Category / OnCue Consulting

7
Dec

Whole Hog Extravaganza 2019 – Day 1

2019 Dream Team

While we’re beginning registration for the 9th annual Whole Hog Extravaganza/Bovine Bonanza/BBQ MBA, I want to give you a look behind the scenes of last year’s program. Pictured above is a veritable Dream Team. The 2019 presenters were Mike Mills and Amy Mills, 17th Street Barbecue, Michael Ollier and Gavin Pinto from Certified Angus Beef, Kat Kinsman, author and Sr. Editor, Food + Wine magazine, Chris Chamberlain, journalist and author, Tank Jackson, Holy City Hogs, Harrison Sapp, Southern Soul Barbecue, John Lewis, Lewis Barbecue, Billy Durney, Hometown Bar-B-Que, Barry Sorkin, Smoque, RH Weaver, brown water expert and mixologist extraordinaire, Beth Schiff, casting director, and John Delpha,

We start the event with a casual welcome gathering at the Murphysboro 17th Street restaurant location. Aaron Kleidon, of Scratch Brewing Company, curated a tasting of some of his renowned beers made from foraged ingredients, and the participants have a chance to meet and mingle with one another and the guest pit masters in a relaxed environment. John Delpha started butchering his suckling pig for the porchetta, which is a multiple-day preparation procedure.

Here’s a whole class photo. This terrific group came from 15 states, and over a third of the class are repeat attendees—a testament to the programming and networking opportunities.

Day one is filled with a number of demos—butchering and prepping whole hogs, brisket, ribs, sausage, and other meats. The burn barrels are fired up and the group watches the meat being loaded onto pits.

The 17th Street Crew and Tank Jackson talked and prepped whole hogs, Harrison Sapp talked about his famous Brunswick Stew, and Billy Durney and Michael Conlon prepped their delicious Korean Sticky Ribs.

The Certified Angus Beef experts broke down a forequarter, John Lewis and Philip Powers prepared sausage, and Barry Sorkin trimmed and seasoned brisket.

Our evening kicked off with a talk on bar profitability, whiskey education, and a tasting, led by Weaver. He and one of our bartenders, Renee Rodewald, also whipped up several different types of punch to try.

Stay tuned for a look at day two.

This is the only program of its kind in the world. The 2020 Whole Hog Extravaganza/Brisket Bonanza/BBQ MBA registration is underway now, and there are just 15 spots left. Click here to register. Travel and schedule details are linked on that page, or you can click here.

All photos by the talented Ken Goodman Photography.

13
Dec

Whole Hog Extravaganza 2019 Details

Registration is Open for Whole Hog Extravaganza 2019

The barbecue world’s only professional whole hog cooking class

Our 8th annual Whole Hog Extravaganza/Brisket Bonanza/BBQ MBA is just around the corner and we have fewer than 20 spots left. Click here for a peek behind the scenes in this article from The Local Palate. Our events are designed for restaurant and catering professionals and entrepreneurs or barbecue super enthusiasts. Here’s a link to a recent chat with Kevin Kelly of Kevin’s BBQ Joints where I answer many frequently asked questions. You can also listen to it as a podcast.

 

Whole Hog Extravaganza Seminar

Unprecedented access

The ability to watch every step of the prep and cooking process, and then taste the results makes this a one-of-a-kind experience. You’d have to travel over 15,000 miles to visit these restaurants.

While the meats are cooking, we’ll discuss a variety of business topics. Just a few of this year’s special guests include Beth Schiff, casting director for CHOPPED, who will talk about the casting process for food television shows. Ken Goodman, prolific food and cookbook photographer, will give his best practices for creative beautiful iPhone photography for social media. Kat Kinsman, journalist and author of Hi, Anxiety, discusses the epidemic of depression and anxiety in restaurant kitchens across America — a timely and vital topic for all of us in the business. You’ll leave with dozens ideas for improving your business, from running a profitable bar, catering with whole hogs, best methods for serving brisket in a restaurant and catering operation, and adding your own signature style and flavor profile to your barbecue.

We’ll be cooking on a variety of pits, including a concrete brick pit, Ole Hickory Pits, Austin Smokeworks, and a Camelback, and the pitmasters will use their signature spices and woods to create flavor profiles that are uniquely their own.

 

Whole Hog Extravaganza Speakers

The line-up

Barbecue’s most talented cooks and best business minds will share their skills and knowledge in this intimate setting. Class size is purposely small so you’ll be able to get to know one another and rub shoulders with all of the guest pitmasters and speakers. Community is what makes the barbecue world go around and creating opportunities to foster relationships is important to us.

Here are just a few of the people from whom you’ll learn:

Mike Mills, 17th Street Barbecue

Amy Mills, 17th Street Barbecue

Chris Chamberlain, journalist

John Delpha, chef, pitmaster, and author

Billy Durney, Hometown Barbque

Ken Goodman, photographer

Phillip Heern, 17th Street Barbecue

Tank Jackson, Holy City Hogs

Kat Kinsman, author and journalist at Extra Crispy

John Lewis, Lewis Barbecue

Michael Ollier, Certified Angus Beef

Beth Schiff, CHOPPED

Barry Sorkin, Smoque

RH Weaver, bar man extraordinaire

 

Whole Hog Extravaganza Food and Fun

And of course, there’s the food and libations

The food at our events is unparalleled, especially during this program. You’ll taste heritage and commodity whole hogs cooked with different methods and using different seasonings and wood, several cuts of Certified Angus Beef, and more. RH Weaver will lead us through a whiskey tasting and Aaron Kleidon from Scratch will be pouring his famous foraged brews. You’ll get to see behind the scenes of our catering operation and get great ideas for decorating and setting up events.

Hope you’ll join us. Space is limited, so reach out today via the link below.

Click here to download the schedule and accommodation information.

 


 

Click here to register.