My School Rocks! 2013-12 | Page 10

CHEW ON THIS! Ph o to b y Lu na h Zo n Ph o to g r ap hy Rockin’ Reporter and Professional Chef Sink Their Teeth Into Barbecue Finalists’ Fare 10 – My School Rocks! | December 2013 S ome of the most popular television shows on the air today involve chefs doing battle, competing to be the best. But long before any of these shows were on TV, the world of barbecue was staging contests where chefs competed for the title of Grand Champion. One of these contests is the Q-City Barbecue Championships held right here in Charlotte. Dozens of the best barbecue teams in the country came to vie for up to $35,000 in prize money on the weekend of Oct. 19, 2013. Rockin’ Reporter Hannah and I went to this year’s Charlotte contest to be our own judges. The contest, produced by Charlotte Center City Partners, was in the heart of Uptown. From three blocks away, I could see clouds of smoke billowing among the tall buildings, and the aromas were making my mouth water long before Hannah and I would get to taste the goods. Just to set the record straight, this kind of barbecue is not the grilling of hot dogs and hamburgers like most people do. This is true barbecue – cooking whole pigs and large cuts of meat over smoldering wood logs for almost a full day. MAC GOES WHOLE HOG Our first stop was Mac’s Speed Shop, a well-known local restaurant chain. Kevin Kuruc, the pit mast \??\?Y???YH?H??H???]\??[??Z8?&\?\?[????\??XX??&\???H??Y?\?B???[??H[?[??H?]???]?\?[????Y][??ZX?K[?]?\?H?]H?\[?\?[?[?\? ???X\??&H\?[????\???Y] ?[??B?[?[?\??]H]H[???X?K???]]?[??Y?HYX]?\?[?\? ]??\??]\???[??K???'??\?\?\??X[HX??]?Z[??H\????\???[][?]K8?'H?\?X??\?8?'?B??H???\???]?H??\]][??HYX\??[?[?[H\?H[?\?\?XK??]\????^??\?H??\?[??H?[??]?HB?]H?X???[[?K??'B?XX??&\??YY?? Z?H?X\?H]?\?B??\?X[K????Y[?H[? ? ??[???YX] ??X??]?\?[? L??[????[?H?Y???\??Y?\??XX??&\??YY???]\?H?\??]???????[??Y[??&\??[\???T??QH?T??P??8?&?H?Qx?&B??\??^???\?\??Yx?&\???K?[?Z?B?[???HX[\???\][????\??Y\? \??X??[YH\?\??YJH?\??X?Y\?\? ][YK[??Y?\???[\?[?\?8?'[??[??\?[??H?^x?'H???\??\??X?YH??H?YK?Y\??\?Y??YH?\??X??]\??[??Z8?&\?\?[????\??X???\?B???Y][??[??K?^H?[YH???H??H\??X?H[??\?H?\?B??]???[ ???X\??&H\?[????\??[??H[????Y]?]?X?H^\?K?\?H\?B??X?H[?H?]X?H?X??\????] ??\??H?[\Y Y\?^Z[?Y???X??\?H?Y?Y[?HKP?]H?\??X?YB??[\[??\?X[?H?\??X?YH??[????\?X??]Z\??X???[[????B???K?] [?H?????\]][???\??X?YK\?YX[??H?X?\??\?????Y ??]H?Y?\???????\?YX]][?]?^H???HH??B??X[?H?\?H?][?[????\?H[?K??????^\???????????H^H?????????B??LB??