#PickoftheWeek | Great Food, Great Cause. Huge BBQ Cook Off on April 30
BY QEDC It's In Queens
Think about BBQ meat on a live wood fire. Then ponder more than 25 stations of smoked pork gumbo with okra croutons, cap of rib eye with crispy bacon brown butter sauce and gastrique, and brisket with pickles, crispy onions, and a world renowned sauce.
Now consider that eating these delights is altruistic.
The Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit is set for Pig Beach NYC in Astoria’s Kaufman Arts District on Saturday, April 30, from 11 am to 4 pm.
Several dozen of the country’s best pitmasters – including world champions Chris Lilly and Tuffy Stone — will prepare their specialties to create a “dine-around, swine-around” with tasting portions. Believe it or not, there’s a vegan option, too. Plus, local breweries and distilleries will offer beverages.
Michner was the Executive Chef of the first Pig Beach in Brooklyn. He suddenly passed away at age 36 in 2018, leaving behind wife Sara, 16-month-old daughter Hayes, and twin sister Meghan, who’s married to Pig Beach’s Matt Abdoo.
General admission is $100 in advance or $125 at the door. Purchasers get all-you-can-eat food and drink from noon to 4 pm. Children under age 12 can attend for free. VIP tickets cost $200. They provide access at 11 am for a meet-and-greet with pitmasters along with a special cocktail, appetizer reception, and day-long access to the VIP Lounge.
Presented by Ole Hickory Pits, all the BBQ Benefit‘s proceeds will go to the Jeff Michner Foundation which provides scholarships to culinary students and supports families managing grief.
Here are just a few of the scheduled pitmasters.
Chris Lilly, Big Bob Gibson (Decatur, Alabama)
Craig Verhage and Leslie Roark, Ubons BBQ (Yazoo City, Mississippi)
Kelly Dallas, Hogapalooza (Wynn, Arkansas)
John Wheeler, Memphis BBQ Co.
Amy Mills, 17th Street BBQ (Murphysboro, Illinois)
Carey Bringle III, Peg Leg Porker (Nashville, Tennessee)
Billy Durney, Hometown BBQ (Brooklyn)
Matt Abdoo and Matty Boudreau, Pig Beach
Mike Puma, Gotham Burger Social Club (Manhattan)
Tuffy Stone, Cool Smoke BBQ (Richmond, Virginia)
Harrison Sapp, Southern Soul BBQ (Sea Isle, Georgia)
Grant Pinkerton, Pinkerton’s BBQ (Dallas, Texas)
Damon Wise and Lauren Hirshberg, Pineapple Express (Montclair, New Jersey)
Emily Hersh and Kerry Fitzmaurice, Pure Grit Vegan (Austin, Texas)
Brett Lunsford, Blue Smoke (Manhattan)
Mario Chape, Big Papa Smoke’M (Bogota, New Jersey)
Stephan Bogardus, The Halyard (Greenport, New York)
Jessica Taccone, The Complete Burger (Sag Harbor, New York)
Pig Beach began in Brooklyn’s Gowanus in 2015. The Queens branch opened last fall at 35-37 36th St. with the goals of perfecting classic BBQ, experimenting with new cooking techniques and spices from around the world, and serving beverages from local breweries and distillers. The 28,000-square-foot venue features dozens of wide-screen televisions, three premium bars, and a backyard beer garden outfitted with a 28-foot jumbotron, live music stage, and picnic table seating for hundreds.
A third location in West Palm Beach is in the works.
Images: Pig Beach NYC