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Lancaster Hog Jam draws more than 2,500 to
Kershaw -
Cook-off, fall festival a big hit
By Gregory A. Summers - Features Editor The Lancaster News
October 18, 2006
KERSHAW - Howard
Knight got an attitude adjustment Saturday at Hog Jam.
After growing up in Kershaw, Knight said he was dismayed to see how its
downtown had fallen on hard times. But the 72-year-old couldn't help but
smile with pride after the barbecue cook-off and fall festival drew a
crowd estimated at more than 2,500 to the town of 1,600 residents.
"It had saddened to me to see what Kershaw had become,"
Knight said. "But I'm pinching myself now. I can't remember
seeing this many people in downtown Kershaw since I was a little
fellow.
"Whoever did this and put it
together, there needs to be more of it," Knight said. "I
can't believe what I'm seeing."
Neither could the town's officials.
"I was pessimistic when they told me we could draw 2,500
people here," said Wade Hunter of Kershaw Town Council.
"I said there's no way, but I stand corrected. One guy who's
familiar with these things told me if we keep doing this right,
we'll have cooking teams here from Texas three years from
now."
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Cathy Scott of
Columbia said she plans to make a trip to Hog Jam in Kershaw an annual
affair. Held Saturday, the barbecue cook-off and fall festival drew
more than 2,500 to the town of 1,600 residents. photo by Gregory A.
Summers - Features Editor
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The hit of the day was the
barbecue cook-off that drew 22 teams from across the state.
The judges of the S.C. Barbeque Association-sanctioned event said they
were impressed with the quality of the cooking.
The judging was done through a blind draw, so none of the judges
knew who cooked what.
"This is just an awesome event," said certified judge
Mary Waiboer. "All the barbecue across the board is
good."
Top honors and $500 in first-place prize money went to Larry
Herron's Chester-based Chuckwagon team.
"This thing has really gone over big," Herron said.
"We will definitely be back next year. You can count on
it."
Lee Blackwelder (Lee's BBQ) of Fort Mill finished second in
his second-ever competition.
Hog Jam drew both professional and amateur cooking teams.
Kershaw potter Marvin Bailey's handmade jug-style trophies
impressed Blackwelder.
"You might have a table full of awards, but I
guarantee you'll only have one that looks like this. This
is pretty cool," Blackwelder said.
The Smokin' Mountain Boys finished third, followed by
Nasty Good Barbecue and Double D BBQ.
"The 'Anything But' contest on Friday night was
just as exceptional," said judge Al Werts.
"One team even cooked rattlesnake. That was
pretty unique."
But rattlesnake meat isn't what drew Cathy Scott
from Columbia to Kershaw; it was the barbecue. Not
only did the teams compete for top honors; they
also cooked more than 2,000 pounds of it.
"This is so good," said Scott, as she
stood in line to get a sample. "Some friends
were talking about it and I love barbecue, so I
figured I'd come try it.
"This is my first time, but I think I'm
going to have to mark this one down and make it
an annual event."
Scott was one of the lucky ones; some of
those who showed up to get a taste of some of
the state's best barbecue were turned away
getting only the scent of smoked Boston
butts. The barbecue was gone in less than
three hours.
"It's just been unbelievable,"
said Kershaw Town Administrator Tony
Starnes as he fastened a pink all-you-can
eat barbecue band around John Cooper's
wrist. "The line hasn't slacked up one
bit."
One of the state's top barbecue teams -
Q2U - didn't place, but Brian Rich said
the Lake Wylie group is already making
plans to come back to Hog Jam next year.
"This has got to be one of the
nicest cook-offs we've ever been
to," Rich said. "The
hospitality had been great and the
entire town rolled out the red carpet
for all of us.
"When the ladies at the
Presbyterian Church cooked breakfast
for us this morning, that just topped
it off. It's been wonderful and we
hope to do it again."
Hog Jam top five teams
1. Chuckwagon
2. Lee's BBQ 3. The Smokin'
Mountain Boys
4. Nasty Good Barbecue
5. 'Double D' BBQ Founding
Feast
The word
"barbecue"
evolved from the word
"barbacoa," a
Native American term that
described a stand used to
cook game over an open
pit. In 1769, George
Washington attended a
three-day "barbicue"
in Virginia, as he noted
in his diary. If you cook
over high heat for less
than an hour, you're
grilling. Barbecuing
requires indirect heat -
around 225 degrees - and
takes three hours or
more.
- Reader's Digest
Contact
Greg Summers at
283-1156 or gsummers@thelancasternews.com
Article
© The
Lancaster News,
reprinted with
permission.
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