Take a moment to read through the previous episodes, especially the first one if you haven’t already. It will give you a better understanding of the “characters” involved with the show and with the rules and procedures for the BBQ competition circuit.
BBQ Pitmasters Episode 1 Smokin’ in Mesquite Nevada Open BBQ Championships
BBQ Pitmasters Episode 2 Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-off
BBQ Pitmasters Episode 3 Decatur Riverfest Cook Off
BBQ Pitmasters Episode 4 American Royal Invitational
BBQ Pitmasters Episode 5 American Royal Open
BBQ Pitmasters Episode 6 Dover Delaware Championship
This episode was the Big Pig Jig in Veinna, Georgia, Myron Mixon’s home town. He’s also won the competition 4 times and looking for his 5th. It’s a Memphis Barbecue Network event and different than the others that have been featured on the show previously. There are three categories, pork ribs, pork shoulder and whole hog.
Again, as always, there were some people that weren’t featured. This episode left out LeAnn Whippen and Harry Soo. In TLCs defense they didn’t compete in this one so it’s obvious to exclude them (although I swear I heard Harry in the crowd) but that’s not always the case.
They finally showed Jamie Geer of Jambo Pits. He’s been popular on the competition scene and he is the manufacturer of a lot of the competitors pits. He decided only to cook ribs as did Johnny Trigg so they had a small battle going on. They’ve know each other for over 20 years and they went back and forth a bit.
Tuffy Stone had never cooked whole hog so he brought in buddy Jack McDavid who is supposed to be an expert on the subject. He says that he’s got over 50 years experience doing it and he tries to impart some of that knowledge on Tuffy.
Big Pig Jig
Location: Vienna, Georgia
Date: November 6-7, 2009
Categories: Pork Ribs, Pork Shoulder & Whole Hog
Total Competitors: 120
Promoter: Memphis Barbecue Network
Website – Results
Pork Ribs
1 – Jamie Geer – Jampbo Pits
2 – Johnny Trigg – Smokin Triggers
6– Myron Mixon – Jack’s Old South
28 – Tuffy Stone – Cool Smoke
46 – Paul Petersen – Pablo Diablo BBQ
Pork Shoulder
11 – Myron Mixon – Jack’s Old South
15 – Tuffy Stone – Cool Smoke
32 – Paul Petersen – Pablo Diablo BBQ
Whole Hog
10 – Myron Mixon – Jack’s Old South
14 – Tuffy Stone – Cool Smoke
18– Paul Petersen – Pablo Diablo BBQ
“I walked into his trailer and we were sitting there talking and he said “I’m going to use Myron’s rub and MyRon’s recipe on these ribs today.” and I said “you’ve lost your ever loving mind.” Go with what brought you here. If you want to try Myron’s process you go home and your try it at home in your backyard and you do it there. But you don’t come to a cook-off this magnitude and we’re only cooking one meat…and try something you’ve never done. That’s one of Jamie’s fallacies. He won’t stick with a gameplan. I guarantee ya next week if he go to a cook-off and somebody else does better than he, he’ll go over there and start picking their brain and the next week he’ll be trying their method.” – Johnny Trigg
“I’m disappointed and I feel stressed right now. I just want to get through these three on-site judges. Ya know, I’m going to have to be a real actor today and bullshit my way through. Givin’ ‘em by damn hog that’s overcooked and falling apart. I’ve painted her up, I’ve put pretty stuff ll around her but bottom line is she’s not really good.” – Tuffy Stone
“I felt like a used car salesman. I’m out there and I’m talking up this hog that I just didn’t believe in, it’s just not there you know. I know good food and when I have it…that just wasn’t it.” – Tuffy Stone
“Didn’t get a call in whole hog…didn’t make finals…and ah, you know, that pisses me off. That son of a bitch was dead ass on. Sometimes it makes you not want to come back to your damn hometown. That’s a bad thing to damn feel.” – Myron Mixon
In the end Johnny Trigg finished 2nd in the ribs loosing to his buddy Jamie but earning $700. Jamie got the big trophy and $1000. Myron was a little miffed that he didn’t get in the top in any of the categories but he did get 6th in ribs and 10th in whole hog, I think that’s pretty darn good.
I was surprised to see how touched Myron was by the others winning and mentioning him. It was a side of him that hasn’t really been shown and it was quite nice. Well…there’s only one more episode left from the first season of TLC’s BBQ Pitmasters. I guess only time will tell if it comes back from a second.
