Pig Island 2021 Will Spotlight Firefighters and Local Food
The Friends of Firefighters nonprofit has been a part of Pig Island events for the past four years and often features firefighter cooks. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
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Pig Island NYC, one of New York’s top annual barbecue events, will return on Sept 11, 2021, at Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island. This year’s event, now in its 12th year, will feature more than 20 chefs and pitmasters from around the country cooking up creative pork-based main dishes and vegetable-based sides.
The annual Pig Island event features farm-sourced pork dishes including whole hog. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
With the event also taking place on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, a significant part of the proceedings will be honoring firefighters and raising money for its charity partner Friends of Firefighters. The nonprofit’s mission is to provide “independent, confidential, and free mental health counseling and wellness services” to active and retired FDNY firefighters and family members. It was founded just after 9/11 to support firefighters who witnessed that day but continues today in a world more aware of the importance of mental health.
“My focus on 9/11 will be to the members that we serve, with their focus on the lost firefighters and their brothers and sisters who have died of cancer since then,” Nancy Carbone, executive director of Friends of Firefighters, said. “But for the general public [at events like Pig Island], it's a wonderful opportunity to learn more about how they can support our first responders. These are the people that come in the middle of the night and save our lives. So if they need help, I think it's incumbent upon us to provide it on their terms. Events like this have actually been when we get the word out to the new civilians.”
Friends of Firefighters have raised awareness and made connections in the food world during the past four years at Food Karma events. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Pig Island and sibling events hosted by Food Karma Projects such as Brisket King NYC and Rib King NYC have helped raise awareness for Friends of Firefighters during the past four years, and they've donated part of the proceeds of each event to the nonprofit. This year, Pig Island 2021 will host a large raffle with the money going to FoF’s 20th Anniversary Campaign, and Nathan Richard, a firefighter chef from New Orleans, will be representing FoF that day by making dishes and talking about his personal experiences.
“This is a community that we feel so fortunate to be embraced by,” Nancy Carbone said. “These are the people that really do care. I've noticed they support each other, and they support us. There's just a total understanding of what it is we do and why we do it. And there's a graciousness of the generosity."
Chefs and pitmasters such as Mario Chape from Big Papa Smoke’m feature some of their most creative dishes at Pig Island. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Each year, Pig Island attracts hundreds of guests for its unique pork-based dishes and a wide array of beverages. This year’s food lineup will include the following pitmasters and chefs, with many sharing in advance where they are sourcing their pork from local farms:
Tank Jackson of Holy City Hogs, South Carolina
Cooking Holy City Hogs pork
Team will include Rob Nelson and Trevor Kunk
Kim Plafke of The Meat Hook, Brooklyn, NY
Blair Machado and Gentle Giant Brewing Company, Pearl River, NY
Cooking Berkabow Pork from Autumn Olive Farms
Team will include Matt Worgul, Jake Wood, Tyler Trainum, Dana Reed, and Al Lakomskis
Matthew Deaton, Fredericksburg, VA
Cooking Royal Jabali Pork from Comfort Farms
Team will include Lamara Davis, Jametta Raspberry, and Lynn Wells
Mario DiBiase of Sotto Voce/Pork Mafia, Brooklyn, NY
Jesse Jones, NJ
Roxanne Spruance of Bedford Post Dining, Bedford, NY
Jase Franklyn of Jase’s BBQ, Queens, NY
Matt Fisher of Queens Custom Barbecue, Queens, NY
Cenobio Canalizo of Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue, Brooklyn, NY
Mario Chape of Big Papa Smoke’m, NJ
Erika Nakamura and Jocelyn Guest of Butcher Girls, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Nathan Richard, Representing Friends of Firefighters, New Orleans, LA
Anthony Nichols, NY
Mike Lapi, SUNY Cobleskill Meat Lab, Cobleskill, NY
Cooking Sweet Tree Farms Pork
Local pitmasters including Jase Franklyn of Jase's BBQ will be cooking up bites at Pig Island. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Jimmy Carbone, the lead organizer behind Pig Island and other Food Karma Projects events, said that during the past 12 years, Pig Island has always incorporated locally sourced pork and ingredients. That tradition will continue this year.
Pig Island 2021 will feature multiple chefs cooking heritage breed and local hogs, and all will be competing for awards such as Best Whole Hog and Best Bite. The event will also feature vegetable dishes from veggies grown on-site at the Snug Harbor Heritage Farm.
On top of the local bites, other tents will include sauces from Sauce King NYC competitors and winners. There will also be beer and spirits from Flagship Brewing Co, Kills Boro Brewing Company, Austin Eastciders, Romilly Cidre, The Long Drink, Knob Creek, and many other companies.
Pig Island 2021 will again take place at beautiful Snug Harbor on Staten Island. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Multiple types of tickets are now available for purchase. The VIP Pitmasters’ Breakfast ticket ($150 + fee) includes an all-inclusive ticket with early entry at 11 a.m. to meet the chefs. General admission ($65 + fee) includes an all-inclusive food and drink ticket for 12 p.m. admission. If you can get a group together, it might make sense to go for a VIP Table ($1,250) that includes eight all-inclusive VIP tickets with early entry, designated seating, and t-shirts.
