How Pig Island Showcased NYC's Inventive BBQ Scene

Last weekend's Pig Island event on Staten Island featured mouth-watering bites including whole hog, Thai pork, and Cheeto Pies. Plus, Southern Living’s Top 50 and Meat Church's Brat Popper Boats.

This past weekend, some of the nation’s top pitmasters gathered in Staten Island to show off their skills at Pig Island NYC. This annual event, now in its 14th edition, is both a pork-focused competition and a picnic where friends and family can spend the day.

What makes the event special is the collection of BBQ talent, which ranges from up-and-coming part-time pitmasters to farmers to established Thai chefs. Notably, Pig Island is held in one of NYC's most picturesque, underrated parks — Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden. This edition featured a very humid day but more than enough good food to offset the heat.

The Best In Show award winner was Chef Vinny Mangual of Empire Barbeque. Mangual owns several Empire food trucks that have grown in popularity around NYC over the past few years. Mangual’s inventive dish that won the judges was tostones rellenos. Fried green plantain slices made up the base, topped with pork steak chunks, pickled onions, citrus slaw, avocado cream, spicy vinegar, and cilantro.

The winner of Best Whole Hog went to Tank Jackson of South Carolina’s Holy City Hogs. Jackson is best known for being a hog farmer who supplies excellent quality meats to top-notch restaurants, but he is also a talented pitmaster and whole hog cook.