Ed Mitchell (pitmaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ed Mitchell
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Ed Mitchell in 2008
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| Born | 1948/1949 (age 76–77) |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Occupation | Pitmaster |
Ed Mitchell, born in 1948 or 1949, is a famous American pitmaster and businessman. He is known for his amazing barbecue, especially whole hog cooking. Many people call him the most famous pitmaster in North Carolina.
Ed Mitchell has appeared on popular TV shows like Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Man v. Food. He has also been featured in magazines like Bon Appetit and on National Geographic.
Early Life and First Barbecue
Ed Mitchell grew up in Wilson, North Carolina. He learned how to make barbecue from his family. They often had big family gatherings with lots of food.
When Ed was about 14 or 15 years old, he went to a family barbecue. All the adults fell asleep, and Ed started taking care of the fire. He cooked the pig all by himself. When his grandfather woke up, he saw the perfectly cooked pig. He was very proud of Ed. This was Ed's first time cooking a whole pig, and it started his journey as a pitmaster.
Cuisine: The Art of Whole Hog Barbecue
Ed Mitchell is a master of whole hog barbecue. This means he cooks an entire pig at once. He uses old-fashioned methods to make his barbecue.
He cooks with oak and hickory wood logs, along with charcoal. His special spice rub is simple but tasty. It includes salt, black pepper, red pepper, and onion powder. His barbecue sauce is made with apple cider vinegar, crushed red pepper, salt, sugar, and black pepper.
Ed cooks his hogs "hot and fast" at first, starting around 500 degrees. Then, he slowly lowers the temperature to about 250 degrees. He closes the vents on his barbecue pit and lets the hog smoke overnight.
He believes cooking the whole hog lets you taste "all the different parts." For example, to make a perfect pulled pork sandwich, he mixes meat from the shoulder, ham, and belly of the pig.
Career: From Family Store to Famous Pitmaster
In the 1990s, Ed Mitchell started selling his barbecue at his family's grocery store in Wilson. Later, in 2004, that business closed.
Ed helped start a restaurant called The Pit in Raleigh. He left The Pit in 2011. In 2014, he opened another restaurant called Que in Durham. Que closed in 2015 because the space was too small to cook enough hogs. This made it hard to sell enough food for the restaurant and catering.
In 2019, Ed Mitchell announced plans for a new restaurant called The Preserve in Raleigh. He planned this with his son, Ryan Mitchell, and LM Restaurants. This restaurant was set to focus on the history of barbecue in North Carolina. It would also use pigs raised especially for barbecue.
Ed also has a food truck called Q on Wheels. Since 2018, he has been selling his barbecue through Goldbelly, which ships food across the country. This barbecue is prepared at a smokehouse in Micro, North Carolina. In 2020, Ed Mitchell also created three barbecue sauces for True Made Foods.
