restaurants falling on the Missouri side of the state line.

After announcing the closure of King’s Famous Barbeque after 77 years in business, owner Matt Keeler announced he is not selling the business and may consider re-opening in the future.

Here are the two common mistakes BBQ rookies make, according to legendary pitmaster Tuffy Stone.

Kenny Callaghan, who helped start Manhattan's Blue Smoke and founded the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, opened Boots and Bones in Jersey City last month.

In a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution article, Jim Auchmutey writes about how Atlanta chef Terry Sargent makes vegan barbecue that rivals traditional fare. 

Lewis Donald of Sweet Lew’s BBQ in Charlotte shares his story of what it has been like to build a successful business despite never finishing high school.

Last week's Brisket King NYC event was a huge hit.

—Chef Marc Forgione cooks whole suckling pigs over a wood fire at Peasant in New York City.—

WATCH

How a Master Chef Is Roasting Whole Suckling Pigs in the Middle of NYC — Smoke Point
At NYC’s Peasant, chef Marc Forgione took over from chef Frank DeCarlo after over 20 years, and has kept the idea of wood-fire cooking in NYC alive. The restaurant’s menu includes a whole pig dinner that must be ordered 24 hours in advance of the reservation, as well as wood-fired oysters, Piedmontese steak tartare, and many handmade pastas. WATCH HERE.
 

LISTEN

Sean Ludwig and Ryan Cooper from The Smoke Sheet — Baseball & BBQ
Ryan Cooper and Sean Ludwig are back on the Baseball & BBQ Podcast to provide information on future barbecue events, the latest products, and additional scintillating barbecue conversation. Hosts Leonard and Jeff are also joined by baseball historian David Krell, author of Do You Believe In Magic?: Baseball and America In the Groundbreaking Year of 1966. LISTEN HERE.
 

READ

The Great American Burger Book (Expanded and Updated Edition): How to Make Authentic Regional Hamburgers at Home — George Motz
The Great American Burger Book was the first book to showcase a wide range of regional burger styles and cooking methods. In this new, expanded edition, author and burger expert George Motz covers traditional grilling techniques as well as how to smoke, steam, poach, smash, and deep-fry burgers based on signature recipes from around the country. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific regional burger, and includes the history of the method and details on how to create your own piece of American food history right at home. This is a book for anyone who loves a great burger, unique or classic. And who doesn’t love a great burger? PRE-ORDER HERE.

—Chicken Fried Steak is a delicious Southern staple you can make on the griddle at home. (Photo by Josh Hunt)—

Chicken Fried Steaks & Bacon Gravy

By Josh Hunt

Chicken fried steak is a delicious staple in nearly every Texas home. In this week’s Recipe of the Week, Josh Hunt shows you how to make this delicious and crispy take on steak right on the griddle. Serve up the fried steaks while they are nice and hot with mashed potatoes and plenty of gravy over everything.

Reprinted with permission from Blackstone Griddling by Josh Hunt. Page Street Publishing Co. 2023. Photo credit: Josh Hunt.

—Memphis in May is back this month at Tom's River Park.—

May 5-6, 2023: The BBQ Fest on the Neuse — Kinston, North Carolina
The 42nd annual BBQ Festival on the Neuse kicks off soon in Kinston, NC. The large festival will include a whole hog cookoff, food competitions, shopping, arts and crafts, wine garden, children’s activities, and more. Expect a good time for families and BBQ enthusiasts. MORE INFO HERE.

May 17-20, 2023: Memphis in May — Memphis, Tennessee
Recognized as one of the world’s most prestigious barbecue contests, the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is a four-day competition held in Memphis. Teams representing the best of barbecue that have been honing their craft for years compete for the title of World Champion and a share of the more than $145,000 in prize money. The event will be held again at Tom’s River Park after a hiatus. However, based on the reduction in space in the new Tom Lee Park the event organizers expect the contest will be limited to 150 teams. MORE INFO HERE.

May 27, 2023: Rib King NYC — Brooklyn, New York
Food Karma Projects – the producers of Pig Island NYC and Brisket King NYC – are bringing you the ultimate memorial day barbecue and picnic with Rib King NYC. The event will feature amazing ribs from joints all over the NYC metro area, a Sauce King NYC showcase, Hard Cider Alley, plus many other food products, spirits, and drinks. It’s all happening at Industry City in Brooklyn. BUY TICKETS HERE.

May 27-28, 2023: Denver BBQ Festival — Denver, Colorado
The Denver BBQ Fest, held at Empower Field at Mile High (where the Broncos play), is a huge event that brings barbecue fans together to get a taste of great local and national barbecue bites. On top of the top-notch food, there’s also live music and great drinks to enjoy. To get a taste of this event, be sure to read writer Ed Reilly’s recap of the 2022 Denver BBQ Festival. If you’re near Denver, don’t miss this. MORE INFO HERE.

June 16-17, 2023: Discovery Fire at Settlers Creek — Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
The Discovery Fire event (formerly From the Ashes Idaho) returns June 16-17, 2023, with the big food, flavors and fun that you've come to expect from this annual summer Smoked and Fired Foods Adventure. It will include a Light the Fires Dinner on Friday night and a Pitmaster Showcase Event on Saturday. MORE INFO HERE.

July 13-16, 2023: Windy City Smokeout — Chicago, Illinois
Get ready for beer, BBQ, and country tunes, because the Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Festival is returning to Chicago. The Windy City Smokeout is one of the largest barbecue festivals in the U.S. and typically features the world’s best pitmasters and more than 15 musical acts. MORE INFO HERE

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