STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- To caramelize his signature burnt pork ends, Matt Fisher sprays the meat with apple cider and whiskey before it hits the grill. And to complete the carnival of flavors, the Great Kills native and owner of “Atom’s Ribs” supplies a little taste of summer corn pudding.
This dish and other porcine perfection came from the pit masters of “Pig Island,” a barbecue showcase at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens, Livingston, that treated guests to a smoky, sprawling, very sunny picnic on Saturday.
Other odes to the “oink” hailed from Jase Franklyn of Jase BBQ, a Queens-based pit master with a specialty in ribs and pigtails with a caramelized coating of brown sugar and smoldering hickory perfume.
Staten Island natives Steve Gattullo and Joe Tacoronte teamed up to serve their pulled pork sliders. The bread -- proudly declared from its source of Piece A Cake in New Dorp -- put each soft, succulent bite over the top.
“As one of the only local businesses, it was great to partner and represent Staten Island for the first year here with with an outstanding pitmaster Joe Tacoronte. This is the perfect antidote in the COVID recovery process that the hospitality industry looks forward to,” says Steve Gattullo, operator of Harbor Eats and president of the Food and Beverage Association of America.
Charissa Reyes and Audie Agosto of Brooklyn take in the delicious barbecued eats at Pig Island, Sept. 12, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri @stateneats)
Other borough 'cue cooks included John Fuchs and Vinny Ferrante offering their famous ribs topped with fennel-cucumber-scallion Asian salsa from the Red Hook Raiders, FDNY. They took top prize at last year’s Pig Island pork-tastic party.
In dappled light off to the sides were several picnic setups including this spot with Jonathan Lopez and Camilly Coelho.
But this time around, it’s a whole new hog of a show. Billed as a giant picnic on the Snug Harbor campus, the event featured red arrows on the grass for social distancing on food lines, copious hand washing and sanitizing stations, plus a majority of masked attendees among the cooks and guests. In the dappled light on the fringe of the festival, small groups set up blankets, lounge chairs and organized small camps for the four-hour affair.
A cool setup on sunny Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020 at the borough's first festival in the pandemic recovery. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)
Pig Island pulled revelers to the borough from around New York City.
Karl Miranda commuted from the Bronx. As he stepped up to the Jammy! crew from Manhattan and their wine-powered jelly samples with cheese, a pleased Miranda said, “I came all the way just for this!”
Rose wine jelly from Jammy! of Manhattan (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)
At the next tent, Aaron Max Epstein of Westerleigh gave delicious doses of his Coney Island Saucery hot sauce called “Trailer Park Boys,” a collaboration that revolves around the animated Netfix series. It pinged the palate with a touch of happy heat.
Aaron Max Epstein from Westerleigh presents his barbecue sauce ConeyIslandSaucery.com at Pig Island BBQ fest at Snug. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri
“Pig Island comes to Staten Island and is here to stay,” said Aileen Fuchs, the Snug Harbor CEO and president who brought the barbecue fest to fruition in Livingston. (It also so happens that her husband is John Fuchs of the Red Hook Raiders.)
Fuchs added, “Pig Island is the perfect partner -- not only do they bring culinary excellence and community spirit -- they prioritize safety and social distance.”
Local brews included Fresh Kills IPA and seasonal Roggenfest from Flagship Brewing Co. and a canned lineup from Killsboro, both of Tompkinsville. Cider, spirts and soft drinks were also available to guests.
Clare repping Flagship Brewing Co. of Tompkinsville which brought Fresh Kills IPA and Roggenfest. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)
Chefs at Pig Island 2020 include Mike Petrovitch of Que Chevere from the Lower East Side, Tank Jackson, Holy City Hogs, charcuterie mast Rodrigo Duarte of Caseiro E Bom, Mario Chape from Big Papa Smokem, Cenobio Canalizo of Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue and Jesse Jones of Pow: My Life in 40 Feasts.
Brothers Jonathan, left, and Matthew Fisher, Great Kills natives. Matt is formerly of Fletcher's Brooklyn Barbecue.
Mike Lapi was a standout with his hand-made sausages, pickled cabbage and chanterelle mushrooms. The expert meat man is widely known for his butchery skills and foraging acumen. He teaches at SUNY Cobleskill and Chefs' Consortium.
And the winner of this year’s “Sexiest Dish” is... Jessie Jones, mastermind behind dirty corn muffins made with foie gras served with pulled pork and sweet heat BBQ sauce.
“Best Whole Hog” goes to Tank Jackson for all of his dishes, including a stellar sausage with a delicate, from-scratch mustard. Mario Chape of Big Papa Smokem took “Best In Show” with a Puerco a lo Cubano and charcuterie chef Rodrigo Duarte owned the “Best Use of Charcoal" title, indisputably the most fragrant and fascinating displays in the Pig Island presentation.
“Best Bite” is the designation for Que Chevre and its pernil and rice.
“Best Bite” is also the award bestowed upon Matt Fisher for those ridiculous aforementioned pork bites and corn pudding in their brilliant togetherness of sweet-on-salt-on-smoke. Fletcher put forth well-balanced spices that electrified every tastebud on the palate, a feat by most standards in the general world of “wow” cooking, barbecue and otherwise.
Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.
The Link LonkSeptember 13, 2020 at 09:11AM
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