KERSHAW -
When it comes to mouth-watering, award-winning barbecue, David Kellin knows
the secret isn't in the sauce.
"It's all about a slow smoked piece of meat that's been thoroughly
rubbed and sometimes injected with apple juice that gives it the
taste," said Kellin who helped put together the Hog Jam in Kershaw on
Friday and Saturday. Kellin is a member of the S.C. Barbeque Association,
which is judging the contest. While he isn't competing, Kellin said he
might still fire up his grill just "for the heck of it."
"Good barbecue has the right texture and taste when it comes right
off the grill," he says. "The sauce just finishes it off. It's
not even required, but is something that compliments the meat."
When it comes to the competition at Hog Jam, which begins at 5 p.m.
Friday, Kellin said the 22 contestants would be smoking Boston butts.
A Boston butt is a cut of pork that comes from the rear of a pig's
front shoulder.
On the surface, a Boston butt tends to be fatty and somewhat
tough, but produces an incredible flavor when slow-cooked on a
grill for several hours.
"It's the perfect meat to use when you're starting a
cook-off like Hog Jam," Kellin said. "It's a somewhat
traditional small cut of meat to handle, but it's one of the
best cuts on the hog because it has plenty of marbling (the
streaked pattern of fat that runs through a cut of meat).
"The great thing about a Boston butt is the more you cook
it, the better it gets," Kellin said. "I think some
people are going to be surprised by what they see and taste.
You'll not see one of these teams sticking Boston butt into a
crock put to cook it."
Entrants to the Hog Jam include the J.T. BBQ and Q 2 U
teams, which are leading the S.C. Barbeque Association (SCBA)
standings.
According to its Web site, SCBA members include
award-winning cooks, computer geeks, lawyers, retirees,
restaurant owners, sauce makers, cooking enthusiasts and
other aficionados.
Now in its second year, the SCBA has about 450
members, said co-founder Dr. Walter Rolandi of Spartanburg.
Rolandi will serve as Hog Jam co-marshal, meaning that he's
one of the two officials who make sure all the rules are
followed and judges have what they need to choose the
winners. Judges are certified, trained and know exactly what
to look for, Rolandi said.
"We did it (forming the SCBA) as a lark after a
contest several years ago," Rolandi said.
"People are always taking about Memphis, Kansas City
and North Carolina barbecue, but South Carolina is where
barbecuing originated. We have the best barbecue in the
world, but nobody knows about it," Rolandi said.
"That's a fact. But it was also a fact that no one
knew what to look for when they were judging cook-offs.
That's where the SCBA comes in," he said. Now, we
have at least 175 certified judges in the state."
An estimated 2,000 pounds of Boston butts will be cooked
by 22 participants during the night Friday in time for
Saturday's 10:30 a.m. judging. The winners will be
awarded trophies and cash prizes - $1,000, $500, $250,
$100 and $50 - for first place through fifth place.
"This is shaping up to be a good
competition," Kellin said. "We have some
award-winning teams, some up-and-comers and some
amateurs who have never cooked in a contest before,
but that doesn't mean anything. They have just as good
a shot at it as anyone else."
Beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, the public will get
its first shot at sampling some of the state's best
barbecue. Wristbands will be sold for
all-you-can-eat samples. The price is $8 for adults
and $4 for children ages 12 and under. The price
includes side items, deserts and a drink.
"It's a good idea to get a wristband as soon
as they go on sale at 10:30," Kellin said.
"Two thousand pounds sounds like a lot of
barbecue, but it goes fast, and when it's gone,
it's gone."
Kellin supplied one of his favorite barbecue
rubs and sauce recipes made from items that can
be found in most kitchen cabinets.
And when it comes to the perfect side item,
you may want to try John Youk's Gas Man Baked
Beans. Youk, a former NASCAR team crew member
and Goodyear employee, is known as the
self-taught "grill master of the
garage" for his creations that can be
prepared on a gas grill.
DKBBQ's Rub For Pork and Carolina Red
Sauce
Rub Ingredients
1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cumin
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons onion powder
Directions
- Combine ingredients in a
bowl.
- Sprinkle or
coat meat, less for smaller
cuts and a bit more for
larger cuts. This rub is
best used for cooking pork
low and slow (225 to 275
degrees). High heat burns
the sugar.
- David Kellin
Carolina Red Sauce
Ingredients
Cider vinegar
Tomato sauce
Crushed red
pepper
1/2 tablespoon
of rub mix
Directions
- Fill a
quart jar
about 1/3
full with
tomato
sauce and
then pour
in
vinegar.
For
thicker
mixture
add more
tomato
sauce. Add
crushed
red pepper
and rub,
place lid
on jar and
shake
well. Add
more
peppers
for a
hotter
sauce.
- David
Kellin
Gas
Man
Baked
Beans
Ingredients
2
28-ounce
cans
baked
beans
(original
style)
1
16-ounce
can
pinto
beans,
undrained
1
16
ounce
can
light
red
kidney
beans,
undrained
1/2
cup
brown
sugar,
packed
1
cup
maple
syrup
1/2
cup
barbecue
sauce
1/4
cup
molasses
Salt
Black
pepper
Louisiana
hot
sauce
Directions
-
Place
a
large
pot
on
the
side
burner.
Combine
the
baked
beans,
pinto
beans,
kidney
beans,
brown
sugar,
maple
syrup,
barbecue
sauce
and
molasses.
-
Bring
up
to
temperature
by
starting
the
burner
out
on
high
with
the
lid
on
pot.
Once
the
beans
are
up
to
temperature,
lower
burner
heat
to
medium.
Stir
often
and
cook
for
at
least
one
hour,
covered.
Don't
let
the
beans
stick
or
burn.
-
Uncover
pot
and
add
salt,
black
pepper
and
hot
sauce
to
taste.
-
Cook
uncovered
for
20
to
30
minutes
to
reduce
liquid.
-
Turn
heat
to
low,
cover
and
cook
for
an
additional
15
minutes.
Turn
off
the
heat
and
let
the
pot
coast.
NOTE:
This
is
a
sweet
recipe.
If
you
prefer
less
sweetness,
reduce
the
brown
sugar,
maple
syrup
and
molasses.
-
From
"Big
John's
Speedway
Grill"
by
John
Youk
