Cross Cultural BBQ #chswff

What comes to mind when you think of BBQ? Pulled, chopped, smoked, slow-cooked, vinegar or maybe when in South Carolina mustard. Take all of those things and throw them out the window and let’s get cross cultural with our BBQ!

Pitmasters were paired with the chefs to create bbq treats. Speaking of the Chefs who were the master minds behind this Cross Cultural BBQ evening, here is the list: Ben Berryhill of Red Drum, Taylor Garrigan of Home Team BBQ, Aaron Siegel of Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ, Todd Garrigan of Craftsman Kitchen and Taphouse, Jimmy Hagood of Food for the Southern Soul, Glenn Christiansen of Heart Woodfire Grill, Sam Jones of Skylight Inn, Chris Stewart of the Glass Onion, Jonathan and Justin Fox of Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, Robert Newton of Nightingale 9, Tank Jackson of Holy City Hogs,Kent Graham of Field Dog Kitchen, John Zucker of Cru Cafe, Brannon Florie of the Granary, Anthony Dibernardo of Swig and Swine, Kelly English of Restaurant Iris, Jean-Paul Bourgeois of Blue Smoke, and Annie Pettry of Decca.

What we ate – Well pig of course! OK really this is what we had to eat. We sampled dishes with ingredients typically thought of in cuisines from around the world –

1. A Goat BBQ Shawarma with Carolina Tabouli
2. Barbeque Pork Noodle Bowl with Lime and Herbs served with Cabbage and Green Papaya coleslaw with a Boiled Peanut Relish
3. Smoked Corn Tamales with Beef Tongue Chili and Butter Beans
4. Beef Brisket with Spring Vegetable Salad and Benne Seed
5. Lamb with Merquez Spice Rub and Cucumber White Barbeque Sauce with Fried Curried Brussel Sprouts
6. Smoked Beef Chuck Flap Kafta and Rice with Greek Yogurt and Cilantro
7. Salt and Pepper Smoked Pork Belly with Collard Green Kimchee and Charleston Gold Jook
8. Smoked Beef Rib with Green Chile Mole and Pickled Escabeche

Good thing these were small plates because there was so much goodness to go around. My favs were the pork belly and collard green kimchee. I think the savory pork with the lighter kimchee was a great mix. The jook was a wonderful grit porridge. Another one of my favorites was the kafta from the Lee Fox Brothers. I love the kafta at our favorite restaurant at home, Sitti. This was so good with the greek yogurt.

And I would be remiss if I did not mention North Carolina’s very own Sam Jones’ goat! It was really good. He said he just added olive oil and salt, which was delish. I am glad we got to get our BBQ passport stamped and enjoyed all this wonderful food.

What we drank – This event was sponsored by Firefly so of course we enjoyed some beverages from South Carolina’s own Firefly distillery. Firefly makes handcrafted vodka. I was first introduced them by way of their sweet tea. This stuff is amazing. Tonight, I was able to try the most amazing peach moonshine margarita. Wow! What a perfect drink. It was light and refreshing. I loved it! I would love the recipe. Anyway you would be able share @homeoffirefly?

The venue was the Royal American which is a restaurant/live music venue. Step inside and check out their great old school decor, including a Wurlitzer. The space has a really eclectic vibe. I really loved the location! We enjoyed live music from Pierce Edens, Susto and Cranford Hollow.

This was a great evening and a wonderful way to kick off the weekend. The rain did not rain on this parade!