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I Had An Amazing Time Judging This BBQ Benefit

I Had An Amazing Time Judging This BBQ Benefit

The Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit at Pig Beach in Queens, now in its fourth year, featured delicious bites, star power, and great company.

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The Smoke Sheet
May 01, 2024
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I Had An Amazing Time Judging This BBQ Benefit
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This past weekend, Pig Beach in Queens, New York, hosted the 4th annual Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit. Each year, the Benefit brings together a stacked list of pitmasters from around the country to serve more than a thousand barbecue lovers — all supporting a great cause.

Pitmasters from around the country cook at the Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit each year. (Photo by Eric Vitale Photography)

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 aneurysm in May 2018. At the age of 36, he left behind his wife Sara, daughter Hayes, and his Pig Beach family.

The Benefit raises 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 cared about dearly. Since the event launched, nationally known talent has come out to help support it.

I had a blast judging at the event for the first time. (Photo by Chris Gampat / The Phoblographer)

This year, I was invited to be a judge for the competition side of the Benefit. My fellow judges included BBQ Hall of Famer John Markus, Greg and Rebecca from social sensation DevourPower, meat master Pat LaFrieda, and TV journalist Lauren Scala. I had a blast comparing notes with Markus, who produced many seasons of the BBQ Pitmasters show, and Greg and Rebecca, who have an extremely diverse palate.

Chef Dominique Leach of Chicago’s Lexington Betty Smokehouse served a great pork belly skewer. (Photo by Chris Gampat / The Phoblographer)

Almost every chef turned in a dish for judging, meaning we had to take a bite (or two) of more than 20 dishes. We scored each dish on taste, creativity, and appearance. But this was a tough task, as the dishes spanned traditional barbecue like whole hog and ribs, sides, seafood, and even vegan BBQ. Although I’m a certified KCBS judge, this was a far cry from that style of competition, and I had to keep an extremely open mind.

Judges this year included John Markus, DevourPower, Pat LaFrieda, Lauren Scala, and myself (Photo by Eric Vitale Photography)

While we were extraordinarily full after judging, it was a fun exercise. Bites that stood out included a fried oyster and country ham sandwich from Lawrence Seafood and Holy City Hogs, a freshly prepared beef slider from chef Michael Symon, smoked brisket fried rice from St. Louis-based Sugarfire Smokehouse, smoked and fried wings from Tuffy Stone, brisket chili from Blue Smoke, and smoked pork belly with corn pudding and okra from South Carolina’s Swig & Swine.

The top dish from the judges was the lamb ribs with cheese hominy from Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q. (Photo by Chris Gampat / The Phoblographer)

But the dish that wowed the judges the most was the lamb ribs and cheesy hominy from Alabama’s Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q. Pitmaster Chris Lilly always brings creativity to his event dishes and this was no exception. It was the most flavorful dish of the day and the best lamb ribs I’ve ever eaten.

The teams from Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q and Handsome Devil BBQ post with trophies with Pig Beach partners Shane McBridge and Matt Abdoo. (Photo by Eric Vitale Photography)

My second favorite bite of the day was the brisket egg rolls with green chili sauce from New York’s Handsome Devil BBQ. This appropriately won the People’s Choice award, as it was a perfect bite.

The brisket egg roll from Handsome Devil won the People’s Choice award. (Photo by Eric Vitale Photography)

Outside of the bites, the company was stellar. It was great to catch up with so many pitmasters, many of whom I only see once a year. I suspect the welcoming atmosphere (on top of the great cause) is part of what brings out so many big names.

The whole hog from Amy Mills of 17th Street Barbecue was a great bite. (Photo by Eric Vitale Photography)

The Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit is the NYC-based barbecue event that attracts the most nationally acclaimed talent each year. For locals and visitors who love barbecue, this is a must-attend event.

Sean Ludwig
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet

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