STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — If ever there were a moment when a food critic and professional barbecue judge truly earned her salt, it was Saturday at the Pig Island NYC BBQ festival and competition.
Meeting of the BBQ minds: Tank Jackson chats with hot sauce creator Lisa Thai of Achilles Heat. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
This year’s Pig Island returned for its 16th year on Staten Island. It is a sprawling salute to the pig and all things pork, along with cold beverages to pair with it all. With one dish better than the next this year, it was a tough event to pick the Number One, agreed the judges, including yours truly.
Pig Island awards celebrated pitmasters who turned pork into art. Here are some of the judges. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Although there was one clear Best In Show. Based on the points, Kam Rai Thai. This pit master presented pork belly two ways — as a hunk of bacon and paper-thin slices — on a plate with a myriad of delightful, herbaceous sauces and a downright fantastical grilled bao bun brushed lightly with butter.
Pig Island awards celebrated pitmasters turned pork into art.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Arguably the best beverage of the day was Momentum Brewery’s non-alcoholic beer lineup. The company hails from Long Island and is New York State’s only non-alcoholic brewhouse. One of its two founders, Alexander Himburg brought hundreds of cans to personally sample on the crowd of craft beer lovers who enthusiastically returned to the station for more over the afternoon.
Pork Mafia presented the whole hog with its award-winning rubs and sauces. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Guests who have attended prior Pig Island events knew the ropes. One visitor from Brooklyn said, “Last year we didn’t realize how hard it was to carry all those mini trays—total rookie move! This year, we came prepared and brought our own trays. Learned our lesson!”
Alex from Momentum brewery served a stellar non-alcoholic beer lineup. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Jodie Shalonis from Edison, N.J. said, “What a beautiful celebration—people from all walks of life coming together over a shared love of pork! It’s such a wonderful opportunity to taste different flavors and experience the creativity behind each dish. I’m honestly at a loss for words—it’s just amazing. I’m just thankful for all the love.”
Flagship Brewing Co., Upstate Distillery, Fort Hamilton Distillery and Morgan’s Rum were among the represented booze companies.
Mike Munoz of Brooklyn wears a bacon hat and food shirt in the spirit of the Pig Island BBQ fest. He sits in the VIP area. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
The Pig Island BBQ festival and competition brought together an impressive lineup of pitmasters and food industry professionals this Saturday, showcasing both traditional and innovative approaches to barbecue.
Did Kam Rai Thai knock the pork out of the park? He absolutely did.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
The competition featured a distinguished panel of judges, including Stephanie Perez, known for her visual food storytelling through @yeahfoodbeer and her expertise in pairing regional cuisine with craft beer throughout New York.
Trophies for the chefs include a golden fork and pineapple. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Gennaro Pecchia, who co-founded Chefs Who Care and formerly co-hosted SiriusXM’s Roland’s Food Court, brought his extensive industry knowledge to the judging table.
Sampling the goods at the Pig Island fest — a pig-palooza.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Adding to the expert panel was Adam Poch, a seasoned New York food judge with a decade of experience in grilling and smoking techniques. Ethan Fedida, founder of Elfassy Foods and recently crowned 2024 Sauce King NYC Grand Champion, rounded out the judging panel with his expertise in artisanal sauce creation.
Archie Moore’s/The Meat Truck served pork over a flavorful rice. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
The competition drew twelve notable participants, including local favorites and established names in the barbecue scene. Competitors ranged from Rodrigo Duarte of Don Rodrigo to the three Farella brothers of Brothers BBQ. The event also featured diverse culinary perspectives, with participants like Oak Marprasert from Kam Rai Thai and Samsaen, and Amita Phookaw from Khaosan bringing their unique approaches to barbecue.
A pineapple prize at Pig Island went to a top chef. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
The competition also saw participation from Jase’s BBQ, Tank Jackson of Holy City Hogs, Sean Keever representing Big Guns BBQ, and Jose Perez from Archie Moore’s and The Meat Truck. Brooklyn’s barbecue scene was well-represented by Cenobio Canalizo from Morgan’s Brooklyn BBQ and the FDNY Red Hook Raiders of Brooklyn BBQ Team, led by John Fuchs and Vinny Ferrante.
And the winners are:
Best In Show — Kam Rai Thai
Best Whole Hog — Holy City Hog
“La Mas Sexy” — Mike’s Hot Honey with Chef Kevin Morgan and his stellar “Lechon Loco,” a fried plantain cup filled with queso Frito, aji verde, smoked pork belly, pickled onions, mojo and Mike’s Hot Honey
I’m Lovin’ It Award — Big Guns for the McRib Sausage
Best Food On a Stick — Khaosan
When Pigs Fly — Morgan’s Smoked Chicken Wing with Candied Bacon Sauce
Special Award for “Getting on the Highway” — Don Rodrigo
Friends of Firefighters People’s Choice — To be announced after all the beans are counted, interrupted by a thunderstorm
Pitmaster Shannon smothers the grill with butter for Rogue Sausages. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Coney Island Saucery kills it once again at the barbecue festival with samples of several hot sauces. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Here’s a good trick for a barbecue festival: use a tray or box for samples and, here, a guest covered each dish to bring back to a friend who couldn’t navigate through the crowd.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Ice cream was most welcome in the heat of the day. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
A tray could be a makeshift one from a case of beer. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Or it could be a thoughtfully selected one to enjoy with friends. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Knives were a part of the prize package for top chefs. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Adam Poch, a judge, in the backdrop with Tank Jackson accepting the top prize for whole hog. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Pig Island awards celebrated pitmasters who turned pork into art.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
In the rain winners were announced. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
The rain held out until the end of the festival. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Pig Island awards celebrated pitmasters who turned pork into art.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
The heat was on at Pig Island! NYC’s fiercest BBQ showdown returned with chefs going whole hog for the crown.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Winners said a few words of thanks.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Mike’s Hot Honey was a star of the show.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Here’s the top pineapple prize for Tank Jackson of Holy City Hogs. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
The family friendly event ended with a little dancing in the rain. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)Pig Island chefs posed for photographers and the Staten Island Advance. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Rain came at the final hour of the event. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Good bye for this year to a great barbecue festival on Staten Island. Oink oink!(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
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