If you decide to attend, be sure to get there early in order to try everything. I hope to see you all there.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Virgil’s Real BBQ reopened its Times Square restaurant this week after being closed since March 2020.
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
In a promising sign for restaurants, Virgil’s Real BBQ in Times Square reopened this week after being closed for a year and a half. The popular restaurant, which initially opened in 1994, was a New York barbecue staple for years but closed its doors in March 2020 because of the pandemic. The restaurant waited for conditions on the ground to improve before it could reopen its massive dining room. Virgil’s will be open Thursday through Saturday from Noon to 8 p.m. but will likely expand its hours further soon. READ HERE.
Union Square Hospitality Group, the restaurant group that owns Blue Smoke NYC, made the bold step of requiring employees and customers to show proof of vaccination starting Sept. 7. The group, run by Danny Meyer, is one of the first to announce a vaccine mandate, but other restaurants are beginning to do this. “We know right now that the vaccine works, and it’s time to make sure that this economy continues to move forward,” Meyer told CNBC. “There’s just no going back.” READ HERE.
Juicy Lucy BBQ on Staten Island, winner of Brisket King NYC and Rib King NYC in 2021, announced it would open its second location on Monday, August 9. The restaurant will be different in two big ways from the first location. First, there will be no burgers on the menu. Second, it will be counter-service only. READ HERE.
The Dan's GrillHampton event on Long Island has announced more information that makes it a must-attend for Long Island BBQ fans. The event will feature Hamptons-based chefs versus NYC-based chefs. BBQ joints attending include Pig Beach NYC, Green Hill Kitchen & Que, Morgan’s Brooklyn BBQ, Queens Custom BBQ, Jase’s BBQ, and Big Papa Smoke’m BBQ. READ HERE.
Thrillist has released its list of the best dog-friendly bars in New York. Brooklyn-based BBQ joints Pig Beach NYC (where I had my wedding!) was named among these pup-friendly establishments. READ HERE.
Speaking of dogs, Intrepid NJ food reporter Pete Genovese released his list of the 40 best hot dog joints in New Jersey in honor of the recent National Hot Dog Day. READ HERE.
Do you remember that absurd photo of “Brooklyn BBQ” that took the barbecue world by storm and became an Internet meme a few years ago? Now the picture is going on sale as NFT (non-fungible token). If you want to be the owner of this terrible photo, the bidding starts at $10,000, and the auction takes place on August 7. READ HERE.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
Do not miss out on the next Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival in Brooklyn on July 31, which will feature lots of smoked meats and drinks.
Here are the top BBQ and related food events coming soon to the New York metro area:
July 31, 2021: The 11th Annual Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival is back at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint. This event focuses on bourbon and beer tastings, along with multiple barbecue joints serving up lots of excellent smoked meats. It’s highly recommended to buy a VIP ticket and show up early so you can get to try a variety of BBQ items versus just one dish. BUY TICKETS HERE.
August 19 & 20, 2021: At the Dan’s GrillHampton event at Nova’s Ark Project in the Hamptons, pitmasters/chefs from the Hamptons will take on pitmasters/chefs from NYC. This one-of-a-kind cooking competition and tasting event will offer great grilled fare, beer, and specialty cocktails, along with live music and dancing. Guests will become part of the action as they vote for the finest food. BBQ joints attending include Pig Beach NYC, Green Hill Kitchen & Que, Morgan’s Brooklyn BBQ, Queens Custom BBQ, Jase’s BBQ, and Big Papa Smoke’m BBQ. BUY TICKETS HERE.
September 11, 2021: At the end of the summer, Pig Island NYC will celebrate its 12th year on September 11, 2021, at Snug Harbor on Staten Island. The event will honor firefighters and help raise money for the Friends of Firefighters nonprofit. Join in for all-inclusive food and drink from all-star pitmasters and chefs who will be serving up delicious porky goodness, as well as local breweries, distilleries, and cideries. Top chefs will compete for the best dishes, and event-goers reap the benefits. BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 15-16, 2021: Tickets are available now for the Hartford Rib Off, an annual charity fundraiser in Riverside Park in Hartford, Conn. The proceeds from the two-day event will benefit The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Journey Home of Hartford, and The Hartford Rib Off Scholarship Fund. Tickets can get you access to admission, parking, kids’ activities, an all-you-can-eat buffet, free barbecue samples, a tasting cup with continual pours, live music, unlimited soft drinks, and access to vendors. BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 16-17, 2021: The 8th Annual Hot Sauce Expo NYC will be back for two days in fall 2021. The event will be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint and will feature tons of hot sauce samples, barbecue, and beer to purchase, fun on-stage events, and more. BUY TICKETS HERE.
SAY HELLO
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