(photo credit: bigapplebbq.org)

Let me preface this post by saying how much I appreciate a good barbecue. And I’m not talking about the barbecues put on by fraternity guys on football Saturdays. I’m talking about a real, hearty barbecue with pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, beans. I’m talking about a barbecue . I’m talking about the best barbecue party in the country, with 18 of the country’s best pitmasters, and endless supply of tender ribs and draft beers.

This weekend was the 8th Annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party in Madison Square Park, New York City. Never in my life have I seen anything like this before. The Big Apple BBQ website says it best:

The weekend-long event occurs every June and brings together the country’s top pitmasters who cook up their award-winning food for over a 100,000 barbecue enthusiasts. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Madison Square Park, the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party attracts people from near and far to sustain and celebrate America’s authentic culinary and musical traditions.

Yum. I walked to the Park with few expectations. After all, the thought of baby back ribs before noon doesn’t exactly tickle my fancy.  As an avid people watcher, I was pleased with the crowd– a good mix of normal and not so normal, just what you’d expect at a barbecue event. Initially, I was taken aback with the faces covered in barbecue sauce.  However, it didn’t take long for me to become equally as messy enthusiastic.

The biggest dilemma of the afternoon was which booth to choose. All of them had equally long lines (I waited about twenty minutes to put in my order). Should I be adventurous and go for the Texas Salt & Pepper Beef Ribs from Blue Smoke or keep it simple with the beef brisket from Hill Country?  Being that I was with several southern friends that afternoon, I decided to go for the pulled pork sandwich from BlackJack BBQ in Charleston, South Carolina. I’ll say this– for $8, I was expecting a bit more meat. But, it was by far the best pulled pork sandwich I’ve ever had. In addition to great food and drinks, the Big Apple BBQ also had a great music lineup, perfect for the country music lover. Eating my barbecue, while listening to Carolyn Wonderland, I didn’t think life could get much better. But it did.

I’ll admit that I’m no cook. You’d never see me becoming a master of the pit, lathering up pork with barbecue sauce. I eavesdropped overheard a fellow barbecue attendee boasting about how he attended a cooking demo. Initially, I felt down on my luck. What did I do so wrong in my life to not be able to participate in a barbecue cooking demonstration? Lucky for me, there was more than one demonstration. Yes, that’s right. I spent a portion of my afternoon with Robert Stehling, the head chef at  Hominy Grill in Charleston. I was properly informed how to prepare shrimp dishes and grits. Chances are low I’ll actually use my newfound knowledge in the kitchen, but it was a good experience nonetheless. Overall, it was a successful afternoon full of pulled pork, barbecue sauce, coleslaw, country music, and cooking demos.

By the way, I saw a ton of Michigan gear at the Big Apple BBQ. Always good to know that my fellow Wolverines are supporting carnivorous behaviors.