A Pork Feast for the Ages

Pig Island NYC featured inventive pork dishes, whole hog, pulled pork, sausage, and more, making for a tasty day.

This past weekend, pitmasters from around the country gathered in Staten Island to show off their skills at Pig Island NYC. This annual event, now in its 15th edition, is both a pork-focused competition and a picnic where friends and family can spend the day.

The whole hog from Tank Jackson of Holy City Hogs won runner-up for best whole hog. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

More than 20 pitmasters and chefs from around the country served up pork dishes, including multiple whole hogs, pulled pork, and sausage. The talent ranges from up-and-coming pitmasters to farmers to Thai chefs. Notably, Pig Island is held in one of NYC's underrated parks — Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden. It’s a fantastic site, and you could end your day by walking around the park.

Don Rodrigo Duarte (left middle) won best whole hog at the event. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

The top award of the day for Best Whole Hog went to Don Rodrigo Duarte, a New Jersey-based trailblazer in pig farming. Duarte is the son of Portuguese pig farmers, and he emigrated from Portugal in 2002. He is “one of the first people to raise and breed Iberico pigs from Portugal, specifically Alentejanos, in the U.S.,” per Eater. Duarte has fantastic pork, and he’s incredible at cooking it.

The pork sausage and bao buns from Kam Rai Thai were excellent. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

The Best In Show award, which typically goes to whoever serves multiple great dishes, was given to Kam Rai Thai. Owner and chef Dhanapol Oak Marprasert is a masterful cook and already has one of the best Thai restaurants in NYC. But he’s a competitor and a showman, too, so he knows how to impress a crowd. He served a pork bao bun and sausage, both with delicious Thai sauces.

Jase Franklyn of Jase BBQ won People’s Choice for his rib tips and pigtails. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

The People’s Choice was awarded to Queens-based Jase BBQ. Pitmaster Jase Franklyn has been serving at events like this for years and always serves hugely tasty pork. For Pig Island, he served up delicious rib tips and pigtails.

The slow-roasted pork from Don Rodrigo Duarte was outstanding. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

Other awards handed out included:

🏆 Whole Hog Runner Up — Holy City Hogs
🏆 Ménage a Pork — Avellino Family BBQ
🏆 So Long Farewell — Blue Smoke NYC
🏆 Best Bite — Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue
🏆 Bella Robusta — Empire BBQ

Christine Espinal Rosa shows off some chicharron before it makes its way into her final dish of the day. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

The biggest of these to highlight arguably is Blue Smoke NYC. The iconic New York-based barbecue restaurant will close in December (more info in Hot Links below), so this was a farewell of sorts. Chef Christine Espinal Rosa, who runs the Blue Smoke kitchen, served a tasty smoked rib tostada with avocado, queso fresco, pickled onions, and sprinkled chicharron. Rosa will still be the chef at Porchlight Bar in Manhattan if you want to try her inventive dishes.

Overall, Pig Island NYC was a feast for the ages and the perfect end-of-summer party. It showcased the creativity and tenacity of the pitmasters seeking to make the best pork in the world. Barbecue fans who live nearby should attend in the future, and if you are ever visiting during this time, you should swing by.

Sean Ludwig
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet