The first leg of this year’s Whole Hog Barbecue Series is in the books. Winning teams have been announced for the first 11 cook-offs of the series.
These cook-offs kicked off a series of approximately 25 contests sanctioned by the North Carolina Pork Council. Most contests are held in Eastern North Carolina and serve as qualifiers for the Whole Hog Barbecue Championship in Raleigh in early October. Entrants are determined by criteria set by the N.C. Pork Council.
“The Whole Hog Barbecue Series is a great tradition, honoring the heritage of whole hog cooking in our state, Deborah Johnson, chief executive officer, NCPC, noted. “We proud to help keep this tradition alive and well through these contests.”
The first 11 contests’ winners of the 2016 Whole Hog Barbecue Series include:
38th Annual Newport Pig Cookin’ Contest | Newport, NC | April 1-2
- Chris Fineran
- Frankie Keene
- Tyler Whitley
- Joe Peterson
- Patrick Hall
6th Annual Wolfpack Club BBQ Bowl | Raleigh, NC | April 8-9
- Bruce Daniel
- George DeMartz
- Chris Fineran
Spencer-Penn Centre’s Pig Cookin’ Contest | Spencer, Va. | April 8-9
- Joe Peterson
- Raymond Miles
- Travis Jefferson
Pig in the Park | Goldsboro, NC | April 9
- John Kearney
- Tim Coonradt
- Chris Sykes
33rd Annual Pigskin Pig Out | Greenville, NC | April 15-16
- Charlie Meeks
- Ernest Twisdale
- Joe Peterson
- Chris Fineran
- Bobby Prescott
BBQ on the Bluff | Fair Bluff, NC | April 22-23
- Edgar Hargis
- Chris Fineran
- Ernest Twisdale
BBQ Festival on the Neuse | Kinston, NC | May 6-7
- Tyler Whitely
- Bobby Prescott
- Ernest Twisdale
Johnston County Pig Cooking Contest | Smithfield, NC | May 6-7
- Roy Parker
- Neil Barnhill
- Jimmy Black
Roanoke-Chowan Porkfest | Murfreesboro, NC | May 13-14
- Chris Fineran
- Ernest Twisdale
- Joe Peterson
Carolina Strawberry Festival | Wallace, NC | May 13-14
- Lynn Bryant
- Lewis McDougald
- John Kearney
Kickin’ It County Whole Hog Cook-Off | Raleigh, NC | May 20-21
- Roy Parker
- Chris Fineran
- George DeMartz
Barbecue lovers can enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of barbecue and bluegrass this fall when the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) annual Wide Open Bluegrass Festival comes to Raleigh for the fourth year.
The Whole Hog Barbecue Championship will take place in downtown Raleigh in conjunction with the festival during the weekend of September 30th.
We are thrilled to once again be part of IBMA’s Wide Open Bluegrass Festival,” Johnson said. “We love bringing the history of bluegrass and the history of whole hog barbecue cooking together at this exciting event.”
At the Raleigh final event, as is the case in all the events throughout the season, the cooked barbecue is collected after judging, chopped and sold in plates to the general public.
