The Most Mouthwatering Bites at Pig Island NYC 2020
Pig Island NYC 2020 had a new look "socially distanced" look this year at Snug Harbor on Staten Island.
This is the web edition of the NYC BBQ Weekly newsletter. If you would like to receive this in your inbox for free each week, subscribe here!
This past weekend, I attended Pig Island NYC, one of the only large food events held around the county in 2020. This year, as you might expect, was far different from the event held in years past, as social distancing and mask-wearing were part of the proceedings.
Thankfully, great food, big pitmaster personalities, and tasty drinks were all present, which made everything feel more enjoyable. It was the first time in a long time where things felt relatively normal in terms of being at a large food event and seeing friends in the barbecue world.
So how did this event get approved in the first place given that virtually no events are happening, you might ask? It was cleverly conceived by Food Karma Projects as a “socially distanced picnic,” and it was moved from Brooklyn over to Staten Island’s 83-acre Snug Harbor Cultural Center. This way, people and food tents could be substantially spaced out.
Something I haven’t been able to do much this year is stuffing my face with creative dishes from multiple pitmasters and chefs in one outing. Here are some of the best bites I had at the event.
The Cuban-style pork sandwich from Big Papa Smoke’m was incredible.
Cuban-Style Lechón Sandwich with Chimichurri — Big Papa Smoke’m — Bergen, New Jersey
The winner of “Best In Show” was awarded to Mario Chape of New Jersey’s Big Papa Smoke’m, who made an incredible Cuban-style Lechón sandwich with chimichurri. This sandwich attracted some of the longest lines of the day.
The whole hog from Holy City Hogs attracted long lines.
Whole Hog — Holy City Hogs — Charleston, South Carolina
Tank Jackson of Holy City Hogs is more famous raising sustainable hogs, but he's also been turning into a heck of a pitmaster too. He and his team made some excellent whole hog at the event and won the "Best Whole Hog" award.
Matt Fisher’s pork belly burnt ends were a popular go-to choice during Pig Island.
Laphroaig-Glazed Pork Belly Burnt Ends — Matt Fisher — New York New York
I already loved pork belly burnt ends and then pitmaster Matt Fisher (formerly of Fletcher's Brooklyn Barbecue and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que) went and added a whisky and apple cider glaze. It deservingly won the award for "Best Bite."
Mouthwatering doesn’t even begin to describe how good the pork from Que Chevre was.
Roasted Pork and Rice — Que Chevre — New York, New York
The winner for "Best Pulled Pork" was awarded to Que Chevere on the Lower East Side for their Puerto Rican "pernil y arroz con gandules." The operation uses pork shoulders that marinate for eight hours and then are slow-roasted for 48 hours.
Jase BBQ offered up one of the most unique items at Pig Island — BBQ pig tails.
Smoked and Barbecued Pig Tails — Jase BBQ — Queens, New York
Jase Franklyn of Jase BBQ has a catering operation in New York, but over the past few years, he's made a name for himself at events with his unique barbecue pig tails. It's not an item you'll typically find at BBQ events, so don't miss out if he's around. Franklyn rightly won the award for "Hidden Gem."
The pork ribs and bacon mac both earned high praise from the audience at Pig Island.
Spare Ribs and Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese — Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue — Brooklyn, New York
Chef Cenobio Canalizo, Pitmaster and Executive Chef at Morgan's Brooklyn Barbecue, always brings his A-game and his ribs at Pig Island were no exception. While I loved the ribs, I might have loved the creamy bacon mac 'n' cheese even more.
--
I’m sure I missed a few other good bites, and frankly, there wasn’t a bad bite I had all day. Check out the full list of winners here.
All in all, Pig Island was a hit despite the pandemic and new safety regulations. The outstanding food and the chefs made it seem like it could be any other year. While this might be the last big food event of the year that we’ll get to attend, at least we went out on a high note. Here’s hoping for many more events of this caliber in 2021.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Indoor dining will soon be back in NYC in just a few weeks at restaurants including Katz's Deli.
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Indoor dining is set to return on September 30th in New York City at 25% capacity, and many restaurants have committed to opening some indoor dining that day. The NY Post reports that restaurants that will have indoor dining soon include Katz’s Delicatessen, Cote, and T-Bar Steak & Lounge. (I’ll be writing about indoor dining at NYC BBQ joints in the next few weeks.)
An Eater NY article introducing new vegan Philipino restaurant Saramsam includes the nugget that Honeybee’s, the excellent vegan barbecue restaurant I wrote about last year, has officially closed. Restauranteur Ravi DeRossi had launched Honeybee’s as part of a series of unique vegan dining experiences, but many of his restaurants have closed due to the pandemic.
For all those who live in the Northeast: Make sure you keep your outdoor barbecue grills clean and covered. Why? Bears! “Black bears have entered more than 40 Connecticut homes this year, shattering records and putting the state on track to more than triple the average number of such cases,” the Hartford Courant reports. On top of cleaning your grills, make sure you don’t leave trash out and don’t leave birdseed outside.
Eater NY reports that “longtime East Village hot dog joint Crif Dogs appears to have permanently closed its Williamsburg location.” The Williamsburg location has been removed from the hot dog spot’s official website.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
One of the only upcoming food events on the calendar is the Forest Hill Wings Fest in November.
November 7, 2020: The Forest Hills Wings Fest, perfect for anyone who loves chicken wings and beer, is scheduled for November at Cobblestones Pub & Biergarten in Forest Hills, Queens. Lots of wings will be available to try and more. Buy tickets here.
January 30, 2021: The 11th Annual Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival will be back at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint. The event focuses on bourbon and beer tastings, along with multiple barbecue joints serving up lots of excellent smoked meats. Buy tickets here.
NOTE: Due to COVID-19, information concerning events in NYC is subject to change, and events may be rescheduled. Click the button below to see the latest up-to-date information. CHECK OUT THE FULL EVENTS CALENDAR HERE
SAY HELLO
If you're not already subscribed to the newsletter, sign up here. You can also follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. If you want to write for NYC BBQ Weekly, sponsor the newsletter, or let me know about the best new barbecue you’ve tried, send me an email and let’s talk!